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What makes an excellent statement, though?

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"U.S. Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism" Harvard Business Review. June 2020. 

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"U.S. Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism" Harvard Business Review. June 2020. 

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Mark Felix/Getty Images

The United States is in crisis. As we write this article, videos of racial violence and racist threats toward Black people in America flood social and news media channels. Public demonstrations against injustice are happening in at least 30 localities. During non-violent protests, other parties have engaged in vandalism and looting, spurring varied and often disproportionate police response. Several cities are burning, while Covid-19 continues to rage throughout the country, hitting minority communities the hardest.

In a week that focused on "reopening the economy," everyone has become keenly aware that there is more than one pandemic affecting U.S. lives and local economies. As the American Psychological Association has declared, "we are living in a racism pandemic" too. World leaders are weighing in. The United Nations has urged action from U.S. authorities.

No matter your racial, political, or other identity, these events are almost impossible to escape. In particular, millions of Black people and their allies are hurting. And these issues are not ones that organizations or their leaders - from CEOs at the top of the hierarchy to team managers on the frontline - can ignore.

While conventional diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives focus on employee engagement and belonging, today's challenges reach far beyond marginalization in the workplace. We now see and hear Black people who are suffering from the weight of dehumanizing injustice and the open wound of racism that has been festering for centuries. Black leaders like Robert Sellers, the University of Michigan's vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, are openly sharing their feelings of exasperation. Blogs like Danielle Cadet's caution readers that "Your black colleagues may look like they're okay - chances are they're not." Another social media message that has gone viral really struck us: "There are black men and women in Zoom meetings maintaining 'professionalism,' biting their tongues, holding back tears and swallowing rage, while we endure attacks from a pandemic and police. Understand and be mindful."

The psychological impact of these public events - and the way it carries over into the workplace - cannot be overstated. Research shows that how organizations respond to large-scale, diversity-related events that receive significant media attention can either help employees feel psychologically safe or contribute to racial identity threat and mistrust of institutions of authority. Without adequate support, minority employees are likely to perceive their environments as more interpersonally and institutionally biased against them. Leaders seeking to create an inclusive environment for everyone must find ways to address these topics.

Avoiding Missteps

First, we'd like to outline three common missteps to avoid.

Keeping silent. For people not directly impacted by these events, the default response is often silence. Many Whites avoid talking about race because they fear being seen as prejudiced, so they adopt strategic colorblindness instead. We know that many managers also think they lack the skills to have difficult conversations around differences.

But no one has the perfect words to address atrocities in our society. It is the leader's responsibility to try, conveying care and concern for all employees but especially targeted groups. As Desmond Tutu once said, "If you are neutral in the situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." You might be tempted to rest on the laurels of your organizations' diversity statements and active employee resource groups. But that is not enough. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King remind us: "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

Becoming overly defensive. Another common misstep when approaching uncomfortable conversations about racial injustice is to react defensively, especially when our world views, positions, or advantages are questioned or challenged. Robin DiAngelo's research on white fragility highlights this phenomenon. For instance, when learning about police brutality against unarmed Black people, one reaction might be to search for evidence about what the victim did to deserve abuse, rather than demonstrating compassion and empathy. Another example is diminishing protesters by focusing on and judging those who engaged in looting instead of discussing the unjust act that drove people to the streets. Leaders must resist such reactions because they do not allow for constructive engagement. Instead, they make members of targeted groups feel even more alienated. Remember that comments on systemic inequalities are not personal attacks.

Overgeneralizing. When triggering events occur, there is a tendency to make sweeping generalizations about groups of people involved in the public conflict. Though individuals of the same race, gender or other identity often have shared experiences, there is diversity within groups that should be recognized. Instead of presuming that all members of your in-group or out-group think and feel similarly and talking about what "everybody knows," how "all of us feel," and what "none of us would ever do," leave room for dissenting points of view. When in doubt, ask employees about their individual experiences to honor their uniqueness. Think about how you can allow your employees to discuss what's happening without putting them on the spot or asking them to speak for everyone in their identity group.

Best Buy's senior leadership team offered one of the first corporate statements acknowledging the death of George Floyd under a white police officer's knee in Minnesota, the harassment of bird-watcher Christian Cooper by a white woman in New York City, and the death of jogger Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of armed white gunman in Georgia, while also paying service to the fact that the Black experience in America is not monolithic: "We write about these ... events ... not because most of us know what this fear must be like. We are as a group, by and large, not people of color. We write this not because most of us have known anyone personally in a situation like this. Thankfully, most of us do not. We write this because it could have been any one of our friends or colleagues at Best Buy, or in our personal lives, lying on the ground, struggling to breathe or filming someone as they threatened us."

Citigroup CEO Mike Corbat acknowledged that many employees have experienced racism in their everyday lives in overt and subtle ways. "I want you to know that your colleagues and I will always stand with you," he said in a memo to employees. "While I can try to empathize with what it must be like to be a black person in America, I haven't walked in those shoes."

Taking Meaningful Action

Next, we'd like to provide a framework for meaningful action. Leaders must not only offer physical and psychological safety. They also have the power and platform to lead change. Statements from the top are valuable, but they are just a start. Anyone, at any level of the organization, can take small steps to exercise greater compassion and initiate action that provides needed support and promotes racial justice for Black workers as well as others who are marginalized. Managers have a particularly important role in connecting with their employees on these issues. Here's how:

Acknowledge. It's important to acknowledge any harm that your Black and brown coworkers have endured. This means committing to lifelong learning about racism. Seek the facts about racist events, as well as the aggressions and microagressions that your minority coworkers have most likely faced inside and outside of your organization. We suggest the following steps:

Do the research to fully understand events, using data from reliable sources. Take the initiative to search beyond social media.

Do give your Black and brown employees the space to be angry, afraid, disenchanted, or even disengaged from work.

Do seek out support from your human resources team or office of diversity and inclusion. Books and articles can also be good resources. Three we recommend are: Race, Work and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience , which one of us edited and to which we both contributed, as well as the related HBR article series "Toward a Racially Just Workplace"; The Person You Mean to Be by Dolly Chugh, and How to Be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi. There are also free resources such as the "Talking about Race" web portal from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Do not rely on Black and brown people to educate you about what happened in order to justify their hurt and outrage or counter "colorblind" rhetoric.

Do not ask your Black and brown leaders or employees to comfort or advocate for colleagues or justice initiatives.

In the organizational setting, you have the power to step up. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and the company's diversity chief Brian Lamb wrote a memo to U.S. employees stating: "This week's terrible events in Minneapolis, together with too many others occurring around our country, are tragic and heartbreaking. Let us be clear - we are watching, listening and want every single one of you to know we are committed to fighting against racism and discrimination wherever and however it exists."

At Georgetown University, president John DeGioia wrote a heartfelt message to the community acknowledging the harm of a series of racist events: "On too many occasions over the years, there has been cause for me to share reflections with our community, as we grapple with the devastating impact of racism and hatred in our nation. In August 2014, following the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; in December 2015, following the grand jury decision in the killing of Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York; in August 2017, following the march of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia. In these moments, which encompass far from the full extent of experiences of racism and racist violence, I have tried to frame the work in which we must engage within the mission and purpose of the Academy."

Affirm. People are looking for leaders to affirm their right to safety and personhood and help them feel protected. When presidents, governors, mayors and sheriffs aren't doing so, corporate, university, and non-profit leaders can. This means offering continued opportunities for reaction, reflection, conversation, growth, development, impact, and advancement. Affirmation can start with creating a space for employees to share. For example, when asked, "How are you today?" many people of color respond in a scripted manner, instead of answering honestly. Instead, use more thoughtful prompts and questions.

You might say something like this: "I've been thinking about the harm of racism in our country, especially considering recent events." Next, describe your personal reaction and concerns, then make a commitment. "I'd like to help in promoting equity, so here's one thing I plan to do to help prevent future tragedies like these." Explain those intentions. Then, offer to engage. "Please let me know if there's anything else I can do to be supportive, even if you just want to talk about what's happening. I understand if you don't, and I won't be offended. But I just want you to know that the door is open, and that I care." The last line is important. Not everyone will be interested in or comfortable with discussing racism at work, especially if they haven't built a solid foundation of trust.

Act. Think critically about how you can use your power to effect change. Employees value words of understanding and encouragement, but leaders' and organizations' actions have a more lasting impact. We have witnessed some courageous steps, such as Joan Gabel, president of the University of Minnesota, ending contracts with the Minneapolis Police Department after George Floyd's death. Franklin Templeton Investments fired executive employee Amy Cooper after her interaction with Chris Cooper in Central Park.

Georgetown president John DeGioia's statement went on to say: "Our role in society - to pursue the truth - through the methodologies and disciplines through which we establish knowledge in our world, demands our engagement. In our response, we have sought to accelerate our academic commitment to addressing racial justice and to address our own connection to the institution of slavery and the enduring legacy of racism and to undo the structural elements that sustain this legacy."

More examples include YouTube pledging $1 million to the Center for Policing Equity, Glossier giving $500,000 to support racial justice organizations and another $500,000 to Black-owned beauty brands, and Peloton not only donating $500,000 to the NAACP but also calling for its members to speak up for and learn ways to practice anti-racism.

What can you and your organization do in your community? What would promote equity and justice and activate meaningful change? Whether you are a senior or junior leader, how can you advocate for such action?

Racism isn't just Black people's problem; it's everyone's problem because it erodes the fabric of society. Leaders at every level must use their power, platforms, and resources to help employees and communities overcome these challenges and build a better world for us all.

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U.S. Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism

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The United States is in crisis. As we write this article, videos of racial violence and racist threats toward Black people in America flood social and news media channels. Public demonstrations against injustice are happening in at least 30 localities. During non-violent protests, other parties have engaged in vandalism and looting, spurring varied and often disproportionate police response.

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"There’s No Scientific Basis for Race—It's a Made-Up Label" National Geographic 2018

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"There’s No Scientific Basis for Race—It's a Made-Up Label" National Geographic 2018

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1. What new information did this bring you?

2. Implications for our work?

3. Questions that came up?

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In the first half of the 19th century, one of America's most prominent scientists was a doctor named Samuel Morton. Morton lived in Philadelphia, and he collected skulls.

He wasn't choosy about his suppliers. He accepted skulls scavenged from battlefields and snatched from catacombs. One of his most famous craniums belonged to an Irishman who'd been sent as a convict to Tasmania (and ultimately hanged for killing and eating other convicts). With each skull Morton performed the same procedure: He stuffed it with pepper seeds-later he switched to lead shot-which he then decanted to ascertain the volume of the braincase.

Morton believed that people could be divided into five races and that these represented separate acts of creation. The races had distinct characters, which corresponded to their place in a divinely determined hierarchy. Morton's "craniometry" showed, he claimed, that whites, or "Caucasians," were the most intelligent of the races. East Asians-Morton used the term "Mongolian"-though "ingenious" and "susceptible of cultivation," were one step down. Next came Southeast Asians, followed by Native Americans. Blacks, or "Ethiopians," were at the bottom. In the decades before the Civil War, Morton's ideas were quickly taken up by the defenders of slavery.

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There's No Scientific Basis for Race-It's a Made-Up Label

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In the first half of the 19th century, one of America's most prominent scientists was a doctor named Samuel Morton. Morton lived in Philadelphia, and he collected skulls. He wasn't choosy about his suppliers. He accepted skulls scavenged from battlefields and snatched from catacombs.

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Black and Indigenous Millennials Are Canceling Latinidad. Here’s Why

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Black and Indigenous Millennials Are Canceling Latinidad. Here’s Why

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The Root 2019.

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Latin America been black and indigenous.

After all, indigenous people are by definition native to a particular place. So indigenous people in Latin America-the region in the Western hemisphere South of the U.S., where romance languages are spoken-yeah, they've been there.

Now onto the black part.

For those who are unaware, during the slave trade, over 10 and a half million enslaved people arrived in the Americas. Needless to say, slave ships made multiple stops before arriving at what is now referred to as the United States. According to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American Slavery, over 90 percent of the enslaved were shipped to the Caribbean and South America.

Even after the emancipation of enslaved people in Latin American countries, their treatment was not much better.

Tanya K. Hernández is the author of Multiracials and Civil Rights and a professor at Fordham Law. She says that there is a long legacy of anti-blackness within Latin America.

"Well, what's interesting about Latin America is that it's not typically thought of as united states, with regards to having laws and rules of race restriction regulation. But what is fascinating to note is that after the emancipation of slavery [in Latin American countries], what you instead see is a turn to the use of immigration law to diminish the access and the mobility of recently emancipated slaves."

Beyond bringing Europeans into Latin American countries to literally lighten the race (see: blanqueamiento [pdf]), Hernández says that there were restrictions on the lives of people of African ancestry-like the types of jobs black people could work, the Afro-spiritual religions that they practiced and even the quality of their education.

Today millennials are aware of the many ways in which "Latinidad" (i.e., Latinness, or what it means to be Latinx) is flawed and are calling for Latinidad to be canceled.

Afro-Indigenous poet and cultural worker, Alán Pelaez Lopez helped popularize the #Latinidadiscancelled movement, but many prominent voices like activist Zahira Kelly and journalist and founder of the blog Janel Martinez are also moving away from Latinidad.

"Latinidad just really just centers on the shared history and shared culture, but doesn't necessarily, like, delve into all of those multifaceted identities. And for me, Latinidad ultimately serves white cis-gendered, straight, wealthy men." Martinez continued, "I am none of those things, so for me, I'm at the margins of this term."

Happy Latinx Heritage Month, folks! Or is it so "happy" after all?

See the entire video above.

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Black and Indigenous Millennials Are Canceling Latinidad. Here's Why

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Latin America been black and indigenous. After all, indigenous people are by definition native to a particular place. So indigenous people in Latin America-the region in the Western hemisphere South of the U.S., where romance languages are spoken-yeah, they've been there. Now onto the black part.

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NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS ROUNDTABLE STATEMENT OF ANTI-RACIST FRAMEWORK

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NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS ROUNDTABLE STATEMENT OF ANTI-RACIST FRAMEWORK

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October 2010.

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A Note From Brian Cornell to Our Teams and Communities in the Twin Cities and Beyond

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A Note From Brian Cornell to Our Teams and Communities in the Twin Cities and Beyond

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Target Corporate anti-racism statement. May 2020.

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We are a community in pain. That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities-it extends across America. The murder of George Floyd has unleashed the pent-up pain of years, as have the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. We say their names and hold a too-long list of others in our hearts. As a Target team, we've huddled, we've consoled, we've witnessed horrific scenes similar to what's playing out now and wept that not enough is changing. And as a team we've vowed to face pain with purpose.

Every day, our team wakes up ready to help all families-and on the hardest days we cling even more dearly to that purpose. As I write this, our merchant and distribution teams are preparing truckloads of first aid equipment and medicine, bottled water, baby formula, diapers and other essentials, to help ensure that no one within the areas of heaviest damage and demonstration is cut off from needed supplies.

Our store and HR teams are working with all of our displaced team members, including the more than 200 team members from our Lake Street store in Minneapolis. We will make sure they have their full pay and benefits in the coming weeks, as well as access to other resources and opportunities within Target. We'll continue to invest in this vibrant crossroads of the Seward, Longfellow, Phillips and Powderhorn communities, preserving jobs and economic opportunity by rebuilding and bringing back the store that has served as a community resource since 1976. In any of our other locations that are damaged or at risk, the safety and well-being of our team, guests and the surrounding community will continue to be our paramount priority.

It's hard to see now, but the day will come for healing-and our team will join our hearts, hands and resources in that journey. Even now, Target leaders are assembling community members, partners and local officials to help identify what more we can do together and what resources are required to help families, starting right here in Minnesota.

Since we opened our doors, Target has operated with love and opportunity for all. And in that spirit, we commit to contributing to a city and community that will turn the pain we're all experiencing into better days for everyone.

Don't miss out on the latest Target news and behind-the-scenes happenings! Subscribe to our bi weekly newsletter and get the top stories from A Bullseye View delivered straight to your inbox!

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A Note From Brian Cornell to Our Teams and Communities in the Twin Cities and Beyond

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We are a community in pain. That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities-it extends across America. The murder of George Floyd has unleashed the pent-up pain of years, as have the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. We say their names and hold a too-long list of others in our hearts.

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"How Latinx People Can Fight Anti-Black Racism in Our Own Culture" Teen Vogue. June 2020

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"How Latinx People Can Fight Anti-Black Racism in Our Own Culture" Teen Vogue. June 2020

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Lucky for us, we are working on a foundation of a wealth of scholars, activists, and even everyday people, who have done this work for decades, that we might turn to for guidance. This is a great compilation resource to start with, which covers topics from ways to speak to children about anti-Black racism to lists of suggested films to watch and organizations with further readings. This set of tips is also a great place to start, especially when addressing racism in private contexts.

When engaging with Black art, music, and culture, understand its history and context

The lines between Latinx culture and Black culture, in the modern imagination are blurry at best, partially because of our shared modern experience, but also because of a rich history of artistic, musical, and cultural flow and collaboration. But there is a moment at which our shared experiences diverge, put plainly, because of the lasting impact of colonial era slavery, and modern-day prejudices against dark-skinned Black people which white and even brown Latinos do not contend with. While it's true, many Latinos do carry Afro-Latino and Black heritage, the lived experience of walking around the modern world in a Black body drastically changes the nature of the art and culture made by Black people.

Once again, this is a moment to do your homework, and to ask yourself tough questions that you can begin to ask of others. Learn about why it is NOT OK to say the n-word, even while rapping along with songs you love, if you don't present as Black or Afro-Latino. Or, for example, talk to your family about the importance of hair in Black communities, and why it's not OK for your aunts to tell your cousin she has pelo malo, bad hair, because it's curly and textured-or any other Black (or Indigenous)-presenting feature for that matter. These moments of internalized colorism, outward insensitivity, and cultural appropriation, while they may seem small, matter, and correcting them adds up to an easing of Black pain in everyday life.

When you can, center and elevate Black voices

This is probably the most straightforward point but it's at the heart of addressing anti-Black racism wherever you might encounter it. As you do the important work of educating yourself on the Black experience, and helping to address anti-Black racism you may feel the urge to speak on behalf of Black people amongst your Latino peers. While it's important to help shoulder the burden of this work on behalf of our Black friends, relatives, and community members, understand that Black humans are at the heart of this experience, and we must listen to them about how best to address their needs; learn from and amplify the scholarly research, grassroots activist work, and daily experiences they have with racism, first and foremost.

Remember that while our experiences are linked, anti-Black racism is an urgent crisis

While the Latinx experience is one that is also shaped by the horrors of colonial violence, slavery, genocide and exploitation of natural resources, and while the Indigenous and Black experience is, in America, closely linked by the project of colonialism, this project took on many forms in many countries where Latinidad and the diaspora now exists and, while we grapple with this experience we must also hold in our hearts and minds that this experience was and is drastically different for Black Americans. The relationship between the two is inextricable and is a product of shared pain, but now is a moment to shift focus to the experience of our Black relatives. This does not mean stomping down the needs and voices of the former to prioritize the latter, but it does mean knowing the state sanctioned violence and systemic racism against Black people in America is a crisis that urgently must be addressed, and that we can begin by addressing within our own communities.

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How Latinx People Can Fight Anti-Black Racism

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Lucky for us, we are working on a foundation of a wealth of scholars, activists, and even everyday people, who have done this work for decades, that we might turn to for guidance. This is a great compilation resource to start with, which covers topics from ways to speak to children about anti-Black racism to lists of suggested films to watch and organizations with further readings.

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"Call It What It Is: Anti-Blackness?" The New York Times. June 2020. 

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"Call It What It Is: Anti-Blackness?" The New York Times. June 2020. 

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The New York Times opinion piece by kihana miraya ross, African American studies professor at Northwestern University. June 2020.

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Opinion | Call It What It Is: Anti-Blackness (Published 2020)

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When black people are killed by the police, “racism” isn’t the right word.

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Black Lives Matter | Los Angeles Public Library 

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Black Lives Matter | Los Angeles Public Library 

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A Message from City Librarian John F. Szabo.  2020.

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A Message from City Librarian John F. Szabo

Black Lives Matter. Always and in all ways. That feels like the absolute baseline, but it is important that we say it-and that we acknowledge the need to say it. Black Lives Matter.

These are unprecedented times, and because of COVID-19, the world-and our city-has seemed unrecognizable. In the past week, we have added more agony to the pain we feel as a result of the pandemic.

This is a time for listening and learning, and it is a time to speak up. I know we can fear that we won't get it right, or that we won't express ourselves as eloquently as we would like, but that can't keep us quiet.

At this moment, we must channel our collective anger, ache and frustration and condemn the horrifying injustice and violence experienced by African Americans in this country. We continue to grieve not only George Floyd, but the far too many who have tragically gone before him.

As a library, we support African Americans who are enduring such pain, trauma and sheer exhaustion, and who are protesting against this oppression. But the responsibility to do the necessary work of diversity, inclusion and equity belongs to all of us, and it is essential to the mission of the Los Angeles Public Library.

We all need to challenge ourselves and each other to meet the moral imperative of dismantling systemic racism. As an organization, we will look inward and examine our practices and identify where and how we can do better and be better. And we will reach out to our diverse communities to see how we can be of greater service-and take action.

As the cornerstone of democracy, libraries have a long history of being agents of social change, and we will continue that work. We believe in enlightenment through education, and we value lifelong learning. Through our inclusive resources, programs and staff, we will continue to shine a light on the path to justice, equality and reform.

In solidarity,

John F. Szabo

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Black Lives Matter | Los Angeles Public Library

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A Message from City Librarian John F. Szabo Leer en español Black Lives Matter. Always and in all ways. That feels like the absolute baseline, but it is important that we say it-and that we acknowledge the need to say it. Black Lives Matter.