A New Thought

“We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity.” — Malcolm X

I have seen the light that Malcolm X speaks of shine bright this February. Countless acknowledgments and social media posts in honor of Black History Month have used the occasion to educate and inform, to bring light into society and our dialogue. For this, I am grateful.

But for each post bringing light, I’ve seen one that capitalizes on Black History Month as though it were just another chance to move product. At best, these feel well-intentioned, if clumsy. At worst, they reek of exploitation.

It’s time to take a step back and ask ourselves: what is this all for? What is the real meaning of Black History Month? For that matter, what is the meaning of Women’s History Month or AAPI Month or Pride Month? This question is more relevant than ever, especially with the recent backlash against DEI. 

Personally, I have always had some unease with the idea of a Black History Month. The actor and filmmaker Morgan Freeman put it best when he said, “You’re going to relegate my history to a month?... Black history is American history; they’re completely intertwined.”

Part of this is the gnawing feeling that Black History Month has become performative, inauthentic — a chance for businesses to virtue signal. But we should want Black-owned businesses and creators busy all year, not just in February. When Black-owned businesses thrive and prosper the entire US economy grows. A rising tide lifts all boats.

Lest you think I’m ignorant or naïve, as a Black man I am acutely aware that our contributions — like so many other historically marginalized groups — have too often been covered up and overlooked. I’m not advocating for the elimination of observances like Black History Month. What I’m advocating for is a new perspective of what advancing diversity looks like.

How can we do so in a way that’s impactful, inspiring and uplifting, rather than exploitative? With many businesses backing down from the commitments they made in 2020, it’s more important than ever for corporate leaders to double down on advancing and celebrating diversity.

There are two things that leaders must do. First, embrace the uncomfortable. Just as we know the importance of addressing DEI — both as a moral imperative and a financial one — we know the complexities inherent to it. But progress is never made from a place of comfort - nor is it always linear. We can’t be afraid of tough, awkward conversations, of rocking the boat, if the intention is to start an enduring dialogue.

Second: encourage, celebrate, and reward diversity of thought. People are motivated by recognition. When you celebrate a courageous move to embrace diversity, it changes behavior so that it’s more likely to happen again. And when I say diversity of thought, I don’t just mean race or gender. Great leaders encourage contrarian points of view because the best solutions come from having the widest number of perspectives.

For my part, I am modeling what commitment to diversity of thought looks like in action at Union Square Hospitality Group. As I’ve shared here before, we have set organization-wide goals to ensure that our staff, especially leadership, reflects the diversity of our communities. We have prioritized opportunities for advancement so more diverse voices have a seat at the table, as well as pay parity across the organization. And we have made our progress available to the public, updating quarterly where we have met goals and where we have fallen short.

I say this not to pat ourselves on the back — there is no finish line when it comes to this work — but to suggest that in a fraught time for diversity of thought, the first step is holding yourself accountable. If nothing else, every company should take Black History Month as an opportunity to adopt this level of transparency.

As our Founder and Executive Chairman Danny Meyer once said, “Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.” Nothing about this work is easy, especially in a time when efforts to encourage diversity are in the crosshairs of partisanship. With our country’s deep divides in mind, perhaps the best way to approach Black History Month is by focusing on our shared humanity. Instead of reacting to diversity of thought with tribalism or knee-jerk condemnations, we can choose listening, empathy, and grace. We can show our commitment to uplifting one another not just in February, but year-round.