Resources for managers: How to support your black employees
I don’t have any answers, just questions. These are the resources I found while seeking those answers.
Actionable advice:
- How U.S. Companies Can Support Employees of Color Through the Pandemic
- How you can be a better coworker or manager to your black colleagues right now
- 6 Steps to Building a Better Workplace for Black Employees
- What Not To Say To Your Black Colleagues Right Now
- How to support your black coworkers without adding more stress during this incredibly difficult time
- Ten Ways White People Can Support Black Coworkers
To build up your empathy:
- “Dear White Boss…”
- Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is….A Lot
- The Anti-Racist Reading List
Black perspectives to Follow on twitter:
- Dr. Courtney L. McCluney: @cl_mccluney
- Dr. Erin L Thomas: @ErinLThomasPhD
- Shenequa Golding: @GoldingGirl617
- Tati Bellamy-Walker: @bell_tati
- Erica Joy: @EricaJoy
- Laura Morgan Roberts: @alignmentquest
- Sihle Bolani: @SihleBolani_
Some quotes from the articles above:
“So while all employees are likely grieving from losses incurred by this crisis, these disparities make clear that the impact may be felt more acutely among racial and ethnic minority workers. Black and brown employees and their families are not only overrepresented in vulnerable occupations; they are also vulnerable to trauma from racial inequalities outside of work, which are compounded by the coronavirus pandemic. Prior research indicates that firsthand and vicarious exposure to police brutality, ICE raids, separation of families at the border, and immigration bands deteriorate Black and brown workers’ engagement at work, especially when they feel unable to discuss societal racism and its effects on their well-being. The impact of Covid-19 disparities may similarly impact work engagement among employees of color.”
How U.S. Companies Can Support Employees of Color Through the Pandemic
“Our black folks are tapped out — they’re shouldering a lot emotionally right now,” Kim said. “I do feel tension asking black people to contribute more right now, when there is already so much out there they’ve put out.” To be a better colleague or manager at this time, Kim says, “it’s probably safe to just assume folks are exhausted and distraught.”
How you can be a better coworker or manager to your black colleagues right now
“We can’t just rely on the small percentage of black executives who reach the top to wave the flag. That’s an unfair burden,” Mayo says. “If real systemic change is going to happen, it has to come from the white majority who often are in positions that give them greater leverage to change the environment. That being said, white employees may worry about their ability to effectively discuss race, but if they approach it with a sense of openness and learning, they can play an important role in advocating change.”
The goal of support is to validate Black experiences and to show your solidarity. But demonstrating solidarity “has to happen without exacerbating the spotlight that Black folks already feel in and on their skin, and without putting the burden on Black employees to devise solutions to overcome their own oppression,”
June 5, 2020 ☼ misc