Beyond the Statement: A Call for Allies, Listening, and Leadership (Part Two)

It’s been four months since Breonna Taylor’s death by Louisville Metro Police officers Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove. While Brett Hankison was fired as of June 23 for violating policy on the use of deadly force (which he has appealed), the other officers have only been placed on administrative leave. Neither of the three officers has faced criminal charges. 

Since 2014, there has been documented coverage of Black Americans dying while under police custody (See BBC Timeline): 

1. Eric Garner, July 17th, 2014 (No prosecution of officers)
2. Michael, Brown, August 9th, 2014 (No prosecution of officers)
3. Tamir Rice, November 22nd, 2014 (No prosecution of officers)
4. Walter Scott, April 4th, 2015 (Officer later fired and sentenced to 20 years in prison)
5. Sandra Bland, July 13th, 2015 (Found hanged in a jail cell, three days after traffic arrest)
6. Alton Sterling, July 5th, 2016 (No prosecution of officers)
7. Philando Castile, July 6th, 2016 (No prosecution of officers)
8. Stephon Clark, March 18th, 2018 (No prosecution of officers)
9. Elijah McClain, August 24th, 2019 (No prosecution of officers)
10. Breonna Taylor, March 13th, 2020 (No prosecution of officers)
11. George Floyd, May 25th, 2020 (All four officers have been charged)

I listed 11 names of Black people who experienced overt racial bias when encountered by police and/or when in police custody, which proved fatal to each of them. Nine of the 11 names fell on the mainstream’s deaf ears at the time when Black voices called on America and the world to #saytheirname. 

I choose to say their names as a manner of acknowledging their humanity, which, because of racial bias, would argue, was denied to them. I list these names never to forget these Black individuals who didn’t capture mainstream attention when the world was going about their day-to-day lives – when the world was not yet persuaded to dismantle the deep-seeded roots of systemic racism in America. These names represent a culmination of pain, outrage, and a command for acknowledging that Black lives matter. 

In Part One of this article installment, I expressed a belief that the manner in which the knee of a White police officer killed George Floyd blew the door wide open on the reality of disparities faced by Black people and people of color. It bears repeating that the egregious deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd awakened Americans (and the world) to the insidious history of systemic racial inequities in the United States, marking a point of no return.

What’s more is their deaths forced a reckoning of covert and overt forms of racism – spanning subtle exclusionary practices that reinforce ideologies of perceived white superiority, to blatant premeditated discrimination 

Every time I revisit the initial encounters that led to the deaths of Eric, Michael, Tamir, Walter, Sandra, Alton, Philando, Stephon, Elijah, Breonna, and George, I’m reminded of the events up to the point of their death. Pretextual traffic stops, selling cigarettes, “looking sketchy” while wearing a ski mask, allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill, being wrongly associated with a drug dealer while unsuspectingly sleeping in their home, and other alleged offenses. Several of which would never escalate beyond a double-take for a White person. From there, I can’t help but draw comparisons to the masterminds behind mass shootings at schools and universities, an Aurora movie theater, and religious institutions. All of whom are White. And those who did not choose to take their own life on the scene were humanely escorted in handcuffs to receive their Constitutional right of a fair trial – sending a stark contrast in messaging, clearly indicating that all lives haven’t mattered to all.   

The awakening isn’t just unveiling a call for allies and listening. The movement casts a spotlight on leadership – with an expectation of follow-through on their social justice statements from early June. Now it is imperative that each and every leader who professes to be an ally no longer accepts the covert acts of racism that they witness in their companies, on boards of directors, in local, state, and federal government, in K-12 and higher education, and in any system or business sector that has permitted exclusion and limited representation of Black people and people of color. 

Leadership

The world is watching which side of the aisle companies and their leaders choose to stand during this polarizing period of civil unrest. This is a new and daunting journey for many who have benefited from the privilege of not having to experience day-to-day racial biases. And there is a question of how those who are novices to racial inequities will prove able to endure the uphill nature of the race that Black people have been running for centuries.  

What I realize is that not all are equally conditioned in this endurance race for equality. 

Privileged allies and listeners in leadership positions have begun the journey of anti-racist introspection. In the “How to Be an Anti-Racists” words of Ibram X. Kendi, “One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist.”  

While my lived experience is my source of reference, along with the lived experiences shared by my close network of Black friends and acquaintances, I do not profess to be a diversity, equality, and inclusion expert. However, I would reckon that to truly begin to address this fight against the insidious nature of systemic racism and social injustice, leaders of current racial privilege hold a great responsibility to enact changes in their respective areas of expertise and oversight. From hiring practices to racial bias training, presidents, CEOs, executive directors, board chairs, and venture capitalists each have a role in shifting from the visible racial disparities that have gone without question, that have been popularly regarded as acceptable.   

I ask ally leaders these questions:  

• Who do you see when you visually span your offices and meeting rooms? 
• How is racial representation reflected in your organizational charts? 
• What faces do consumers see when they visit your executive team web page? 
• How diverse are your daily virtual meetings? 

If you observe an absence of thought leadership from Black people and people of color, I would argue that you have discredited their voices within your organization. 

To begin dismantling our history of systemic racism, ally leaders must set the tone in building a culture that seeks to understand racial perspectives, and where racial exclusion and segregation in businesses must be called out for what they are. I also look to ally leaders to lead by example in holding themselves accountable in every operational structure where racial bias has traditionally played out. 

Here are seven areas where ally leaders can enact change, progressing closer toward diverse, equitable, and inclusive business practices: 

1. Hiring – I can’t emphasize enough that hiring talent based on merit is imperative to creating a culture of equity. I would add that recruiting a diverse pool of talent includes seeking candidates from culturally diverse universities (think Historical Black Colleges and Universities, a.k.a. HBCUs) and removing bias when reviewing highly-qualified resumes featuring ethnically diverse names. When companies and organizations demonstrate a commitment to recruiting and hiring talent from various backgrounds, they create a workplace that is accustomed to the diversity of thought, receptive to broader business approaches, and eager to understand racially diverse employees’ lived experiences. This is what will help build human connections that celebrate differences and reveal commonalities. 
2. Salary Commensurate with Professional Credentials – Ensure consistency of salary for every position held by employees doing similar work or holding equivalent titles. According to the Economic Policy Institute, Black workers are paid nearly 15% less than white workers. It is appalling when a discrepancy exists in pay between White employees and employees who are Black or of color – where both are working in the same role and capacity. Conducting audits that evaluate equity in pay across the organization is a conscious step towards shifting this form of covert racism.  
3. Professional Development & Promotion Potential – Equity in this space is providing a clear ready mark for growth. It likely comes as no surprise that most people don’t advance in their careers based on performance alone. According to the Harvard Business Review, there is an element of relatability and commonality, known as homophily, that aids in locking in that promotion. However, how are leaders creating a meritocracy culture, where paths to leadership growth and advancement are determined according to talent, effort, and achievement? 
4. C-suite Representation – A recent Business Insider article reported there are only 4 Black Fortune-500 CEOs, further stating that “Black people only account for 3.2% of senior leadership roles in large corporations.” This isn’t an issue of lack of education, with 4.5 million Black Americans holding a four-year degree or higher. I believe it’s an issue of denied access to C-level leadership opportunities and/or a lack of effort in corporate mentorship/sponsorship programs.   
5. Diversity & Inclusion – I recently tuned in to a virtual panel, hosted by Mile High United Way, called Courageous Conversations. One of the most dynamic panelists was Group Vice President at Target, Mark Everett, who stated, “D&I isn’t a department or a checkbox, it’s a culture.” A company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential to creating a culture where Black employees and all employees of color feel accepted and valued. To demonstrate employee value and foster a sense of belonging, leaders must initiate inclusion and equity at every level within the organization, as opposed to tokenizing their 2% Black employee base to lead the D & I charge in isolation.  
6. Boards of Directors – The Corporate Board Member publication reports some studies showing 15% of board seats at the top 200 S&P 500 companies belong to racial minorities. Meanwhile, the percentage of people of color in nonprofit board seats has remained under 20 percent for the last 15 years. Again, 4.5 million Black Americans hold four-year degrees or higher. The diverse pool is highly educated and capable of engaging at a board level. How is your Board of Directors making diversity, equality, and inclusion a priority for both the board roster and the board governance language?
7. Marketing Representation – How does your brand convey a diverse consumer base? Brands who consciously create and procure diverse images of Black people and people of color are moving one step in the equity direction. Brands who illuminate and normalize diverse stories prove to be making an active effort toward representation and inclusive voice (Ad Age, September 2019). This matters because homogeneous brands feel segregated. Inclusive brands foster belonging. 

What will change course in 2020 to begin dismantling centuries of the overt oppression of Black people and people of color? Are those who have benefited from the day-to-day privileges bestowed upon them for being born White truly willing to share equity in access, and encourage opportunities for all? It is my hope that for the allies, the answer is yes. 

There is no denying that the playing field isn’t leveled in America. While segregation and it’s overtly racist nature was outlawed over 50 years ago, what has lived on is the covert nature of the systems that have perpetuated our country’s racial divide. To dismantle the systemic structure of racism is to strip it down to its scaffolding, deconstruct, and rebuild. 

It is the ally leaders in positions of power and influence who have the tools to initiate the demolition. The tools to listen and call on fellow allies and anti-racists to align in building organizational and cultural shifts that foster equity and access for Black people and people of color. 

A house divided cannot stand. Now that the slumber has ended, the mainstream has entered a state of insomnia that can only be cured by eliminating racial inequities and social injustices. And as the world is in a wide-awake state, all eyes are on ally leadership to build the bridges that will connect us and reconstruct the structures to unite us. If left untreated, we will live in a state of unrest that will prove to be to our collective detriment – indefinitely.

Tasha L. Jones 

NOTE: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.