What does authenticity at work actually mean? Writer and critic Jodi-Ann Burey argues that expectations to “come as you are” and “bring your full authentic self to work” are part of an ongoing cycle of trading on our identities when it’s convenient and profitable. Part memoir and criticism, and using pop culture, personal storytelling and interviews, Burey draws insights from acclaimed television shows like The Good Place and Issa Rae’s Insecure and conversations with family, friends, colleagues and strangers alike to examine what “authenticity” really means in the workplace. We travel with Burey to Florida where she interviews her parents about the myth of the American Dream; to a safari park in Malawi which starts her global health career; to an independent bookstore in Seattle where she disenchants a circle of women of the false hope of pay transparency laws; to the Guggenheim Museum in her hometown New York City where art inspires reflections on disability, visibility and pressures to disclose at work. “Authentic is not a comfort book. It is, rather, a reckoning” ( The Guardian ). Instead of hope, Burey offers readers a declaration to reimagine and redefine agency in their professional lives: “I am not a worker. I am a person at work.” “In Authentic , Jodi-Ann Burey reads most of us so-called free laborers in this nation for filth. And it is the most necessary and narratively precise reading of my life. Nothing about us or the places we give our labor to can be the same after this dynamic book.” ―Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy and How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America “In Authentic , Jodi-Ann Burey explains why it is so hard to survive institutions and gives us many insights in how we can do so. She shows how institutions use authenticity rather like diversity, as a way of appearing to change without changing, so that workers, especially people of color, end up having to do even more. Speaking directly to her readers in a voice that is both distinctive and deepened by dialogue with others, this book calls for us to take time, to hold ourselves back from institutions so we have more of ourselves to give to our projects and our people. I encourage everyone committed to social justice to take the time to read this book slowly and carefully: it is just what we need right now, to find the courage to keep pushing for change, knowing we are not alone.” ―Sara Ahmed, scholar and author of Living a Feminist Life “In both poetic and straightforward prose, bolstered by years of experience and research, Jodi-Ann bares her mind, heart, and body to us in Authentic , vulnerably and fearlessly. This book gathers some of those stories I have long been hearing about―from my own life, from my family and friends, from my peers and readers―about how much we struggle and sever our real selves to fit into institutions that are not built for us. It flooded me with memories of what many of us have survived and had me shaking my head at what we’ve forgotten . . . all while healing and arming me with even more audacity and purpose.” ―Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming and Anita de Monte Laughs Last “Triumphant! Jodi-Ann Burey brings herself whole―brilliant mind, tested body, and tried soul―to this testimony on what is required to navigate institutions of structural racism that say: “sorry, not sorry.” Poignant and pointed, Jodi-Ann teaches us that representation is not success; and success is not justice. Her insights are deep, her writing is beautiful, clever and soul-achingly profound.” ―Arline T. Geronimus, author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society “No matter what work you do in the world, you will see yourself in Authentic , a tour de force debut that reconceptualizes what authenticity means in a labor market that forces employees to be the sole guardians of their own mental and physical wellbeing. With biting wit, Burey shares substantive research and intimate stories―her own and those of other workers―to illuminate greater truths about modern-day work culture for Black women and other marginalized communities. Authentic should be required reading for anyone hoping to navigate the American workplace while preserving the self. ” ―Laura Warrell, author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty of Rhythm “While weaving her own autobiography with stories of others who have struggled in organizations, Burey exposes how talk of ‘authenticity’ can hide the workings of oppressive systems and how such systems suppress talent, initiative and creativity and damage the health of individuals, both physically and psychologically. This book helps readers to recognize the problems created by the suppression of difference and what individuals and organizations can do to truly foster authenticity.” ―David Mura, author of The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives “Jodi-Ann Burey brings ardent c