White privilege is, by definition, the benefit of being white. So, what does being rich, struggling through life, or not inheriting anything have to do with whiteness? Nothing. Which begs the question, why are so many people getting this wrong?
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So, when I am at the pharmacy, at an interview, checking out at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office, or even presenting materials at work, and another Black person asks me “Where you from?” — what is essentially being said is “You’re safe to be myself around,” “I see you,” and “I can take a break from masking/preforming for the comfort of others for a moment,” and I do not take that trust lightly. I do not play about allowing anyone to shame me into voluntarily giving up such a huge piece of my culture.
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Ignorance is the first of four stages I’ve passed through to unravel my white privilege. The other three are: awareness, acceptance, and deconstruction. All of us can see systemic racism and white privilege for what they are: oppressive forces. Forces that we did not ask for but can change. As white people, we have more social power within this system. And we can choose to use this power for good. But before we do so, we must unravel our white privilege. I’m sharing my journey so it might inspire others to follow a similar path.
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Justice and accountability are inextricably linked. When it comes to operationalizing justice, we must always center those who are most impacted by harm done within an organization and be accountable for our missteps. In a dominant culture of avoidance, blame and denial, this can feel like a tall order. How can we enter into restorative dialogue that can heal wounds and bring accountability? How can we embody the values of justice, equity and inclusion in our day-to-day work?
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Lately, I have been experiencing a strong sense of indifference and uncertainty related to our work — diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Black people are dying, white nationalism and supremacy are embodied within the highest offices of government and, in more subtle ways, within most organizations. This is deeply troubling, yet unsurprising. I’ve been grappling with a few hard truths as we experience this segment in history — hard truths that have implications for DEIJ work more broadly.
Read MoreAs I write this post I am frustrated. It is September 23, 2020, and a few hours ago, I learned that one of the three Louisville, KY, police officers who were involved in the murder of Breonna Taylor was charged for the risk he posed to white people, not the life he stole from Breonna Taylor, a Black woman. It says a lot about what appeals to America’s whiteness’ moral compass, and the devaluation of Black women’s lives. Whiteness is only moved by Black death that is visible and that it can see. I am so over this system.
Read MoreDave Portnoy, the founder of the sports blog Barstool, made national headlines this week from his response to rumors of his staff forming a union. It can be summed up from a tweet from Portnoy to his workers: “Unions are for pu%*#s. At least in our world.” As Eddie Kim argues, weaponizing masculinity to block fights for workers’ rights is a long American tradition.
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Racism. This work. Sometimes, it can all feel so daunting. For me, this feeling is a bit more salient on some days than it is on others. This week, I had the opportunity to attend a talk on Race and Racism that, as enriching as it was, served as stark reiteration of the urgency of diversity, equity, and anti-racism work (emphasis on anti-racism).
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In October, Principal Strategist, Travis Jones, gave a TED Talk entitled “Bad White People” at the...
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I’ll never forget in a training session on cultural differences a white man asked the group...
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Spoiler alert: This post has movie spoilers so proceed at your own (entertainment) risk It has...
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The question mark in the title of this post is intentional because my goal is to raise a...
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