WHAT HAS #BLACKOUTTUESDAY TAUGHT US? BY OLIVIA M. SERRILL DECEMBER 2020 The posting of the plain black tile on From a social Instagram was an effort to display solidarity with the Black community and to make space for Black voices on the media post to a platform.Several organizations also responded by posting their own version social justice of the black square to express solidarity in the movement. Some organizations movement posted material on Black Lives Matter, released a public diversity statement This year has been a hard year for many. about their commitment to allyship for As a society we have had to endure several the Black community, while some stressful and anxious moments. From coping contributed through the donation of with the panic surrounding COVID-19, to money or through a commitment to understanding who to support and how to reevaluate their own internal practices vote for the presidential election, to figuring within their organization. out how to get your groceries without leaving the house – we have dealt with a lot. And while many of us want to go into 2021 starting fresh and forgetting everything that happened this past year, there are some events that are worth remembering and reflecting on. At the beginning of the nationwide shutdown, we were traumatized by the flooding of deaths of innocent Black men and women through acts of police brutality. We witnessed first-hand through a posting of a video of Photo from Brett Sayles on Pexels George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man from Minneapolis, get suffocated by police officer It’s been about 7 months since we as a Derek Chauvin for eight minutes and forty-six society decided that these questions seconds after using a counterfeit $20 bill at a about diversity, inclusion, equity versus convenience store. While sadly events like equality were important to answer. A lot of these happen more frequently than many of the momentum has died down on social us are aware there was a difference this time. media. Several people have put the The whole world was watching from the antiracism books away and conversations convenience and comfort of their own home. surrounding race in the workplace are no longer happening on a weekly basis. My The response question now is where do we go from here? While some organizations have These events caused outrage across the stepped up to the challenge of their nation. Many were enraged at the injustice commitments they made in June, some that continues to fall on the Black community, have yet to begin. This article will dive where still those who are Black cannot feel into some tools that can support safe. Thousands of people posted on social organizations as they revisit their media to shed light on these tragedies and commitments they made to better soon enough people began to participate in diversity and inclusion outcomes and #blackouttuesday. practices within the organization. Photo from Life Matters on Pexels Organizations and their commitment to change One thing that many organizations committed to back in June was to integrate a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program to address social justice for racial discrimination. A CSR initiative is a commitment that an organization makes to integrate social and environmental affairs with the identity and actions of their own business practices. Evidence supports CSR initiatives as a mechanism to increase employee performance. However, eradicating racism within society should not be entirely left to the actions through these corporate initiatives. A consideration to make is that CSR initiatives are utilized not just for the intrinsic rewards but for the extrinsic rewards for the company. An example of this could be the positive societal response for an organization supporting the end of racial discrimination at work. Organizations should ensure that CSR programs are in alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and values. Without the marriage between these two dimensions, the positive outcomes may not be fully realized. In fact, your organization could be accused of being performative allies rather than impactful allies, which could be detrimental to the reputation of the organization. Who’s got it right? Ben & Jerry's Ben & Jerry’s, the social justice warriors of the ice cream world, have been extremely public about their message from the very beginning. Not only were they one of the first organizations to publicize and release a statement about the events, but a few months ago introduced a new ice cream flavor, Justice Re’Mix’d. For this ice cream flavor portion of the sales will be contributed to The Advancement Project, a multi-civil rights organization focused on criminal justice reform. Ben & Jerry's is a living example of a company taking their mission, vision, and values and embedding those values into the decisions and image of their organization. The Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are another example of an organization who has put their values in their actions. Months after the initial outset of public diversity statements, the Ravens released a statement on their website in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake. Quoted from their website reads… “It is imperative that all people – regardless of race, religion, creed or belief – come together to say, 'Enough is enough!' This is bigger than sports. Racism is embedded in the fabric of our nation's foundation and is a blemish on our country's history.” This is followed by a bulleted list of actions that can be taken to make impactful changes in addressing some of the most pressing issues. The Ravens also made a social media post showing the team signing a letter addressed to Mitch McConnell urging him to bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 to the Senate floor. Not only have the Ravens been public about their values, but they have also contributed by using their platform to influence others. Where do we go from here? Photo from Life Matters on Pexels Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can seem like there are challenges when it comes to allocating resources to Diversity & Inclusion D&I) efforts within your organization. In reality, many changes can be made through habitual practice and through the institution of small steps. Here are some recommendations for organizations who want to reevaluate their commitment to their D&I efforts. Start Small. No one can make all the necessary changes overnight. Many organizations stick with one of two models for addressing D&I change. The first model is an expensive and extensive annual day-long training program, which doesn’t have a good track record for sustainable results. The other model consists of D&I initiatives exclusively executed by employees assigned to a specialized D&I task force. Sustainable everyday practices are important and will help the D&I work to continue on a daily basis. In all areas of integration of enhanced D&I practices, think about what you have the potential of changing today. How can this change be maintained over time. Several scholars have found some ways to create this change through simple actions including Nish Parikh’s Checklist for Sustaining D&I in your organization. Here are some additional examples an organization could start with and then build upon. What can I start with? Redact Personal Identifying Information (PII) from candidate resumes Rethink your hiring strategy when it comes to collection of applicant data. Redacting personal identifying information from a resume is a strategy that can be used to reduce the amount of “resume whitening” that BIPOC candidates typically face. Address your Dress Code Redefine what is considered “professional” in the workplace. Dress code policies that don’t embrace different cultural considerations can oppress certain individuals from being able to bring their whole identity to work. Prohibiting individuals from wearing specific hairstyles has historically been a direct action against Black applicants. This is rooted from white supremacist actions to prohibit Black candidates from obtaining employment. Identify boundaries between grooming and neatness standards versus suppression of individuality and culture in one’s appearance. Align your senior leadership team. Work closely with senior executives to align on the goals, strategy, and action plan of your D&I initiatives with specific timelines to ensure these initiatives do not dissipate from inaction. After senior leaders develop a strategy and plan, it is important to extend the communication and align with the middle management teams. Define clear outcomes and communication about what their responsibilities are and provide any necessary diversity training to assist them. An example would be to provide training to managers to help them identify and address micro aggressions within the workplace. Photo from RODNAE on Pexels Build psychological safe spaces. “Inclusion does not always follow diversity.” – Amy C. Edmondson In an article titled, The Role of Psychological Safety in Diversity and Inclusion, Amy C. Edmondson discusses how psychological safety of employees is crucial in unifying inclusion with diversity efforts. Allowing the employees the ability to speak freely and with candor can help them feel heard and can accelerate their path for new opportunities. A lot of people in the BIPOC community do not feel a strong sense of psychological safety in their workplace which can produce negative consequences. Listed below we have some strategies that organizations could start with to help begin to increase psychological safety. Invite others to speak Think about your interactions within your team meetings. The next time you’re in a meeting, look to your BIPOC staff and think about the following questions: Do these individuals express themselves fully without any perceived inhibition? Do others shut down their ideas? Do these individuals stay quiet and compliant in every meeting? If contribution from these individuals is lacking, try encouraging these individuals to speak or ask for their opinion.