Black Lives Matter in the workplace

The last three months have been heavy, really heavy. And now, here we are. Things are heavier. But, unlike COVID-19, racial issues have been there all along. They aren’t new. But, some of us have had the luxury not to think about them every day. I saw a notable quote this week by Angela Davis. It said, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist.”

If you haven’t experienced racism firsthand, there are a few things you can do to help at work. The first is to listen — and to believe. Having friends from different cultures and backgrounds allows us to learn about things we wouldn’t otherwise know. But, sometimes, for reasons that are often not conscious, we end up with a lot of friends who are very similar to us. When that happens, we miss out on those personal stories that help us to better understand the experiences of others.

If there’s one thing I would wish for, it’s that people would share their experiences more. Do you remember when the Me

Too movement started? Many women shared their personal stories. The stories made things real for our male loved ones. But, trauma is hard to talk about. It’s not something we want to put on display. When it’s over, we put it away. There’s a lot we could learn from each other in the BLM movement if we heard more personal stories from people we know. With that said, try not to overload your African American colleagues with questions.

Not everyone wants to be the poster child for every issue. And honestly, each person is dealing with their own feelings, hurt, and grief in a way that is unimaginable.

If you observe racist be