“Racial equity is the condition that would be achieved if one’s racial identity no longer predicted, in a statistical sense, how one fares. When we use the term, we are thinking about racial equity as one part of racial justice, and thus we also include work to address root causes of inequities, not just their manifestation. This includes elimination of policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages that reinforce differential outcomes by race or that fail to eliminate them.”
Source: Racial Equity Tools, CAPD
How can individuals begin to address racial inequities at work? What steps can we take to ensure the creation of more equitable spaces for all employees in our organizations?
In June and October of 2020, Pride in Our Workplace posed these questions to community leaders in the two-part virtual panel series titled, The Intersection of LGBTQ+ Equality and Racial Justice. Key takeaways from our conversations highlighted the importance of keeping intentionality at the forefront of DEI decisions, ensuring that diverse voices are present and heard, and holding space to educate oneself and others.
It can take time to move the needle on diversity, equity, and inclusion at the structural level. However, there are small actions that we can all integrate into our daily lives to advocate for more equitable spaces within our organizations. In the PIOW 10 Entries to Equity video, panelists identified 10 ways that individuals and teams can amplify diverse voices and jumpstart conversations about racial equity at work. You can watch this video below and continue reading to discover additional resources.
- Connect with coworkers from different backgrounds.
- Change up the content you consume regularly.
- Ensure that diverse perspectives are present at decision-making tables.
- Acknowledge the historical realities of impacted communities.
- Define actionable steps to drive your organization towards a more equitable future.
- Interrogate your own intentionality.
- Review existing DEI programs through the lens of intersectionality and improve upon existing gaps.
- Take responsibility for personal biases and commit yourself to allyship moving forward.
- Bring in community partners to educate leadership and employees within your organization.
- Use what you’ve learned to transition your allyship into action.
We would like to thank featured speakers for participating in last year’s programming and sharing their perspectives with us. To hear more from our panelists, check out the Courageous Conversations on Race Equity video, which dives deeper into the ways systemic racism and social injustice continually prompt the need for DEI and a recommitment to anti-racist practices.
As an additional resource, the PIOW team worked with panelists to create a downloadable list of Employer Anti-Racism Best Practices. In order to advocate for meaningful change, it is essential that corporate leadership, managers, and employees develop the language to address issues of race at work. We recommend referencing the Racial Equity Tools online glossary and resource guide to help define and contextualize industry terms and broader concepts around racial inclusion.
Whether you’re speaking on behalf of your own identity or stepping up as an ally, we hope you can use these tools to open dialogues around diversity and inclusion in your organization.
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