While the comments above are common, they do not demonstrate any sort of clear, actionable, specific plans to make changes regarding racism in the workplace. There is a lack of action plans, a lack of instruction of steps to take if this kind of behavior is experienced or observed, and a complete lack of rights in these kinds of situations.

In some cases, these types of comments represent fear of talking about racism at work.

If employees fear retaliation or other consequences for speaking up about racism, then what are we communicating?

If you’re asked whether or not racism exists in the workplace, and you either aren’t sure or do not think racism is present, then you are part of the problem.

It may be hard to acknowledge racist things that are happening in your workplace because you aren’t the recipient of the actions, or maybe what’s happening isn’t overt and in your face. Some white people have been desensitized to this kind of violence, and Hope Not Hate identified:

“One huge barrier to white people’s understanding of racism is that too many think of it as limited to violent acts – murder, anger, bloodshed.”

While we often associate racist comments with “the N-word,” they exist in a much more subtle language, too.

Harvard Business Review goes on to point out a few common microaggressions that Black people face on a daily basis, like:

• “When I see you, I don’t see color.”

  (signaling that the person doesn’t acknowledge your Blackness or won’t hold it against you)

• “We are all one race: the human race.”

  (signaling that your experience as a Black person is no different from the experience of people of other races)

• “You are so articulate.”

  (signaling that Black people are not usually capable of competent intellectual conversation)

• “I see your hair is big today! Are you planning to wear it like that to the client meeting?”

  (signaling that natural Black hairstyles are not professional)

• “Everyone can succeed in society if they work hard enough.”

  (signaling that disparate outcomes for Black people result from laziness)

White people don’t have any idea what racism feels like, because the world is different for us. All of the systems that exist in our country were built by and for white people, whether or not we want to admit it.

Racism is built into the foundation of corporations and organizations, whether or not we want to admit it. This is what is referred to as systemic racism. Take this statistic for example:  

“The Harvard Business Review says 95 percent of CEOs are white men and 85 percent of board members and executives are white men.

Ok, so besides the CEO role, there’s probably appropriate representation within the C-suite, right?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but…

“A report from Lean In and McKinsey, found men of color make up 10% of corporate C-suite roles, while women of color make up just 4%. White men and white women, meanwhile, respectively make up 68% and 18%.”

Check out Race Forward’s 8-part video series.

Now that you’ve learned about systemic racism at work, you can begin to identify and confront racist actions in the workplace. In an article by Business Insider, they found that more and more people are identifying racism in the workplace, and:

“Glassdoor surveyed 5,241 adults in the US, UK, France, and Germany. American workers were more likely to experience discrimination than all other countries: 42% of American workers said they have experienced or seen racism at work, which was 12% higher than the overall average.”

Looking for ways to be an ally at work? Keep reading below.

Want the honest answer?

If you’re here reading this, you probably haven’t displayed any sort of allyship at all, performative or not.

We know that this is a big question for a lot of white people, and the more senior your role, the harder it is to admit that you need to change.

We talked with Lisa Lord, Owner of Lisa Lord Consulting, who has experienced this firsthand. We asked her some questions about her allyship journey, and she provided us with some good insight about where to start on your own path.

Hey, white people: (HWP:) “How would you describe your allyship journey thus far?”

HWP: “As an HR professional, can you pinpoint the moment that you felt pushed to do something about racism in the workplace?  How were you feeling as you began this process?”

HWP: “For other HR professionals looking to change their behavior and become more anti-racist in the workplace, what can you recommend as a good starting place?”

As an ally, it can be intimidating to navigate how to be an ally in a work setting. Some corporate cultures do not support these kinds of conversations, while others are facilitating them from an organizational perspective.

Here are a few tips for being a better ally at work:

• Najoh Tita-Reid writes, “Please do not tell the entire company, even with the best of intentions, to reach out and have a “courageous conversation” with their black peers this week. We know the power of our testimonies, but like you, have our jobs to do. In addition, we are leading race relations task forces, peacefully protesting, and working to protect our families that are disproportionately dying from COVID-19 and police brutality.”

• Courtney Connelly highlights some strategies from leadership coach Kimberly Cummings, who says “I think the most important part for our non-black employees, colleagues and leaders to do is to just say something. Cummings says that a simple check-in to say, “I know you could potentially be going through a really hard time right now so if you need to take a day then take a day,” could really help. And she says leaders who are managing teams should reach out to all staff members, not just Black employees, to show that they are aware of what’s going on and they have resources available for those in need.

• Tat Bellamy-Walker writes about the importance of not forcing a conversation with your Black friends, saying to “be mindful that some colleagues may not want to talk about these issues.” Staten says that even talking about police brutality, for example, can trigger symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. “There's a feeling of hopelessness,” Staten said. “No matter what we do in life, how successful we are, none of that really matters because our skin color in large part kind of colors how society views us. Recognizing this is important because it makes you aware that what may seem like simple news items to you could gravely affect your coworker or friend.”

• In the same article, Bellamy-Walker writes about the importance of Employee Resource Groups, stating that “a number of diversity and inclusion executives from top companies like Twitter, SAP, and LinkedIn previously told Business Insider that a core part of their fight against inequality has been expanding employee resource groups.”

• In an interview with Beverly Daniel Tatum, a psychologist and former Spelman College president, outlines some strategies to call out microaggressions:

As the group that is put in place to protect their employees (i.e. note the “Human” part of the title), you probably have added responsibility when it comes to the sweeping fad of Diversity & Inclusion efforts. On top of your regular duties, you may be expected to conduct unconscious bias trainings (which we know don’t work), create and drive Employee Resource Groups, and take disciplinary action against your co-workers for racist actions.

Let’s face it – Human Resources is not equipped to handle the trauma their Black employees are dealing with on a daily basis.

Stress-management or crucial-conversation training will not solve the crisis our society is currently experiencing. Instead, these kinds of programs will probably feel like a band-aid, and cause even more disengagement among your employees.

Angela Neal Barrett, PhD, expert in psychology and anxiety disorders in Black Americans, provides some good places to start in her HBR article:

Black professionals are taking a stand to challenge the status-quo in the workplace.

If you’re looking for first hand insight about racism in the workplace, we suggest you follow these people below, and continue to expand your professional network by seeking out more Black influencers.

If you’re looking for some ways to get involved at work, we have provided a few ideas below:

• Join a Diversity Committee or Employee Resource Group (often called ERG’s or BRG’s) that aligns with supporting the Black community at work.

  Oh, one doesn’t exist? It’s nice to meet you, the founder of your companies’ newest resource group!

• Tolerance.org put together a 6-step method to speaking up, applicable at work and in other situations of having to address racial injustices.

• Dana Brownlee penned an article for Fortune about 10 things your Black colleagues want you to know about at work, offering insight such as:

  • “Mentoring Black People - If you’re in a leadership position in your organization, don’t wait for a mentoring program. Find a young person of color in your organization who is doing great things and take them under your wing. Even better - encourage your peers in senior ranks to do the same. We all know the critical importance of access to power. Break that vicious cycle by providing that valuable access to some who may never otherwise have it.”