This week has been interesting and painful in equal measure, there have been so many clients, colleagues and friends of all races wanting to know what to do next to truly make a positive change in the way that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals are treated in the workplace and society.
Now if you’ve never seen my photo you might not be aware of the fact that I am a Black woman and so I do have a vested interest in this matter.
I thought long and hard, and I believe that understanding the biases (unconscious or not) begins with listening to the experiences of the BAME community WITHOUT comment, to truly understand all of the different ways that prejudices have been made that have affected us individually and collectively.
Understanding a persons ‘Lived Experience’ and validating it is essential. Historically when BAME individuals express how they feel in situations they have been told that they are being sensitive and so have buried those feelings to continue to function. It is those raw feelings that are being released at the moment, as finally, the world is seeing how BAME people are treated by those who should be protecting them.
I can remember my very first experience of racism at primary school, when I was told “to go back to where I came from” I was totally confused. I couldn’t understand why this snarling white boy was telling me to go back to my house across the street! Do you know I remember that boys name and face to this day? He was probably just repeating something he’d heard his parents say to someone but for me, it was the realisation that I could be hated for the colour of my skin.
I have so many other stories and I’m not going to share them here, but I would say if you want to stop racism and prejudice, first talk to your BAME staff, colleagues and friends. Listen to their experiences, educate yourself and then work together to put the measures in place to bring about equality of opportunity, prosperity and progression.
Three things to do as an employer today:
Ask your BAME employees about their experiences and really listen
Arrange unconscious bias training for you and your team
Gather the data – What is the demographic mix within your organisation, at operational, strategic and executive level
You have to know what you need to address before you can address it. If you need help creating an inclusive people plan, schedule a call with us.