Beyond Optics: How To Create Allyship In An Anti-Racist Work Culture
Creating an authentically inclusive anti-racist culture is critical.
It’s better to do good than to just look good. Non-optical allyship is the goal.
“It’s better to do good than to just look good. Non-optical #allyship is the goal. #BlackLivesMatter”
The protests, violence and disruptions of the past weeks after the murder of George Floyd—whose name is added to the perpetual roster of Black men and women killed in this country as a result of racism—are symptomatic of the larger systems and infrastructures that must change in society, business and far beyond.
“The protests, violence and disruptions of the past weeks after the murder of #GeorgeFloyd are symptomatic of the larger systems and infrastructures that must change. #Justice”
These public actions and demonstrations call out every individual to eradicate racism personally and professionally. The grief, exhaustion and emotions triggered by the violence against Black men and women necessarily enters the workplace.
As women leaders— white, Black, brown, Asian, Native American, LGBTQ and all— working to ensure that your workplace culture is not just diverse and inclusive by optics, but is anti-racist in practice and in mission is critical now, and forever.
“As women leaders, working to ensure that your workplace culture is not just #inclusive by optics, but is anti-racist in practice is critical. #Ally ”
“There will be no gender equity without racial equity,” says Felicia Davis, president and CEO of Chicago Foundation For Women.
All women leaders taking the lead on this issue of equity can work to shift an organization’s culture toward gender and racial fairness—that are necessarily concurrent at this point in history.
It is urgent this week, this summer, this year, because in the U.S., Black workers—and women particularly—have been excluded in most all workplace cultures historically and currently. The bias excluding Black women begins in the recruiting and hiring process and is perpetuated from there.
“In the U.S., Black workers—and women particularly—have been excluded in most all #workplace cultures historically and currently. #Racism ”
Adia Harvey Wingfield writes in Harvard Business Review,“Many organizations rely heavily on social networks and personal connections in order to fill available positions. But by leaning too heavily on informal links, organizations are taking an approach that has overwhelmingly been known to exclude blacks. Who potential applicants know has taken on outsize importance in the hiring process.”
Wingfield writes, “In a study of elite professional services firms (lawyers, consultants, financial professionals), sociologist Lauren Rivera reports that companies display a very strong preference for graduates of a few select, very elite East coast universities. Some companies often won’t even consider candidates who attended a different school and lack a connection at the firm. Anthropologist Ilana Gershon also shows that the reliance on personal connections forms a critical component to how people find work today, with personal branding and use of social media sites such as LinkedIn playing a central role.”
This locking out is exacerbated by the pandemic. Black workers were deeply affected by COVID-19 layoffs, more than other workers in this country, according to a new study.
Truthout reports, “Racial inequities in American society contributed to higher rates of unemployment within Black communities as compared to rates among whites during the economic downturn brought on by coronavirus.”
The report continues, “Among Black workers, there was a more noticeable change, with 5.8 percent being unemployed in February and 6.7 percent unemployed in March (compared to 3.1 percent and 4.0 percent in those respective months for white workers), according to findings from The Economic Policy Institute.”
“Black workers were deeply affected by #COVID-19 layoffs, more than other workers in this country, according to a new study by @EconomicPolicy. #Inequity”
Perpetuated inequity based on race is exhausting, painful, depleting and traumatizing for so many. Acknowledging that pain and creating a workplace and organizational environment where sincere allyship is available to every employee takes intention, strategy and effort. Here are some hopefully useful suggestions.
“Creating a workplace and organizational environment where sincere #allyship is available to every employee takes intention, strategy and effort. #Leadership”
1. Be accountable for bias and learn about racial identity. According to a google document created by Black Lives Matter activists Anna Stamborski, Nikki Zimmermann, and Bailie Gregory, statements such as “I don’t see color,” “Talking about race brings disunity,” “Racism is caused by talking about race,” or “You aren’t racist if you don’t purposely or consciously act in racist ways,” are harmful and need to stop. Suggest resources to educate and inform allies on whiteness and racism, without asking persons of color to do the work of educating others. Anti-racism resources for white people are made available here from Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein. Use resources on building racial identity tools.
“Be accountable for #bias and learn about racial identity. Suggest resources to educate and inform allies on whiteness and racism, without asking persons of color to do the work. #EducateYourself”
2. Listen and acknowledge the pain and trauma of your colleagues and your team. The New York Times reports, “This deep-seated pain, stemming from inherited racial trauma and modern examples of injustice, informs our health, both mentally and physically. Allostasis is the measure of wear and tear on the body caused by chronic stress, and studies have shown that ‘weathering’ the effects of racism puts black people at a higher risk of mortality.” Olivia Affuso, an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, tells the New York Times, “Anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal issues and elevated blood pressure” are just some of the medical issues that could “point to poor stress management.”
“Listen and acknowledge the pain and trauma of your colleagues and your team. #Blackmentalhealth #LeadershipAdvice”
3. As a white person, do not compare your experiences or express disbelief. Maeve Berry writes in Ms., “Expressing shock is not only unhelpful, but actually extremely offensive to the hundreds of thousands of Black folks who have been experiencing varying degrees of white supremacy and racially-motivated violence their entire lives. When white women say that we are ‘shocked’ by the racist violence against Black people, we are ignoring history, separating ourselves from the reality that has existed for Black communities since the dawn of slavery (and even before then). This ‘shock’ and horror plays into the racist idea of white women as damsels in distress, who must be protected from the very violence we ourselves are helping to perpetuate. We must first acknowledge racism and white-perpetrated violence, as well as our role in it, in order to then unlearn our own racist behavior.”
“As a white person, do not compare your experiences or express shock and disbelief. #Microaggression #WhiteAlly”
4. Learn more and make resources available and promote discussion. Here is an initial book list: How To Be An AntiRacist by Ibram Kendi; The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin; White Awake by Daniel Hill; Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Tatum; I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown; Whistling Vivaldi by Claude Steel; White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo; Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates; White Rage by Carol Anderson; Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want to Talk About Race; Why I No Longer Talk to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge and The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward.
5. Be gracious and generous with team members. Shenequa Golding writes in Medium: “Forgive us if our work isn’t up to par, we just saw a lynching. Pardon us if we’re quiet in the Zoom meetings, we’re wondering if we’ll be the next hashtag. Spare some grace if we’re not at the company happy hour, because the hour of joy that most adults look forward to has been stolen from us due to the recent string of black death. We’re biting our tongues, swallowing our rage and fighting back tears to remain professional because expressing that hurt caused by witnessing black death is considered more unprofessional, than black men and women actually being killed. So if you can, please, be mindful. Your black employees are dealing with a lot.”
6. Speak up about racism and work to change racist acts. Using these Racial Equity Tools and resources, be sure that you never commit a racist act intentionally or unintentionally in the workplace or anywhere. If someone at work makes a comment that is racist, call it out and say it is not OK. These comments can be as subtle as making a comment about what a person of color is wearing, or a question about food, music or free time.
“Speak up about #racism and work to change racist acts. Using resources at racialequitytools.org, be sure that you never commit a racist act intentionally or unintentionally. #ImplicitBias”
7. Allow everyone to speak up in meetings, zoom calls, activities. Having the optics of a diverse and inclusive team is not the same as honoring the ideas, input and value of every member of the team. Specifically leave space for members of the team who may be holding back and ask those who monopolize the conversations to allow others to take the floor if they would like to participate and share.
“Allow everyone to #speakup in meetings, zoom calls, activities. Having the optics of a diverse team is not the same as honoring the ideas and value of every team member. #Inclusivity”
8. Be actively anti-racist in your life. Berry writes in Ms., “If we aren’t able to attend the protests, there are countless ways to support anti-racist work. Activists Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein have compiled a growing list of anti-racism resources for white people—including reading lists, articles for allies and parents hoping to raise allies, organizations to which to donate and more. Showing Up For Racial Justice also has important resources, such as chapters to join and suggestions for white people hoping to act as allies.”
“Be actively anti-racist in your life. #TakeAction #BlackLivesMatter”
To put it all in perspective, we are closing out with these wise words.
Former President of the United States Barack Obama writes in Medium, “I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.”
