Black Lives Matter
Hi. I usually don't like to talk about "politics" on LinkedIn. I'm just on here trying to share my latest writing work and maybe find some new clients; I'm a very small "business" of one. I really want to be able to work with people from all backgrounds and cultures and viewpoints, even if we don't all vote the same way or agree on all the issues. Even if someone disagrees with me about politics, I would hope that they would still want to work with me because I'm really good at what I do. (And vice versa!)
I believe in civil society and the secret ballot. I believe in the idea that America, despite its flaws, is a place of opportunity and possibility where people can work together creatively to make things better, where even if we disagree deeply, we can coexist peacefully.
But the recent #BlackLivesMatter protests against police brutality and the murder of George Floyd, and Donald Trump's alarming and dictatorial response to them, require me to speak out. Even if it makes some people uncomfortable, even if causes me to lose business or lose clients.
I have met and worked with many great people who are in law enforcement. I have worked in politics and in government, I know people who work in public service at the city/state/federal level and who serve in the military. I know that our institutions are flawed, but lots of people are trying every day to do the right thing.
But I also know that lots of Black and Brown and immigrant people in this country have NEVER been able to trust our systems of justice, have NEVER felt safe or well-served by our institutions, have NEVER felt like this country truly welcomed them or worked for them.
And I take this very personally. Even though I'm a white guy, I have so many wonderful, beautiful, talented Black friends and colleagues. I worry that any one of them could be taken away from me if they happen to get attention from a bad cop at the wrong time.
And I'm married to a Black wife, I'm the father of two biracial brown-complexioned sons. I worry that police brutality could be part of their future. I fear for my sons. I worry that someday my sons could just be walking down the street and the wrong cop will decide to hassle them or brutalize them or kill them because he thinks they look like a "suspect."
A lot of otherwise well-meaning, good-hearted white people still don't quite understand these fears that our fellow Americans are living with every day. These fears are part of the background noise of everyday life for millions of American families. And it doesn't have to be that way.
I feel like America is on the precipice of radical change for the better - to become an inclusive multiracial, multicultural democracy that can be a beacon unto the world.
But it's going to take big changes from white people who have stayed on the sidelines or stayed silent or thought that they "didn't want to get political." If you are willing to work in good faith to understand the issues and sit with some discomfort and listen to the perspectives of Black people, then I welcome you and will happily talk with you about this.
A lot of white people don't think of themselves as being particularly "privileged." Most white people in this country aren't born with a silver spoon in their mouth; they worked hard, they overcame adversity, they suffered grief and hardships. Lots of working people of all races in this country have seen things get worse for their families within their lifetime. Lots of white people in rural communities and working-class communities are suffering right now. My heart breaks for all the suffering people in this country and all over the world.
But "white privilege" doesn't mean "white people have special ADVANTAGES and get everything handed to them for free." White privilege means that white people are able to go through life without having to worry about certain extra DISADVANTAGES.
The playing field in this country is NOT level, and it never has been. If you're not white in America, there are sometimes extra disadvantages and burdens placed upon you that no white person has to endure. And especially if you're Black, no matter how hard you work or how well-educated you are or how nice the clothes are that you're wearing, if the wrong cop decides to kill you, or the admissions counselor decides to be rude to you and discourages you from going to college, or a racist HR person decides to throw your resume in the trash, or an all-white VC firm decides not to fund your startup because you don't look like one of the usual people that they feel "safe" and comfortable with...then in that moment, all of your hard work won't save you.
White business leaders have a special responsibility here. Because these protests aren't just about police brutality, they're about inequality of opportunity, wealth inequality, all the ways that minority people in America are more likely to die of COVID-19 and less likely to have a college degree and a good job.
I'm just a business of one. But if you're a white person reading this who has any position of power and authority in your business, agency or organization, I would ask you to sit with some discomfort and consider these questions:
- How diverse is your team? Not only in lower-level/entry-level jobs, but executive level?
- How diverse is your Board of Directors? Is everyone on your Board white? If so, why?
- How is your organization treating customers of all backgrounds? Are you a safe, supportive place for everyone, not just white people?
- Are you proactively thinking about and working to expand your talent pool and your leadership pipeline and your mentorship efforts to make sure there are better opportunities at your organization for people of ALL backgrounds to get promoted and build real careers, especially for people who are historically underrepresented, not just white people?
Way too many Fortune 500 companies right now are saying nice things and putting out pretty TV ads about unity and justice, but then their Boards of Directors and C-level executives are all white guys. White business leaders need to work harder to make sure their organizations are being inclusive and creating opportunities for everyone, not just for people who look like them.
Think carefully. Act boldly. Peace.
Founder @ DRW Communications | Luxury Lifestyle PR
4yIf I could just chime in here. I agree with Jeremy K. Delancy, but let me take it a step further. Racism is a byproduct of domination. Racist acts (both conscious and unconscious) never occur in isolation; the psychic, cultural, economic, political, social, spiritual, and sexual domination of people is only possible if said people are under the domination of another group. This is what allows an individual to commit a physical act because he or she knows that the larger social system will protect them (police, white women in parks, transnational cartels in the Caribbean and Africa, etc) The business world is no different. "Creating opportunities" doesn't just mean listening, it means opening the field for everyone to economically benefit and prosper. In the end, however, people create businesses to grow as professionals, as well as to feed their families. Business is first and foremost about culture. Yes. Those who are allies to "people of color can listen and help, but it is also incumbent upon black people to play the long-game that business and culture require. That's uncomfortable but necessary. Everyone has a role to play. But only if truly committed. Good piece.
Freelance Travel Writer | In-flight magazines | Travel Trade Journals | Environment and Alternative Energy| Bahamas
4yThanks. Let me point out that as a non-american who has been watching various US cities burn at different times over the last 50 years, what you propose is helpful but not new. There is always a return to the status quo which is racial discrimination. This is probably because America has never sought to face its past. We hear this every day, "The war was about states rights", "There wasn't a race problem before Obama" and my personal favourite, "The blacks were happier and better off during slavery". I've heard all of these in the last 10 years! The history that your sons will learn from school and through television news (both liberal and conservative) is that blacks got off the boats, picked cotton, were set free, a few were useful but largely they've been troublemakers ever since. All of 'Black History" (200+ years) will be taught in one month and there will be no mention of the "Tulsa Massacre", "The Black Sparrow of WW1" and any discussion about Malcolm X is Verboten. Your sons must also be careful of doctors and nurses who believe that they don't feel pain like 'regular' people; teachers who are more likely to label them as 'slow learners' or disruptive, and a criminal justice system that will be more punitive if it gets them. If you are hoping for a change in the next generation, don't, Millennials and Gen Y show almost the same levels of racist ideas as Boomers and Gen X. Yes, there are studies to back up all of the previous. In short, The United States of America has a Human Rights problem that was laid with its foundation. The US does a poor job of acknowledging human rights violations in its borders. Money and jobs won't fix this, just ask Colin Kaepernick. Here are my suggestions: 1. Asking your friends for help is 'nice' but most other races have already been flushed from the system before the hiring process. When they do appear at the 'C' suite it is easy to label them as tokens. As a former teacher from a family of teachers, I think you might want to take a look at your local school board, and ask what do they believe and what books are they comfortable with. 2. As a writer, keep writing on this topic. No amount of money will ease your conscience the next time you see an injustice and do nothing. As a white male you have the option to walk freely anywhere and conduct your business as you desire, we do not. 3. Remember, it's not an issue of black/white, straight/LGBTQ, male/female, etc. Human Rights are rights regardless of country, religion, age, etc. When you meet opposition, remind them that the US has bombed and invaded countries for less than what we have seen in the last year. 4. Stay strong. My favourite passage from The Bible is in James Chp.2, "Faith without works is dead". If you believe in a better world for your children, you will have to work for it. Sorry for the long post. I wish you all the best and every success for the rest of this year. Stay safe!
Freelance writer | painter | gallerist | B2B copywriter | graphic designer
4yWell done Ben. This and the ideas you present need traction across the country. Let me know how I might help.
Freelance Construction & Robotics Writer | Content Marketing | Articles | White Papers | Case Studies | Professional Tea Drinker ☕️
4yWell said, Ben. (Says another privileged white person.)