What is your Organisation doing to become Anti Racist 2 years on?

Today marks two years since George Floyd's brutal murder but how much change has really happened? How much has your organisation done? How much have you done to create change? I don't have much to say, just that George Floyd's death still hurts a lot, change has been slow and organisations need to be doing more.

In the midst of the pandemic, George Floyd was brutally murdered on the 25th of May 2020 and the world woke up! But many Black and Brown people where not surprised because the racism and injustice faced by many of us is nothing new and has been going on for centuries. I often wonder about the organisations who scrambled to make statements against racism and injustice and put out solidarity statements. What have they achieved? If I had to do an audit, what would I find? Many pledged millions in the promise to fight racism and commit to concrete change but what has happened since?

But two years on, what changes has there been within your organisation? Has your organisation got Diversity Fatigue? Systemic racism is endemic within our society and organisations still today. Eradicating racial biases and doing the foundational educational work to make change happen is important but many organisation are scared to even begin to tackle racism within their organisation or just can't be bothered.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!

So what needs to happen? It's simple, organisations need to commit to Action.

Employees need to commit to Action. Many Black and Brown employees and Allies are fed up with talk that leads to nothing, performative actions and weak promises. Much more needs to be done to fight systemic racism and become an Anti Racist Organisation. After all, we know that improving diversity and inclusion is good business and the right thing to do. So what's stopping many organisations?

So, how do you build an Anti Racist Organisation and commit to long term sustainable change?

Its simple:

1. Stop being afraid and get on with it

2. Stop saying "I don't know where to start"

3. Understand what it means to be an Anti Racist organisation

4. Get educating yourself and your employees - YES on Racism, White Privilege and Microaggressions

5. Don't burden your Black and Brown employees with the diversity work - because you expect them to want to do it

6. Ask questions but don't always expect answers

7. Commit to creating change - long term

8. Make DEI a business imperative

9. Ensure every employee is committed - yes INCLUDING Senior Leaders

10. Actively listen and learn

11. Make this work EVERYONES responsibility

12. Listen to me when I say you have to do the Foundational work first

13. Create safe spaces to have conversations

14. Educate your leaders and Employees and encourage self education

15. Hold open forums to encourage dialogue

16. Audit the company's culture

17. Understand that this journey you are on will never end - Yes I know it sounds morbid - but it is not going to end.

We need Action and positive change NOW!