Black Lives Matter – the awkward adolescence phase
Black Lives Matter – the awkward adolescence phase
On 25 May 2020, George Floyd was suffocated to death by then police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. We were able to witness this murder as it was bravely filmed by Darnella Frazier, a 17-year-old bystander who was subsequently left suffering with anxiety and panic attacks as a result. The World was sickened by the death of Mr. Floyd, and it led to a global discussion on anti-black racism. From this horrific incident, the Black Lives Matter movement grew in momentum.
For the first time in my living memory, organisations began speaking openly about anti-black racism (and racism more generally). Employers sought the opinions from Black staff about how they felt they were being treated. Amidst this backdrop, the number of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) specialists grew exponentially. Beyond writing public statements condemning the murder of George Floyd and stating a commitment to racial equity, organisations in the UK had speakers and trainers come into their workplaces to focus on all matters surrounding DEI – and not only during Black History Month. It was in fact during this period that Flair came into existence.
Fast-forward 2 years and sadly apathy appears to have set in. Organisations still have DEI specialists but the fervour to address issues surrounding racial equity, and particularly anti-black racism have waned. Perhaps more troubling is the backlash towards Black Lives Matter as a movement (in part due to the difficulty in decoupling it from the much-maligned organisation). In some quarters, this is coupled with a celebration of all things “anti-woke”, often by those who consider DEI initiatives as imposing a left-wing political agenda, where diversity is more important that talent.
I view this period as the awkward adolescence phase of the Black Lives Matter movement and DEI initiatives generally. Like most sequels in a 3-part trilogy, the second act is often the most difficult as this is where you must build on the groundwork that has been put in place. Now is the time for the arduous, and sometimes tedious work of ensuring that the various DEI initiatives which came into being in 2020 bed into how businesses operate. This will include examining recruitment, career progression, retention and rewards through a DEI lens. In short, organisations will have to bear with the DEI growing pains.
Employers must stand by their 2020 mission statements and words of support to avoid them being consigned to the “mere hyperbole” waste bin. They can do so by monitoring racial equity through use of Flair’s benchmarking analytics and the setting of annual KPIs to measure if things are improving. Those responsible for DEI matters need a seat at the boardroom table to ensure that this is viewed as being business critical. Where senior executives have clear mandates and progress is being monitored, individuals will have a vested interest in seeking improvement – not least if stagnation could potentially impact their remuneration.
There are some who will seek to assert that now is not the time for resources to be diverted to DEI initiatives. We are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. We are either on the brink of stagflation, a recession and/or both. There is a war in Ukraine and irrespective of your political persuasion, Brexit is set to have a long-term effect of reducing the UK’s GDP by 4% (according to the Office of Budget Responsibility). With that roll call of woe, many will assert that organisations have bigger fish to fry. I would argue to the contrary; leading consultancies such as McKinsey & Co and Ernst & Young, report that diverse workforces are more productive and profitable. With the UK (and the Western world as a whole) becoming more diverse, employers need to ensure that they can attract and retain talent in its full array. The Gen-Z generation are also showing an unwillingness to accept the status quo and are demanding that their employers align with their values.
There will of course be naysayers and those who consider that DEI initiatives are unnecessary or, even unfair. I do not agree with this sentiment. Acknowledging discrimination and structural barriers does not oppress anyone. In fact, it can be freeing. We all have areas of privilege and disenfranchisement and that is why recognising and understanding intersectionality is so important. George Floyd’s murder and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement on a global level was a watershed moment and there is no going back. Organisations and society as a whole need to be brave and commit to working to address racial inequality (alongside other structural barriers). I remain optimistic about how the finale to this trilogy will play out – where the measuring and monitoring of racial equity has become a business norm, alongside the implementation of programmes and initiatives to address inequalities. While I do not think we will ever live in a utopia free from discrimination or bias, we can certainly improve from where we are currently.
First published with Flair.