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We Want You to Talk About Your Experience. But…Not if it Makes Us Uncomfortable
The dilemma of having the “racism talk” while Black in corporate America
When America began to collectively discuss racism after the horrific death of George Floyd, I was hopeful that our Black voices, which are typically silenced, would finally be heard. And this time not merely tolerated, but actually acknowledged.
I continued to be encouraged when corporations across the country started stepping out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. It gave the impression that these organizations were admitting their complicit — whether intentional or not — perpetuation of racial bias and were now taking a stand to simply do better.
While the realist in me understood it was more about “Black Dollars Matter” and maintaining the status quo in corporate offices than the preservation of Black lives, I still had to bear witness that I had never seen such an open, raw discussion on racism outside the Black community. As a person who is passionate about Black justice and equality, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth in, get involved in every conversation, and finally share what I’ve had to suppress my entire life.
But then I realized some White people didn’t actually WANT to have this conversation.
