Dear Everyone: a call to action
Dear Everyone,
This has been a very draining few weeks for black people worldwide, with the circulation of videos showing the murders of both Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. Seeing Ahmaud hunted in his own neighbourhood whilst out for a job was harrowing - jogging whilst being black seen as a big enough threat to warrant his murder. In the case of George Floyd...his last words were heartbreaking; this was a slow and painful death full of fear and pain. The anguish in his voice and in his heart was tangible. These two lynchings throw a spotlight onto the trauma black people across the western world face every day. The UK is not innocent, with many cases including the one of Belly Mujinga still a raw wound which refuses to scab over.
This is a call to action. I’ve struggled with this over the past few days as I didn’t really know what to write. I’m not an expert on social policy or racial justice by any means, however I know that I feel compelled to say something. In this post I’ll set out what I think companies, anti racists and the black community can do to work towards a brighter and more equal future.
Companies
Listen to the issues faced by black people in your company. Distribute anonymous surveys and questionnaires, conduct ethnic pay gap audits and open communication lines to senior people in the business: the best first action you can take to begin to tackle racism and implicit bias is listen.
Train your hiring managers and HR team to understand implicit bias, and the impact it can have on your hiring and promotion decisions. Even someone with the best of intentions can fall foul of this if they have not taken the time to truly understand the thoughts that flitter through their mind when they see a name they don’t recognise, or a skin tone they don’t usually see. Root out these unconscious biases and this will be a big step towards real equal opportunity.
Collaborate with the black community and commit to corporate initiatives aimed at bringing more black people into the workplace. In some cases, black people with all of the potential and work ethic to succeed haven’t necessarily been coached and given the resources to do so. By holding events and funding schemes aimed at giving black people these tools, you will see better performance at the candidate selection stage and you’ll also stop losing out on great and diverse talent.
Act decisively. All too often a racial complaint in the workplace is ignored or trivialised, explained away as if it was just in your head all along. By being seen to act decisively and fairly against racist acts and microaggressions in the office, you can build a culture which doesn’t tolerate it. In addition to that, educate staff. Help others to understand why certain things make us uncomfortable or offend us, and this could go a long way towards clearing up misunderstandings and gaffes before they take place.
Anti Racists
“Speaking like this doesn’t mean that we’re anti-white, but it does mean we’re anti-exploitation, we’re anti-degradation, we’re anti-oppression.”
Listen. Please stop, listen and think about what you’re hearing from the black community. Just appreciate that your reality is not the only one, and that those around you may inhabit the same space as you and have a very different experience to yours. Be emphatic; I understand that it may be shocking and hard to comprehend, but being able to understand that there is a problem is a massive step in the right direction.
Educate yourselves on systemic racism and the oppression of black people. Realise that there are very real and purposeful systems that have been put in place to denigrate black people and deny us equal opportunities in education, health, the workplace and other areas of life. Whether through misrepresentation in the media, language used by teachers at school, or through passive dismissal in politics, the problems are multifaceted and deep rooted.
Check Out Maya Goodfellow’s book, ‘Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Become Scapegoats’Check Out Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book, ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’
Check Out Akala’s book, ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’
Watch ‘When They See Us’ on Netflix to witness the damage racism can bring to innocent lives
Educate yourselves on the British Empire and other European ones; understand that they were vehicles used to rape, loot and enslave Africans to further the economies of Europe and later America. Understand that the Windrush Scandal is still very much happening right now in the UK; people who were brought into this country as children under the pretence of creating a better life for themselves are being deported and told to “Try to be ‘Jamaican’ – use local accents and dialect” to fit in upon their unwilling ‘return’ to shores long departed.
Educate yourselves on Africa’s history of great civilisations and empires. African history didn’t start and end with slavery and colonisation. From the great Ancient Egyptians to the vast riches of the Malian Empire, Africa has a proud and long history which isn’t given the attention it deserves.
Watch Africa’s Great Civilisations on Amazon Prime Video hereTake action. You are either part of the problem, or part of the solution - It’s that simple. Be courageous enough to call out racism and prejudice when you see it or hear it. Challenge your own thinking and views and understand that it’s OK to not fully understand and still offer your support and energy in combating these issues. Embrace and champion diversity where possible, and don’t allow yourself to unwittingly be party to discrimination against the black community when you can do otherwise.
The Black Community
This was a tough section to write because we never chose to be discriminated against, to be denied opportunities and to be racially abused and attacked. However, I do believe that we can do more to support one another moving forwards and lift each other up.
Respect each other and unite. Divide and conquer is the age old tactic to defeat an opposing army or subjugate a population. Whether through colourism, stereotyping, or our own lack of self esteem, we constantly find ways to belittle each other and divide ourselves. The amount of times I can remember being told by another black person that ‘you talk white’, ‘you’re a bounty’ or ‘you’re not from around here, you’re not really black’ is staggering. By perpetuating these stereotypes, you’re doing a racist’s job for them.
‘We’ is a difficult term to use in some respects, because the black community is not a homogeneous group, and that is great! We can’t bang the drum for diversity, and then reject it in our own community! By presenting a unified front, we can focus on the challenges we face together, and make ourselves that much harder to be oppressed and marginalised.
Aim high. If you are told that you are lesser enough times and don’t have people or the resources to reject that notion, then you may start believing it. As black individuals, we have the power to achieve great things. Through perseverance, we can break into positions of influence in society. Through this, we can create real change. We excel in all fields: science, research, engineering, medicine, law, marketing, supply chain, IT, sports, the creative arts and many more. We are creative, analytical, eloquent, strong, quick, funny and everything in between. We need to support one another and believe that we can overcome all the obstacles to success put in our way.
If we pool our knowledge and resources together, we can put our community in a position where we can’t be ignored and must be listened to. We shouldn’t have to do these things to be afforded common human decency and respect, but if that is what we must do, then we will.
Check out diversehires.co.uk A great resource for all diverse professionals, with advice on a range of topics from how to land your first role to starting your own businessSupport black businesses and ventures. Our money matters and our skills matter. Whilst we do need to call for change and progress, we also need to create the change we need to see rather than wait for it to be handed to us. Whether it’s a restaurant, a clothing line, a podcast or a dental practice, we need to support one another and shine a spotlight on our ventures. By creating wealth in the black community, we can fight systemic racism with more resources and live our lives with greater prosperity.
Check out Metro’s list of 12 Black Businesses you need to buy from right nowCheck out Diverse Hires ever expanding list of Diverse Startups here
Travel. The world is a big place, yet sometimes we only acknowledge what we can see right in front of us. Travelling allows us to not only broaden our horizons, but also to see our problems in a new light. There is such a huge amount of diversity, not only in the black community but also in people across the world. By experiencing this it allows us to better understand our situation and standing in the world, and return, if we choose to, with newfound energy and solutions.
Conclusion
We, the black community, deserve better. The societies we live in can do better. I genuinely believe that to fix a problem, we must first acknowledge it and then seek to understand it. Through dialogue, empathy and compassion, we can move forwards together. I have singled out three communities, but in reality everyone who plays a part in modern day life can be part of the solution.
We can all challenge our inner beliefs and our actions, and work to understand if we are acting in a way which unfairly harms the chances of the black community or furthers the cause. I know it can be uncomfortable and we all make mistakes. I certainly am just as culpable in that regard. However, if we are humble enough to acknowledge that and move forwards regardless, then I think this could really be a year we look back in with pride at our actions to create a better future.
Yours Sincerely,
Deluxe Flow