Black Americans constantly deal with the traumatizing effects of racism and injustice in their everyday lives. Not just in society, but racism is deeply ingrained in workplaces too. The business leaders, for too long, have shied away from speaking about it, and trying to create an anti-racist company. Often because they fear inviting blowback due to their prejudicial practices.
It is about time white management starts talking about a racially just workplace
Diversity and inclusion efforts by the companies and white management are failing black employees. With the rigorous social justice campaigning in America, organizations have started talking about racism and how to curb it, albeit uncomfortably.
The white leaders now find themselves doing a crash course in anti-racism to dismantle the decades-old workplace structure upholding racist inequity
It is high time systemic racism be uprooted from American workplaces. Here are some concrete ways through which white management can build an anti-racist company:
Recognize The Privilege
As Robin DiAngelo in her book said, white people need to have uncomfortable conversations about race. As a white manager, understanding how empowered you are is significant. Take stock of your position in the organization when compared to those of black employees and face the white supremacy. Ask yourself what part have you played in getting rid of it (as a manager)?
Anti-racism is a long journey. For a white manager unaccustomed to addressing race issues, it will be hard and uncomfortable. The first step to building an anti-racist company is to start where you are and do what you can.
Know that anti-racism isn’t about being ‘not-racist’. It is about endorsing the idea of racial equality all the while working to confront those who don’t.
As a manager, it is your job to recognize how deep racism runs in your organization, accept it, and see all the areas you should be working to uproot it.
Black Americans earn up to $1 million less than White Americans because of workplace racism. Most people know the stats and support racial equity but in theory only. White people sitting in the boardrooms need to know their decisions affect the lives of those not at the table. Just because you do not face the barriers does not mean there is no need to remove them. If you want your organization to be an anti-racist one, the change must begin with you.
Define Your Diversity Values
Don’t just talk the talk, walk the talk. Define your organization's commitments and values. Make sure you create a virtue-based environment where ‘equal opportunity’ isn’t just being broadcasted but is a major pillar of HR practices. Black unemployment is at least twice as high as white unemployment. Unless you bring more black people in your organization, the statistics will never change – neither for your company and nor for America in general.
You can never be truly diverse until you have every color and gender on the table. Black people account for only 3.2% of senior leadership roles at large corporations and hold just 0.8% of Fortune 500 positions. Similarly, Latinos hold fewer than 2% of Fortune 500 CEO positions. Make it your responsibility to give people of color a seat at all levels, as per their qualifications and experience. Ensure that you create an environment where people of every race are comfortable applying for a job in your company and have equal chances of getting it.
If you want to see racial equity, then promote black people and other people of color to leadership positions outside of human resources and diversity and inclusion and give them the respect they deserve. Do not wait for one black or Latino executive to move up or resign before you promote another. If you want to be anti-racist, promote people based on their talent and not their race. Promote employees based on their skill set and not your comfort level with having them sitting across or next to you. You will see there will be multiple colors at the table when you let that happen.
More diversity and an anti-racist company is not only the right thing but a smart thing to do. It results in high morale, increased profitability, and higher financial returns.
You just don’t have a team working UNDER you, but a happy & diverse team working FOR you. There is a big difference!
Make Inclusivity Commonplace
Most companies are diverse, but not inclusive. You don’t just want to hire employees of color; you want to keep them as well. The D&I programs and ERGs in organizations today aren’t designed to sustain a focus on racial equity and building an anti-racist company. Many lack C-suite support, do not have executive sponsors, and are being run by the employees of color as their second job. Some are more show than go. Just resting on philosophical statements, good for the PR, but not for implementation.
Inclusivity means you remove barriers that keep employees from participating equally in the workplace. Make sure their voices are heard and recognized. Create transparency in employee monitoring, salaries, retention, promotion, and include mentorship for all. Stop asking black employees to blend in. Instead, make them comfortable and emphasize on a workplace that embraces all styles and behaviors.
Manage Career Development
Even among the most impactful of the existing efforts, Black employees are unsatisfied or want to leave. White management has to step up its efforts to advance black leaders and employees.
If more African Americans are to rise through the ranks, a thorough and robust career development plan at every stage is required. Research by the University of Georgia has shown that many black women get this kind of support early in their careers, but they are treated like “pets” whom white leaders are happy to groom. Those who reject pet identity are perceived as threatening and face hostility from coworkers.
Black leaders who reached the top management positions are the ones who were bolstered throughout their careers by a network of supporters within the company. This must be trivialized at all levels for all employees of color.
Accountability
You might be taking all these steps, but if you are not holding yourself and other white employees accountable for implementing them, you cannot curb racism and build an anti-racist company. Without accountability, within the C-suite and among the various departments, you cannot see your anti-racism efforts being fruitful.
You have reaped the benefits of being white for so long. It is now time for you to stop using your color as a privilege and instead use it to benefit others. Businesses can influence society, and if you take the responsibility of eliminating racism from your organization, you will see the widespread change happening in society too.
A change won’t come when you hire a few people of color and show them off as trophies. A change will come when your being white isn’t an excuse for people different in color to be suppressed!
