7 ways to support black colleagues and mitigate racial bias
Listen, read, educate yourself, champion your colleagues of color, and call out blindspots about racism or inequality.
Editor’s note: We are re-running the top stories of 2020 as part of our year-end countdown.
What would you do if:
These are just a handful of demeaning and draining situations that I and other black communicators I know have faced in the workplace.
Racism has been a key theme of 2020 so far – be it racial inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 crisis or the seemingly endless cases of U.S. police brutality. But it’s nothing new.
What’s different this time is the public response. Global brands such as Netflix, Twitter and Spotify – and even the Chartered Institute of PR (CIPR) – have released statements condemning racism and showing support for black colleagues, members and customers.
The big question now is: Will this wave of change make it behind company doors? Experience suggests it won’t. Corporate Black History Month celebrations and social media shows of solidarity may be en vogue, but these well-meaning gestures rarely lead to meaningful change for employees.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can make the workplace a more welcoming environment for black and brown colleagues—if we all do our part to learn, grow, speak up and fight for greater social equality.
Try these seven ways to help:
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
