Head of HR | Director at Milk Group.
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The recent murders of Black men and women and the subsequent protests-turned-riots are an embarrassment to our country. There is a legacy of abject failure in leadership, from the president to local police forces, that continues to allow masses of Black people to be killed without conviction or prosecution in too many cases. These events have severe trickle-down effects throughout entire communities and strengthen the grip of systemic racism.
But systemic racism does not start or end with these murders, nor does it start or end with direct violence. We in the HR world see it play out in our jobs in more nuanced ways.
Recently, a white woman living in New York called the police when a Black man asked her to leash her dog in the park, apparently believing herself the victim of a crime committed by a Black man. Yet even with this racist view, she had thrived at work in a coveted role at an established organization. She had achieved success in her career despite an evidently myopic view of privilege. One must ask if she used this privilege and paradigm in her hiring, firing and promotion decisions. Many companies have individuals like her in their ranks.
We must ask what it will take to change white people’s reactions when they claim to feel threatened by a Black man asking them to leash their dog, or by Black people entering what white people perceive to be their space. How can we be held accountable for those kinds of reactions as companies and HR professionals? Here are three places to start in the modern workplace fight against systemic racism.
Update Hiring Sources And Campus Locations
On the surface, it seems many companies are adding record numbers of diverse talent to their workforce. Reuters' 2019 Global Diversity & Inclusion Index measures multiple factors defining diverse and inclusive workplaces, and the U.S. leads the list with 25 firms. Notice how the likes of Google, Facebook and Uber — companies that claim to champion diversity — are not on that list.
It’s a trope in Silicon Valley that big tech hires almost exclusively from Ivy League universities, and Stanford in particular. In 2017, Black students accounted for only 4% of Stanford’s overall student population. Many companies crave diversity but recruit primarily from colleges with low Black populations. This can lead to people being discouraged from even applying to roles because they feel they don't have the “right” degree.
One solution to this would be opening offices in locations with historically Black colleges or growing and recruiting talent from city colleges. This can have a dual impact: Companies not only achieve a more diverse talent pipeline, but also are not asking talent to move away from their communities. The “brain drain” concept is not exclusive to countries; cities undergo this process every day as aspiring professionals depart their hometowns, leaving behind communities that could use their talent.
Lobby For Change
Lobbying accounts for prolific changes on a population and policy level. Corporations successfully lobby for tax breaks, regulation retrenchment and more. Consumers want corporations to drive fundamental change, so if companies can lobby for their bottom lines, why can’t they lobby for justice for their diverse employees?
Corporations need to start demanding policy reform, education, comprehensive police sensitivity training and the demilitarization of the police in cities where they have offices. If you’re earnestly looking for a more diverse workforce but just sit on the sidelines and allow systemic racism to affect the lives of that same workforce, you will achieve nothing but tokenism. Industries need to start making these demands wherever they have a presence before they move to enrich cities with jobs, services and taxes.
Get Your Black Talent Out There
I follow a few food media companies on Instagram and a constant theme is a stark lack of diversity in their content and teams. Take, for example, Alison Roman, who recently criticized the success of Asian women while co-opting ethnic dishes and ingredients. Maybe the data tells companies that their white editors generate more page views, or that bland chicken recipes are what their users want, but companies that pursue real diversity dive deep, irrespective of the small blip to their bottom line.
Leaders need to showcase more Black makers, content creators and business owners. They need to amplify their voices and have real representation. Leaders cannot publicly champion diversity and wait until mass murders and protests occur to say, “We can do better.” Don’t rest on vapid virtue signaling and then only show content from your white editors.
Employees also need to demand change. They wield tangible power — like those at Uber who helped blow the whistle on Travis Kalanick or the Google staff members who walked out in protest of the company's handling of sexual harassment claims.
For centuries and to the present day, we, as a country and economy, actively recruited and promoted white people and businesses and lifted up white communities. We now need to actively fight for and support Black communities. Injustices against Black people, including overt discrimination, have led to this outrageous and infuriating status quo. When the structure in place leaves generations of people unable to accrue wealth and without support, and then shallow diversity efforts to recruit Black talent serve mainly to boost PR ratings, how will the system ever break?
Yes, there have been advances against racism; however, I would argue that racism itself has evolved. Companies and employees need to engage at the community level if they want true diversity. Don’t stay silent, wherever you are on the color or leadership spectrum.
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