Dear Managers and Supervisors, a Letter to you during April 2021
Dear Managers and Supervisors,
The world has been a pretty scary place for your employees for the last year. They have had mammoth things to deal with in their homes, their families, and the workplace. As I have reminded my kids a few times (including last night at the dinner table) – we have never been through this before so we don’t know what exactly will happen or when it will end. On top of the pandemic, we have witnessed the 21st-century Racial Reckoning and increased visibility of violence on and against Black, AAPI, Hispanic and Latinx, and all other groups who are living in this white-dominant society.
So, today, I write to you managers – specifically those of you who manage people of color. You need to check on your people.
“Oh yeah, I never drive through Windsor. Black men know not to do that.””
As a white woman, I am regularly overwhelmed by the news. But, as part of a racial equity life-long journey - I must constantly remind myself that I do not live the same life with the same truths as my Black co-workers. As a recent example, when the video around the Windsor, Virginia police stop of Lt. Caron Nazario was released my friend commented on social media, “Oh yeah, I never drive through Windsor. Black men know not to do that.” It was a reminder that an entire community of people holds awareness of anti-Black violence to the point they avoid driving through a certain town in Virginia in 2021.
Immediate to-do items
1. Training If you are white and you haven’t already – it is past time to do some training on implicit bias and anti-racism. We are beyond the point of beginning your journey with a book or a podcast. I recommend Race Forward – they have accessible and open virtual trainings here. You really should do this first before you tackle number 2 to avoid any blind spots.
2. Grace and Space: Every Black staff person or AAPI staff person or other staff of color has an individual and unique experience related to past racist trauma and has developed individual coping skills to process traumatic events that occur nationally. Consider checking in with them in a way that gives them space to not engage or discuss with awareness of your own racial equity fluency. The key from the manager's standpoint is to let them know you acknowledge the fact that events occurring locally or elsewhere may have an impact on their work. Try, “I just want to acknowledge that the world has been heavy lately with an increase in racial violence and discourse and you may need some space to process or discuss things. I am open to whatever you need or offering space for you to take some time off as needed. Just let me know.” Above all your message should be customized to your co-worker. Stay away from, “I can only imagine” type statements.
“Hear this one loudly, anti-racism work is not an anti-racist statement issued from your PR or HR department.”
3. Problematic Statements: Hear this one loudly, anti-racism work is not an anti-racist statement issued from your PR or HR department. An anti-racist statement must be paired with real systemic change inside your organization. Do not rush to issue a statement with no real intention of engaging in the work. There are many examples of companies and organizations that did so in the summer of 2020 and have since navigated significant inner turmoil when instances of their own racial bias have emerged.