A statement about statements.
We echo and support the comments from local and national leaders and businesses who condemn the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and all African Americans who have suffered and died as a result of widespread systemic injustice and racism.
But too many people are reading those statements and rolling their eyes as they think about their experiences as candidates, employees and connections of those very same companies.
Trust isn’t built with a few sentences. It’s built in the actions we take every single day.
The time when a manager makes a “joke” that dismisses someone’s culture and life experience.
The moment when someone from an underrepresented community speaks up and is branded as “difficult” or suddenly finds themselves burdened with a second, unpaid job of “Defacto Chief DEI Officer.”
The instance when any overt or subtle occurrence of racism, sexism or bigotry comes and goes without recourse.
These moments at work are not unique, not infrequent, not ok, and need to change.
Prepare yourselves leaders -- while recruiting events and community organizations are a platform to implement change, it’s time to own up to the fact that a sponsorship banner and a booth isn’t enough.
If a company’s collective goal is to spark meaningful and lasting change around DEI, it’s time to balance out the budget disparity between recruitment and retention, especially in the context of education and inclusion.
It’s time to stop prioritizing our existing process over our actual outcomes.
It’s time to stop getting defensive.
It’s time to start listening:
Workplace & Tech:
https://marker.medium.com/its-time-we-dealt-with-white-supremacy-in-tech-8f7816fe809
https://hbr.org/2002/11/dear-white-boss
Society:
https://www.ted.com/talks/heather_c_mcghee_racism_has_a_cost_for_everyone?language=en
https://bookshop.org/books/how-to-be-an-antiracist/9780525509288?aid=2644
Local News:
https://medium.com/@cityforwardcollective
If you’re looking for local expert help, Beth Ridley at the Brimful Life has a starter kit available on her site www.thebrimfullife.com and works with teams directly! I'm also happy to refer to other local experts like August Ball at https://www.creamcityconservation.org .
The Sunshine Behavioral Health Center has compiled a list of health resources for the Black Community:
Additional resources from AlcoholRehabUS.org:
https://drugrehabus.org/mental-health-issues-among-black-men/
https://alcoholrehabus.org/black-mental-health-treatment-over-incarceration/
Amanda Daering