Invest in practical unconscious bias training for all employees.
REAL DOUBLE SIDED COIN FULL
We understand that the consequence of messing it up is messing it up for everyone who looks like us.įood for thought: Friends, leaders, organisations: if you're going to set up Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to drive DEI, then please consider going the full nine yards. It's exhausting.įor further understanding: when you become the ‘only anything’ in any setting - and in my case, the only black woman, you immediately default to 'how-can-I-not-mess-this-up-so-that-I-don't-misrepresent-other-black-women’ mode. This undoubtedly takes a toll on underrepresented groups because they're compelled to repeatedly tell their story and in so doing relive their traumas to teach others. My experience does not inform the experience of every black woman. Be that as it may, we are not a monolith. However, I've chosen to see the silver lining and I take pride in educating people that don't have enough exposure to us.
I've battled with not wanting to be the only black woman to speak on behalf of the entire black community. People from underrepresented groups often find themselves in the uncomfortable position where they continuously have to share their trauma and experiences to teach colleagues, friends and other well intentioned people. Most people who find themselves in situations where they are the only ( insert underrepresented group), didn't volunteer to be in that position. So much so that it starts to reek of performative diversity, equality and inclusion under the mask of tokenism. Various organisations make the effort to do better, and that’s great! However, it’s challenging to do so without slipping into tokenism whose impact can be detrimental. Not tokenism: Hiring and inclusion of specific people in your organisation because they are talented and great at their jobs Tokenism: Hiring, placement and tolerance of specific people in your organisation strictly to prove you are not discriminatory Tokens: minority group where there is a large majority and a very small minority The practice of doing something (such as hiring a person who belongs to a minority group) only to prevent criticism and give the appearance that people are being treated fairly Mirriam Webster’s definition of tokenism is: That said, we can safely assume the experience is likely worse, or similar at best. I am aware that some of these situations may apply to other underrepresented groups, based on various conversations I’ve had with friends, peers and colleagues over the years. In this article, I’m speaking from my personal experience as a black woman. When organisations resort to making superficial attempts to include underrepresented groups to tick a box, that’s where the problems begin. To put it bluntly it translates into stronger client engagement and overall increased financial performance. Tonnes of studies show how diversity of thought fosters improved innovation and problem solving. At a conceptual level, most would agree on the value of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
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