“People are not necessarily looking to the job as a place to work out race and gender issues, unless that is in fact the function of their jobs. People want to be able to show up at work as themselves and be able to do their jobs without feeling discriminated against or even being punished.”- me
It’s weird quoting myself, but I find it necessary today. This quote is taken from a Forbes article published back in February 2020. The article served as a question related to the importance and function of diversity in the workplace. There were varying views in the article, with which I did not agree. I had a lot more to say. Time and circumstance did not allow this, and honestly, for the past few months, I thought the opportunity to address the issue had passed. Not that the issue is fleeting. Because the last 14 days tells us otherwise, with the murder of George Floyd and the massive eruption of resistance expressed worldwide. But, attention to the issue is constantly shifting, and seemingly attention had shifted to COVID 19.
Interestingly enough, the conversation around the rates at which Black people were being infected and dying is a manifestation of the issue. But the narrative that was constructed hinted at inequity without actually calling it out. Similarly, conversations around diversity in various societal institutions oftentimes tiptoe around issues of equity without actually calling out the structures, policy and practices (borrowing from a colleague) that perpetuate inequity and quite frankly racism. So why am I writing this now? Well I have some things to say to the workplace and those who manage it. In order to say these things, I’m going to share my responses from the original interview of the Forbes article and elaborate on them in terms of what’s taking place today.
Based on the conversations I’ve had with colleagues and friends from across various disciplines and industries, workplaces are either silent about what’s going on, doing a poor job of addressing it, or actually doing a decent job of addressing racism and what it means for their black employees, consumers and the society as a whole. Is it just me, or has every retailer you’ve ever patronized or thought about patronizing filled up your email and social media feed with their commitment to equity (my word, not theirs) and rolling the “we’re not racist” credits? I mean, Black Lives Matter popped up on my firestick the other night! So it’s no longer a question of if the discussions around diversity, equity and race belong in the workplace, because they are present and accounted for (silence still speaks volumes). It becomes a question of what’s being done and what should be done. And you know, I really took a long time to even begin engaging in this dialogue within the safety of friendship circles. Mainly because my anger, took me to a place beyond words, and that place was also a place of emotional, and physical exhaustion. Race related stress is real, microaggressions are real, overt acts of racism are real and are present throughout all levels of society. All of these things lead to and exacerbate mental health issues for Black people. So, a lot of us, have been exhausted, just by being Black in America and we experience further exhaustion by engaging in diversity work within the institutions to which we belong. Within that place of exhaustion and anger, I said “y’all (institutions, workplace managers) can figure it out!” But “y’all” out here doing damage to my people and I have to address it.
To the Institutions, departments, and individuals being silent
Your silence is a problem. Your silence reinforces white supremacy and systems of oppression. Beverly Daniel Tatum in her book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations about Race sums it up best:
"I sometimes visualize the ongoing cycle of racism as a moving walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt…Passive racist behavior is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is being made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking. Some of the bystanders may feel the motion of the conveyor belt, see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around…But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt – unless they are actively antiracist – they will find themselves carried along with the others."
Your silence carries you along with the individuals who commit racist acts. I get it. You’re uncomfortable. You think that it’s a political issue. You think that you don’t have the tools or know how to address it. And while I get it, because of the human denominator of empathy, I don’t like or respect it. These are all excuses, and lame ones at that. It’s 2020, which means there are enough books, trainings, resources and individuals both within and without your organization that can disabuse you of all of these notions. But hear this. It’s going to cost you. It may cost you your ego, it may cost your institution some time and money, it may even cost you some (racist) friends, but it won’t cost you your life! And I know some institutions think they get a pass because of the diverse makeup of their organization. You believe that because people from various backgrounds and more specifically Black people rock with you and are a part of you then you’re doing good. Umm….. that is the institutional equivalent of saying “I have Black friends”.
To the “Well-Intentioned”
You called a meeting to unpack what your black staff are experiencing. You reached out to a friend or a group to express outrage and solidarity. You sent a barrage of resources/reading list/videos etc. to a group or institutional email list. You issued a call for Black people to share their experiences with you. You’re asking, help me understand how I can be an ally. Newsflash! Your good intentions are doing more harm than good. There have been a lot of memes and social media posts stating how Black people are sitting in Zoom meetings, not okay and holding it together as best they could by “being professional”. I had a friend tell me that during a recent meeting someone who was poorly equipped and ill-informed tried to facilitate a dialog around the George Floyd murder and the lack of concern for Black lives. My friend said, she left the meeting feeling worse than when she entered. I’ve heard other reports of Black people being tasked with the responsibility of leading conversations, initiatives and creating documents to both address their non-black colleagues and give them directives towards improvement and to facilitate conversations in safe spaces for themselves and others. I’m going to share with you some answers I provided that may not have made it into the Forbes article I previously mentioned.
I was asked how/why do diversity programs contribute to hurting mental health. Here’s my answer:
(a)They are reactionary. There is no intention behind the programming beyond reacting to an incident or a discovery that the workplace is not inclusive and/or diverse. Understand that simply having a diverse workplace will lead to there being conflict, particularly if it was previously less diverse prior to the initiative. People naturally react to these changes particularly in competitive environments where they may perceive the new additions as being un(der)qualified. Also in the company’s haste to appear inclusive, they neglect to actually create a foundation for diversity and inclusion. They do not make it a part of their mission. It’s purely about optics, and these things definitely become harmful for the individuals who are considered diverse. They now have to contend with coworkers who do not respect them or what they bring to the table. There are oftentimes no structures put in place to support these individuals as they traverse this usually hostile environment. Psychological effects such as race related stress and racial battle fatigue oftentimes lead to more severe mental and physical health issues. And this is just in terms of diversity as it pertains to race. Individuals who maybe differently abled face a myriad of challenges within the workplace.
(b)The burden of highlighting and creating these spaces often times fall to individuals who are considered diverse. Imagine, suffering from something, and having to cure yourself and everyone around you. The emotional labor that is oftentimes placed on such individuals in the workplace is immense. It is not only psychologically draining, but it also takes away from the person’s main function in the organization. If all of your time is spent trying to educate others and create diverse spaces, when will you actually get your work done?
To the individuals and institutions doing a decent job
Good for you! You have hopefully built an organization that has diversity as a part of its foundation. I hope that as the meme on social media says, now that you’ve given us a graphic, program, statement that Black Lives Matter, show us your board of directors, your executives. Because we hope they mirror your sentiments. I was also asked in the interview if diversity programs are fighting a lost cause. You and your institution hopefully can answer this question, but here’s my response:
“It’s not a lost cause if fought correctly and strategically. In fact, it shouldn’t be a fight. Two phrases often said in this “fight” are “diversity is excellence” and “representation matters”. So many companies are being brought to task as their products range from being lacking to being outright offensive. At the root of many of these situations, is the fact that the company is not diverse, particularly at the decision-making level. So many blunders can be avoided if companies are more intentional about their staffing, particularly at the management and executive levels. But as I said previously, if diversity and inclusion efforts are not a part of the company’s foundation, then they will fail. One word that is often left out of these conversations is equity. It’s not enough to have numerical representation. But also that the “representation” all experience the same level of respect, and access within the organization. Individuals who are a part of diverse organizations that are not equitable are oftentimes kept in the same positions (usually lower level) with little to no opportunities for advancement. These individuals experience burn-out and become less productive at their jobs. If equity is not a part of the efforts and conversation, it is a lost cause. If the programs do not have serious resources placed behind them in terms of finances, and man power, then yes, it is indeed a losing fight. It shouldn’t be a fight, these things should be laid out from the very beginning in order to have productive employees, and excellence from the organization.
I hope you fit this description, and I hope you are investing in the necessary human and financial resources to address the issues facing Black people in your institution and society.
And finally, I was asked for suggestions of healthier approaches outside of the workplace for individuals who identify as diverse to practice. So, my Black people, I say this to you. Most of us have been triggered by the recent events either because of our own personal experiences, through vicarious trauma or through generational trauma. Engage in your expression of resistance. It looks different for each of us. Let’s not criticize anyone’s if it does not distract or detract from the focus on injustice and oppression in this society. I offered these suggestions back in February and I stand by them today.
a. Get involved in professional organizations. Being excluded from opportunities and advancement at a job because of your identity is very real. There are often times organizations such as NABA (National Association of Black Accountants), AABANY (Asian American Bar Association of NY), NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) and many others where you can connect and learn of opportunities.
b. Talk about your experiences with concerned others. Keeping your experiences bottled up is an unhealthy and sure-fire way to experience stress and anxiety. Oftentimes, people can minimize our experiences, and this can make matters worse. Find one or two other individuals in your life who can serve as sounding boards.
c. Create boundaries and stick to them. In short, leave work at work. Limit how much you check your messages outside of work hours. Don’t have your social life and relationships revolve around work. It’s okay to be friendly with people at work and leave them there.
d. Engage in regular self-care. Take time to relax, and meditate daily. Engage in a weekly practice of exercise or an enjoyable activity. Self-care does not have to be a huge event such as a spa day (those are great). They can be a part of your daily, weekly, and monthly routines.
I never intended to write all these words. Actually, this week, I was going to blog about my latest podcast episode on dealing with loss. But here we are. I also could have just listed out my points of contention without looking back to February. But here’s the thing, there is a concerted attempt to have our conversations around Blackness and injustice mostly happen in February. And I just want to show how those conversations extend beyond February for not just Black people, but anyone who says they stand against injustice. Diversity is not about the cute international days our various organizations participate in, where we parade our numbers, initiatives, costumes and cuisine. It’s about dismantling systems of oppression and being anti-racist.