What code-switching is in the corporate context

 Code-switching in Corporate America is often discussed as an “individual choice,” but the evidence shows it functions more like an adaptive response to institutional norms—especially norms around “professionalism” that historically track whiteness (speech patterns, hair standards, affect, and deference). The impact is therefore both career-related and cultural: it shapes who gets access, what gets rewarded, and which forms of Black expression are treated as “appropriate” in high-status workplaces.