Last week was a challenging one to say the least. You might be far removed from what’s happening in North America. For me, much of the news of the past week is happening in the place where I call home. Minneapolis is where I grew up. I was raised far from the city and was raised with privilege in the suburbs of Minnesota. I now live much closer to Minneapolis which has been experiencing true unrest.
What took place over Memorial Day has been heartbreaking to see and experience. The video shared a graphic scene of events between police and a person named George Floyd.
What was shown and what happened was sad and heart breaking to watch. Once the video was released on Facebook protests and demonstrations began to start in South Minneapolis and soon spread to Midway in Saint Paul. Now, there’s planned events happening across the globe.
During my time at University, I was fortunate enough to take a class on Racial Reconciliation. The professor had us participate in a walk the line event. Everyone started at the same line and then the professor listed off different questions. Move forward if you had two parents, move forward if you had dental care, move forward if you had a car. At the end of this, there was a true visual representation of privilege with many in the front of the line and some lagging far behind. Certainly, the impacts of privilege and your upbringing are far-reaching. At the time it was an eye opening experience. To say that I was sheltered from the world and from forms of racism in suburbia was an understatement.
In my current role, I have been fortunate to have a coworker share their story on what they are experiencing during this time. It was heartfelt and inspiring to listen to. It really made me feel like I wanted to support and help others during this time. But, what can a Recruiter actually do?
How to Support your BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Team Members:
1. Do your research. People of color are processing a lot right now, and it’s not helpful to ask them for education on issues on top of that. Here is a list of great resources for those who want to understand more about issues pertaining to race.
2. Be a listening ear. For Caucasians, it’s easy to want to jump in on the conversation when we have a lot to learn. It’s okay to take a step back and simply be willing to listen.
3. Be vocal in the right avenues. If you have some knowledge to share with others about what it means and looks like to be an ally, do so.
4. Volunteer and donate. Put your time and money where your mouth is. Here are some great resources if you are interested in helping out with things that are happening in Minneapolis.
5. Dedicate time to sourcing D&I leads. This is a real way that we can impact change.
6. Work on hiring bias and become vocal with HR leadership. Has your company addressed what is going on? Do your BIPOC coworkers feel supported during this time? If not, these are things to seriously look at.
Where to Source Diversity Leads in North America:
Top 10 Cities with highest % of Black or African-Americans
| City | Total population | (Black or African-American) | |
| Rank | Percentage of | ||
| total population | |||
| Detroit, Michigan | 713,777 | 1 | 84.3 |
| Jackson, Mississippi | 173,514 | 2 | 80.1 |
| Miami Gardens, Florida | 107,167 | 3 | 77.9 |
| Birmingham, Alabama | 212,237 | 4 | 74 |
| Baltimore, Maryland | 620,961 | 5 | 65.1 |
| Memphis, Tennessee | 646,889 | 6 | 64.1 |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | 343,831 | 7 | 61.2 |
| Flint, Michigan | 102,434 | 8 | 59.5 |
| Montgomery, Alabama | 205,764 | 9 | 57.4 |
| Savannah, Georgia | 136,286 | 10 | 56.7 |
Cities with highest number of Asian-Americans
| City | Total | (Asian-American) | |
| population | |||
| Rank | Number | ||
| New York, NY | 8,175,133 | 1 | 1,134,919 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 3,792,621 | 2 | 483,585 |
| San Jose, CA | 945,942 | 3 | 326,627 |
| San Francisco, CA | 805,235 | 4 | 288,529 |
| San Diego, CA | 1,307,402 | 5 | 241,293 |
| Honolulu, HI | 337,256 | 6 | 230,071 |
| Chicago, IL | 2,695,598 | 7 | 166,770 |
| Houston, TX | 2,099,451 | 8 | 139,960 |
| Fremont, CA | 214,089 | 9 | 116,755 |
| Philadelphia | 1,526,006 | 10 | 106,720 |
Top States with Largest Native American populations:
- California
- Oklahoma
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Texas
- North Carolina
- Washington
- Alaska
- New York
- South Dakota
Top Cities with Highest Native American Populations:
- New York, New York
- Los Angeles, California
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Anchorage, Alaska
US Communities with highest Hispanic-majority populations in 2010 census:
Communities in the United States with a Hispanic-majority population are primarily found in the Southwestern United States and in large metropolitan areas elsewhere in the country.
The community with the highest percentage of Hispanic residents (among communities with over 100,000 people) is the unincorporated community of East Los Angeles, California, whose population was 97.1% Hispanic.
Among incorporated localities of over 100,000 people, the city of Laredo, Texas has the highest percentage of Hispanic residents at 95.6%.
San Antonio, Texas is the largest Hispanic-majority city in the United States, with 807,000 Hispanics making up 61.2% of its population.
New York City has the most Hispanic residents, although it is not Hispanic-majority.
Alaska American Targeted Search – Top 10 Alaska Companies:
- FORT WAINWRIGHT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
- Bristol Bay Native
- Chugach Alaska
- Afognak Native
- Anchorage School District
- Yukon-Kuskokwim Health
- Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat
- Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
- NANA Dev
- Lynden
Many of us are experiencing a lot of emotions now. More than ever we need to come together and support our BIPOC coworkers. We need to sit in their shoes and practice empathy and solidarity. We need to come together and support each other now.
I encourage you not to be silent. Speak up and let your voice be heard. Don’t just change your Facebook profile picture. We need to do more – daily – not just when this is a hot button issue. Recruiters have power to make a hiring and sourcing impact, and don’t forget the impact we have on one another as coworkers. Be the needed change within your company.
I’ve created a massive list of D&I Boolean Strings (here).
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The 12 Best Contact Finding Chrome Extensions
How to Craft the Perfect Recruiting Cold Email
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