Black persons like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery have been killed in American cities, sparking public upheaval. Nationwide, protesters are demanding justice for them and all Black people.
More non-Black people have confronted institutional racism and considered how it has benefited them in huge and minor ways since the demonstrations and riots. That may be you. With so much time spent at work, you may be asking how to be a better ally to Black and brown people.
Here are 11 ways to support individuals of color at work.
1. Look Inward
During George Floyd’s murder demonstrations, actress Lea Michele tweeted, “#BlackLivesMatter,” criticizing systematic racism and police violence. However, her former Glee co-star Samantha Marie Ware said Michele made her life a “living hell.” Other Black Glee co-stars, like Amber Riley, then suggested that Ware’s experience was not unique. Ware claims Michele came close to apologizing, but she was unaware that her earlier statements and behavior would make her look hypocritical.
Before you start your fight to make your company more inclusive, look critically about yourself. Have you profited from your race or privilege at work? Who are your trusted coworkers? Do you exclusively discuss race with Black or other individuals of color at work? Why are you often mixing up the office’s two Black women’s names? Do you “sister-girl” them into embarrassing oblivion while talking to them? Why are you giving them fried chicken and natural hair articles (my coworker did this)?
Introspection is necessary but preliminary. After assessing your previous acts, you may consider future ones.
2. Ask For Honest Feedback
If you feel comfortable, ask a trusted coworker, regardless of race, for honest input on how you can improve as a coworker or with colleagues of color. If they answer, “Oh you’re fine,” your fact-finding quest is not over—they may not feel comfortable talking to you about these things, they may not have seen anything that raises a red flag, or they may not have paid attention to these things previously.
When asking a Black person or person of color, provide a guilt-free choice to decline. Allow for the potential that they may remark they’re uncomfortable or lack energy. Teaching white people not to be racist may be exhausting, tedious, and unappreciated. Honestly, not all people of color are anti-racism specialists.
Feedback might reveal what you don’t know and what you need to learn.
3. Learn and Share
No need to ask Black or other persons of color for advice: You may consult other white folks who have done this task. Ask about insightful resources and practical ways they’ve shown allyship.
Lots of books have been written regarding institutional mechanisms that perpetuate inequality and racism. Victoria Alexander, a PhD student at the University of Maryland, recommends some Blackness and anti-racism books. British Vogue and Vulture suggest racism, injustice, and police films for visual learners.
Share the knowledge. Being an ally is encouraging others to be allies. This may be a company-wide reading list, a book club for coworkers to discuss race and prejudice, or a gathering to create tangible steps to end workplace racism.
4. Always recruit
Netflix’s previous Chief Talent Officer Patty McCord encouraged employees to “Always Be Recruiting,” even when they weren’t recruiting managers. In 2018, she addressed the Society for Human Resource Management that applicants may come from wherever, and having an open mind might mean considering more individuals of color as potential job prospects.
Thus, much of recruiting involves networking to meet and get to know additional non-white sector professionals. Whether you’re an entry-level assistant or a CEO, regularly expanding your network may increase the number of prospects you can suggest when a position opens up.
5. Keep them in the door
Hiring individuals of color is one way to improve racial diversity in your business. The next stage is making sure those individuals feel secure going to work each day, whether that means taking them seriously when they say someone on their team doesn’t know how to hold back microaggressions or helping them advance professionally.
This might involve encouraging affinity groups like employee resource groups to gather and organize. To ensure their careers may thrive while working there, the corporation may create or encourage mentorship programs. In the absence of a structured mentoring program, a buddy program between workers at various levels might help them feel supported.
6. Make your company ask employees how it’s doing.
Companies can’t improve thoroughly without feedback. Evaluating people’ job experiences directly or via a survey may help organizations uncover concerns management may not perceive. Employers may poll workers using Culture Amp. Workers may agree or disagree with statements like “My company believes that people can greatly improve their talents and abilities,” and “I feel like I belong at [company].”
Your company’s people team or HR department may be able to lead an adoption of one of these products. Even if not, propose it to HR or leadership. Managers should review survey or other input by demographics to identify troubling tendencies across groups and find solutions.
According to Culture Amp’s previous diversity and inclusion chief Steven Huang, “Simply counting women and underrepresented minorities does not ensure you have an inclusive experience.” Asking those groups about their work and colleague experiences helps explain why they may not feel welcome and be considering leaving.
7. Report Illegal or Overt Discrimination
This step is tough. Who likes conflict? It’s essential if you want to support colleagues of color.
The 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits employment racial discrimination. If your employer has an HR department, you should report anything really racist or discriminatory, such as a hiring manager passing over a Black applicant or someone spewing slurs against people of color. You may also testify to confirm what occurred if someone else is complaining. In any scenario, you may wish to speak to a lawyer about what you saw or experienced to understand your options and the procedure.
8. Call Out Microaggressions
The more prevalent microaggressions are short “indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial, gender, sexual orientation, and religious slights and insults to the target person or group.” Comments such, “You speak so well for a Black person,” or fried chicken are examples.
These aren’t enough to get someone fired, canceled, or thrown out of a cannon, but they add up to create a dreadful workplace for people of color. In a 2019 Deloitte poll of major company workers, 64% reported workplace prejudice in the preceding year, with 83% reporting subtle bias and 32% explicit or evident bias. These subtle practices are more pernicious and may be equally bad to employee morale and retention, so there’s potential for reform.
If you’re ready and safe, Professors Shamika Dalton and Michele Villagran’s checklist may help managers and staff confront microaggressions. They recommend avoiding anger and focusing on the incident, not the person. Trying to deny the situation will just make matters worse. (And documenting the occurrence for a boss, HR, or your own records makes sensible.)
9. Recognize and Correct Microaggressions
Despite your instincts, listen to someone who thinks you used a microaggression before defending yourself or downplaying it. You may apologize but not expect forgiveness. This is about improving your behavior, not hurting yourself.
10. Boost Others
In Forbes, computer scientist and Monzo diversity and inclusion leader Sheree Atcheson noted that harnessing privilege to elevate disadvantaged perspectives may go a long way. Meg Cramer, an audio producer and former presenter of the popular Black-women-hosted podcast Another Round (RIP), detailed her white woman allyship as a guide for others. Part of it was listening to Black colleagues and promoting their ideas inside and outside.
Share your Black colleagues’ work on social media, repeat and support their ideas in meetings (with credit), or assist them gain face time with business or industry executives they may not have access to.
11. Understand that allyship is ongoing
Knowing institutional racism is so pervasive and intrusive is stressful. It’s everywhere, so dismantling will be difficult. Train like this job is a marathon, not a sprint. It implies being open to learning and accepting that you’ll make mistakes. There’s no one method to be an ally, therefore it requires a critical eye inner and outside to find the ideal approach.
Be kind to yourself—no one is perfect. If you recognize this and try to assist and understand others, your actions will say loudly to Black and brown coworkers.
