The past three weeks have been disorienting.

In the wake of the civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent heightened racial tension, companies across the country (and the world) have developed a seemingly newfound sense of urgency when it comes to solving their lack of racial representation and inclusion.

From Twitter to Ben & Jerry’s, it’s been interesting to watch brands publish statements denouncing racism and inequity.

Photo from Ben & Jerry’s.

DEI consultants like myself have become inundated with inquiries from HR and business leaders who want to talk about rolling out diversity training to their employees and creating a long-term approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion overall.

Black employees have been brought into conference rooms to get a “pulse check” on “how they’re doing” and how their white counterparts can “help.”

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash.

Even with all of this activity, until there are systemic changes in the way our workplaces are structured — complete with a total shunning of the status quo — absolutely nothing will change.

Believe it or not, building an anti-racist workplace — one where white supremacy isn’t tolerated or upheld — isn’t rocket science.

Is it uncomfortable?

Yes.

Is it counter to what white people have likely grown accustomed to?

Absolutely.

But is it very difficult to learn or understand?

Not at all.

And yet, the vibe coming from most leaders and HR professionals makes it seem like the problem of racial inequity in the workplace is too hard to solve.

#inclusion #diversity-in-tech #diversity-and-inclusion #programming #racism #data science