The Interconnectedness of Race, Class, Gender and Mask Wearing

By Kimberly Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting 

Because of the current pandemic, I don’t do large crowds. However, I did make an exception to attend the funeral for my friends’ baby who tragically passed away this past spring. I attended the funeral fully vaccinated and wore a mask. At the funeral I made an observation. It was an observation that I had subconsciously made before but it became a conscious observation that day. The funeral was for a child from a family of color. At this funeral I observed a trend, that most of the entire family wore masks as did I and my husband. The other guests of color also predominantly wore masks. Most women from all racial backgrounds also predominantly wore masks. Who wasn’t wearing masks? Predominantly, white men.

When I go shopping, I notice the same trend. When I look at the news and see protests against mask mandates, it’s predominately white folks. I then began to ponder, is there a correlation between mask wearing and privilege? Do folks from the dominant culture feel offended by being made to do something in a society that has historically privileged them? Are people from marginalized groups really that compliant and ready to do what they are told in a society where there exists a racial hierarchical structure that places them at the bottom? Why is politics being superimposed over this global health crisis?

 

            I then searched the web for anything I could find on this matter and came across a study titled, “Understanding How Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Shape Mask-Wearing Adherence During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the COVID Impact Survey.” The study was funded by the Data Foundation, a non-profit Washington D.C. based think tank that seeks to improve the government and society by using data to inform public policymaking. The study can be found here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348609940_Understanding_How_Race_Ethnicity_and_Gender_Shape_Mask-Wearing_Adherence_During_the_COVID-19_Pandemic_Evidence_from_the_COVID_Impact_Survey

This brief study was conducted in the United States from late April to early June of 2020 and substantiated my general observations. It also named patterns of mask wearing by finding that mask wearing is shaped by racial and ethnic background as well as gender.

 

Based on race and gender, this study found mask wearing probability in the following order from highest usage to lowest usage:

1.     Asian men

2.     Black women

3.     Black men

4.     Latin women

5.     Latin men

6.     White women

7.     Asian women

8.     White men

 

Other trends revealed that: people over 60 years of age were more likely to wear masks than their below 60 year old counterparts, people who earn more than $75K per year are more likely to wear masks than folks who earn less than $40K per year, folks with a college degree are more likely to mask up than those with a high school degree, folks in the Northeast were more likely to mask up than their Midwest counterparts, and folks in the Western and Southern regions were less likely to report mask wearing.

 

I often theorized why folks don’t mask up. I posited theories such as thinking Covid is only a threat to people of color, selfishness, adhering to bad information or simply burn out. This article found four mechanisms that may explain White folks’ reluctance to masking up. Reasons such as: the fact that Covid-19 disproportionately affects people of color (I was right on this one), by comparison white folks have fewer underlying health conditions that impact the severity of Covid if contracted, white folks are less likely to work in jobs that increase the risk of exposure to Covid, and in the U.S. as a whole, white folks have greater access to social and economic resources to help mitigate the effects of contracting Covid-19. All of these reasons point to racial inequalities that were designed in the United States by systemic racism, broad racialized socialized structures, policies and laws that have historically resulted in different outcomes for people based on race. Systemic racism is also a structured system of domination created to perpetuate racial hierarchy resulting in white folks’ ability to amass resources such as power, prestige and wealth at a disproportionate rate to people of color.

 

            Wearing a mask and getting vaccinated have recently become a hot topic particularly with employers mandating the use of the vaccine. Freedom of choice is the argument cited for people who do not wish to be forced to vaccinate or wear a mask. And I agree. People should have a choice. The irony here is that some of these same folks espousing freedom of choice fall on the other side of the argument for a woman’s right to choose but that is a whole other blog. My question here is where does one’s personal rights eclipse what is for the greater good of society? At some point society decided that a person’s right to smoke does not surpass a non-smoker’s rights to receive second hand smoke and potentially get cancer. At another time society agreed that drivers needed to forego their freedom in the car and wear seat belts when driving. Then society agreed that a person’s right to get drunk and drive was not acceptable. These are all rights that individuals had to release for the greater good. And though I do not agree that one should put anything in their body that they do not want to, I also agree that an employer has a right to not employ a person who may bring a deadly disease to work and infect their co-workers thus shutting down business.

All this to say, anti-vaccers can’t have it both ways. Anti-vacciners and anti-maskers can’t push their right to choose while taking away others’ safety.

 

If you are a departmental or organizational leader who would like to disrupt systemic and/or organizational inequality, contact Distinctive Voice Consulting for a diversity audit at DistinctiveVoiceConsulting@gmail.com

 

Kim Harris, M.Ed. is a diversity, equity, bias-awareness and inclusiveness trainer and consult who runs Distinctive Voice Consulting. For more information about DVC visit www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

Will the end of white supremacy be the end of the United States?

By Kimberly Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting

 

On January 06, 2021, I sat in horror and disbelief as I watched a violent insurrection upon our nation’s democratic process of election certification. It has taken me six months to process this event as I still cannot believe that legions of crazed Trump supporters desecrated our nation’s capital in an attempt to stop the election certification of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. I sat there wondering if I was in America or in some non-democratic third world banana republic. Of all of the elections in the history of the United States, why was this one different? What has changed in our society where election results were not accepted by the losing party?

 

A second surprise and disbelief is how ill-prepared our law enforcement was for this known event. The lack of law enforcement support created an environment where chaos ensued in an almost purposeful way. How was law enforcement overly prepared for the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020 over the death of George Floyd, but so scantly present when they knew Donald Trump was holding a rally on January 6^th and that many of those attendees were very unhappy with the election results based on Trump’s peddling of the big lie: that he, Donald Trump, really won the election and that election machinery changed votes from him to Joe Biden on November 3rd. After more than 50 lawsuits were filed on behalf of Donald Trump to challenge the election, and dismissed, one might think that the results were acceptable. Not one of those lawsuits were accepted, even though some of those lawsuits decided by judges Republican-leaning states where one might think Trump had a political advantage.

 

Lastly, as a Christian, I was flabbergasted at how a group of the January 6^th Trump supporting insurrectionists gathered in the Senate chamber to pray for our nation. The prayer can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ouOO35lvs

 

Was this the behavior of Christians? Were these believers acting in ways that were Christ-like? Did God honor their prayers? Were these “believers” demonstrating godly behavior that would point and encourage others to be followers of Jesus Christ? I think not. The God I know is a God of love. The bible tells us to honor our government leaders and processes. It tells us not to kill. Because of these rioters people died on January 6^th. People in law enforcement: people with families who were there to protect our democracy. How can Trump supporters criticize the protests for George Floyd then turn around and riot at the capital and kill law enforcement officers? The double standard here is mind boggling.

 

These Trump supporters were acting in fear, not love. Fear of the loss of the America they know, where white supremacy is the order of the day. The fact that the election was decided in States that were predominantly African-American was too much for these insurrectionists to comprehend. These insurrectionists want to live in an America where white European values are the norm and this battle is one of white supremacy versus inclusivity and the acceptance that America is changing. It is becoming a minority-majority country. In this new America, white European values will no longer be the norm. America will have the opportunity to test its principles and values of equality for all and the acceptance of majority rule.

 

But back to Christianity because I do not want to let followers of Christ, of which I am one, off the proverbial hook here. White supremacy has long been intertwined with Christian faith. After all, white slave holders used the bible to justify owning African slaves. What our society needs is leadership and direction and I am sorely disappointed in the lack of leadership from our white evangelical Christian brothers and sisters who stay silent on these matters. As an example of how the Christian church should be speaking up on these matters I leave you with an example sermon. This sermon is by Pastor Terry Anderson of Lilygrove Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. This sermon, posted this past March, is 27 and ½ minutes long and will change the way you see the church. This sermon is an example of the way church should be speaking up in these times of polarity and division. A house divided cannot stand. An America divided cannot stand. If we do not find a way to come together in this country, the United States may become the Divided States. In our division we may fall to a larger, more powerful, united nation. The choice is yours America. United we stand or divided we fall.

Please watch Pastor Anderson’s powerful sermon here and feel free to post your constructive comments in the comments section: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ouOO35lvs

 

 

 

The Intersection of Politics & Polarization: How Othering is Destroying our Democracy

By Kim Harris, M.Ed

www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

 A favorite resource of mine is the Othering & Belonging Institute at my alma mater, U.C. Berkeley. On April 21, 2021, the institute held an othering and belonging summit online. This summit can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3ESJth8hjWf86vhidQzJFwTbcpGP54OZ

 

One panel of interest was the one hour session featuring filmmaker and author Astra Taylor, Political Science Professor Taeku Lee, and organizer DeJuana Thompson titled “A Conversation on Democracy & Belonging”. This specific talk can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogTm4c64fAE.

 

The conversation arose from questions around what is keeping America from progressing, why are we not living up to our ideals of equality for all, and what’s happening to our democracy. These questions were asked through the lens of broken systems highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Such systems as: equitable access to healthcare and the American policing system.

 

The three speakers raised thought provoking concepts and issues to unpack causes of systemic inequity and an assault on the United States electoral system. For this blog I’d like to highlight what U.C. Berkeley Political Science Professor Taeku Lee discussed: our current state of polarization.

 

The democratic process is a beautiful one. It allows for the input of many thoughts and opinions and through this collaborative process we arise at a decision of the will of the majority to guide our direction. Over the last decade there has been a decline in our tolerance for differences that has been attributed to Russian meddling and disinformation via social media as well as a decline in the manner in which our politicians conduct their messaging. Professor Lee shares three ideas beginning at the 12 minute mark in the session: ideological, racial and epistemic polarization.  Professor Lee describes ideological polarization as the divide between democrats and republicans and liberals and conservatives. The divide in ideological opinions between these groups was measured at 32% in 2014. Professor Lee posits that this percentage would be much higher today. Lee cited a source stating that there are two signs of a failing democracy: the polarization of societal politics and the decline of mutual tolerance. Professor Lee observes these signs in our society today.

 

According to Professor Lee, racial polarization is described as realities of the dominant culture (whites in the United States) and that of people of color being different. Lee states that we see today’s politicians using racial polarization to gain power and win elections. He shares that the Republican Party has been taken over by white supremacist groups that use dog whistling language in their rhetoric to divide people and gain power. When the people in the majority scapegoat and minimize the needs of people from marginalized groups like minorities and immigrants, this is described as “othering”.

 

Professor Lee describes epistemic polarization as the difference in realities of members of society. He uses law enforcement as an example. Many folks from the dominant culture in America, i.e. white folks, see police as a source of safety and security while most people of color share a different experience and fear the police. Another example here is the politicization of mask wearing. Some folks see mask wearing as government control while others see it as a public health matter. When we as a society face large problems, we have to be able to agree on the problem. If we cannot agree on the problem for large matters, we fail like a sinking ship.

 

So what can we do to save our democracy and survive as a nation? This panel of experts recommends we that collaborate, radically invest in communities of color to bring up those who are falling behind in society, and organize. We have to work together on matters that are important to us so that we can help our nation progress, live up to our ideals of equity, and maintain our democracy. A wise man once said, “A person alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer. Three even better, for a triple-branded cord is not easily broken.” So triple-brand yourself with positive, equity focused groups and organizations and be the change. Let’s work together as one people to share wealth, power and take care of those in need. Our great nation will be judged on how we treat the least among us so let’s stop blaming those left behind and create systems that include and provide for the needs of everyone.

 

For a list of Whatcom County progressive organizations for which to organize email me at DistinctiveVoiceConsulting@gmail.com

Racism thru the lens of Megxit:

a.k.a The Ultimate “Get Out”

By Kim Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting

On May 19, 2018 I awakened at 3:00 a.m. to watch a modern day Cinderella story. Not just any Cinderella story but a real Cinderella story: on this date a divorced, African-American woman was marrying into the British royal family. Never in my lifetime did I ever imagine an American woman, a divorced, Black-American woman, would have the opportunity to marry into such an institution of privilege. I, and I imagine many women of color, was happy to see that a Black woman could be a real life modern day princess. At that moment I thought that the Royal family was moving in a direction of representing the diversity of the world we live in. I imagined that they had done the work to be inclusive along with the welcoming of a person of color into their family tree. I imagined that they wanted to have their family look like what families the world over look like.

 

Since Meghan and Harry's wedding I’ve heard of the differential treatment that Meghan has received as compared to her sister-in-law Kate by the British royal family and the press. Such differences as the royal family providing a press team for Kate to help her with negative press coverage, being informed by the royal family that Meghan and Harry’s son Archie would not be granted a royal title (no reason given), and the British media publishing a story that compared Prince Harry and Meghan's baby Archie, to an animal. I had no idea that Meghan and Harry were isolated and left to handle these incidences and more on their own. So when talk of stepping back from the royal family became public, I was aghast. Who would give up such a fairy-tale life style? One never knows the depth of someone’s pain behind the public mask. When the Sussexes announced they were moving to Canada, almost like the real life version of the movie “Get Out”, a 2017 horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele, my heart broke. They had bowed down to racism on one hand, on the other hand they determined that no amount of money and privilege is worth the disrespect and most importantly, one’s mental health.

 

From Meghan and Harry’s riveting March 7, 2021 interview with Oprah, I learned that the lack of support from the royal family in the wake of tabloid racism directed at Meghan, forced the couple’s hand and feet to walk away from it all. In spite of the family’s advice to put your chin up and keep a stiff upper lip, the Sussexes decided to get out. Meghan shockingly revealed in the Oprah Winfrey interview she was isolated and that the isolation and intense pressure coupled with the lack of family support made her suicidal. Harry made a stunning comparison that Meghan was being hounded by the press similar to his mother, but with an added racial component, and that he was watching history repeat itself. To interrupt the tragic outcome of what happened to his mother, the couple made a bold decision to step back and away from royal duties as a life-saving decision.

 

In many of my organizational diversity, equity and inclusion consultations I’ve made the statement that there’s so much more to diversity and inclusion than hiring someone from a diverse background. I’ve advised that an organization must do the work to understand what a multicultural environment is: it requires much work from policies and practices, to having diverse employees, and everything in between. My assumption that the royal family had done its work to be prepared to retain a person of color in their family was wrong. Diversity is so much more than appearances. It’s the internal work that we need to do, it’s changing the systems in our organizations that privilege some and hold back others. It’s making sure that Kate and Meghan are not only welcomed but receive the same resources to be successful. It’s giving Meghan and Harry’s son Archie a title like you did for Prince William and Princess Kate’s son Prince George.

 

I am proud of Meghan Markle on two fronts. Not only did she break down barriers in the royal family, but she was strong enough to walk away from the privilege and wealth of an institution that did not stand up for her. She was brave enough to speak up and make a new way for her family. In her honor, I leave you the following poem.

 

 

Royal

By Chicago poet Leslé Honoré

No matter how gentle the Black

How light the skin

How gorgeous the face

How talented the soul

How pure the intentions

They will not protect us

No matter how innocent the life

How secure the birthright

Titles will be stripped

And babies tossed to wolves

Because of a fear of Black skin

They will let a woman drown

In their lies

They will let the darkness

Swallow her

See her reach out for help

And not only turn their backs

But crush her fingers beneath their feet

With hopes she will plummet off the cliff

The why is obvious

The why is consistent

The why is always the same

Black

They want her suffering

Because Blackness

Because she was breathing

While Black

Because her Light

Outshines the white

With her Blackness

They will turn their backs

On their own

Stop taking calls from their

Sons

Because of Blackness

And what else should we expect

From the birth place

Of white supremacy

The birth place of slavery

The birth place of the patriarchy

The soul of colonialism

And

What else should we expect

From a lineage of resilience

Of beauty

Of strength

Of everlasting hope

Her bounce back

Her reboot

Her survival

Catch this #BlackGirlMagic

Catch this brilliance

Catch this happy

Catch this radiance

That not even 1200 years of hate

Can kill

Catch this liberation

Catch this revolution

This World Woman

This Global Majority

Catch all of this

Unbreakable

Blackness

She doesn’t need your titles

She has always been a Queen

 

 

Reparations for African-Americans: Dream or Foreseeable Reality?

By Kimberly Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting

www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

I recently received a message from a neighbor who had just heard about a bill being proposed by a lawmaker to pay reparations to African-Americans for slavery. My neighbor was quite shocked and stated he was offended by such an idea and wanted to know how much this would cost. As a woman of color my immediate reaction was I was offended that he was offended. My offense morphed into annoyance. It was later that I realized that this person was looking for an answer from the only person he felt comfortable asking and that would give him an intelligent response. Upon further reflection I pondered the deeper issues here: people today do not wish to be held responsible for what they believe others did, and working class folks from the dominant culture are left feeling, “what about us” and “how will this work?”

To answer this question I offer a 29-minute podcast of one model of how reparations has been addressed. The model of repair was created by the students of Georgetown University. This podcast tells the fascinating story of how one student’s 2014 article to the university, discussing how Georgetown University Jesuit priests sold 272 slaves in 1838 to save the university from financial ruin, started a conversation that led to an actionable initiative of reparations.

My take-aways from this podcast are:

1. The argument that reparations for slavery should have been dealt with immediately after slavery ended to repair those directly affected by slavery is debunked by the fact that former slaves did try to advocate for reparations by lobbying for pensions but had no power or rights and were ignored.

2. Shock and horror that priests would sell slaves.

3. Amazement in how students would come up with a plan to make reparations within a couple of years while “the adults” can’t seem to come up with anything for centuries.

It is my hope that folks like my neighbor will be willing to listen and learn. That people like my neighbor would educate themselves on the matter rather than letting offense drive their opinion. It is also my hope that discussions will turn into understanding, understanding will turn into action and this action will lead to healing within the United States of America from this original sin.

The podcast, by PolicyLink’s “Radical Imagination” series can be found here: https://radicalimagination.us/episodes/reparations

Please feel free to share your constructive thoughts in the comments section of this blog.

 

 

 

Happy Black History Month: 

We’ve come a long way and still have much work to do

by Kimberly Harris, M.Ed.

www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

Imagine a planet in a faraway galaxy where there are three types of organisms: we’ll call them alpha, bravo, and Charlie.  All of these organisms live in their respective habitats. One day the alpha organisms began to have differences among themselves and some of these alpha organisms decided to search for another habitat. They sent a party to seek another habitat and the party found a habitat far away. The only problem was that it was not a vacant habitat, but rather a habitat inhabited by the bravo organism. When the alpha organism took this information back to the other alpha organisms, it was decided that they would travel to this other habitat and force a share of it. This share attempt turned into a takeover of the bravo organisms by the alpha organisms and the alphas were content that they had a new place to live away from the oppression of their fellow organisms in their homeland. Sadly, the bravo organism was relegated to live in habitats of a specified region and lost their land against their will. The alphas set up community in this stolen land, but among them they could not agree upon a hierarchy.  So they decided they needed to force the immigration of another organism from another habitat, the Charlie organism. The Charlie organism would then perform free labor and ironically be subjected to the very oppression from which the alpha organism escaped at their original habitat. The Charlie organism endured nearly two and a half centuries of brutal enslavement. In spite of this subjugation, the Charlie organism survived, endured and thrived. By now I am certain that you have recognized the habitat of the United States of America, the alpha organism as the British, the bravo organism as the Native Americans and the Charlie organism as Africans. This month we honor African-Americans with Black History month, the history of stolen bodies from their homeland and the resilience of a people who have risen in spite of mountains of adversity.

 

The concept of Black History month began with Carter G. Woodson in the summer of 1915. Woodson attended an event in Chicago that aimed to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the state of Illinois. The event was attended by thousands of African Americans from nationwide who travelled to see exhibits highlighting the progress of their people made since the destruction of slavery. From this event Woodson was inspired to form the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) which led to the 1916 creation of The Journal of Negro History. Woodson continued to urge black civic organizations to promote black achievement which led to the creation of Negro History and Literature Week in 1924. The month of February was chosen for this celebration because February is the month of the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in the support of black Americans: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. Though Woodson attributed these men to contributing much to the advancement of black life, he did not want Negro History and Literature week to be about these men but rather the history of black people and their triumph and survivalist spirit in spite of the atrocities they overcame in America.

 

Rising racial pride and consciousness in a post-World War I generation gave rise to the decade of the New Negro in the 1920’s. Industrialization gave rise to migration of Southern blacks to the North for opportunities that produced a new black middle class. Black history clubs emerged and black history education and literature was highly desired. As the black population grew, mayors issued Negro History week proclamations and Woodson began to promote the idea of black history month in lieu of a week citing that black history was much too important to be limited to seven days.  It wasn’t until 1976, sixteen years past the death of Woodson in 1950 and fifty years after the first celebration, that his vision of Black History month would become a reality.

 

And today in America, the land that promises freedom and opportunity for all, we face a different reality. A reality that Ibram X Kendi calls America’s “dueling duality” in his book, Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. This duality is explained as a dance between racial progress and racist progress. He notes this pattern throughout history and explains how America can go from President Barack Obama to President Donald Trump. How can we go from a leader that promoted policies of equity and inclusion to a leader that promoted policies to divide and oppress? Kendi chronicles the history of racist ideas from their origins in fifteenth-century Europe to when the early British settlers carried their racist ideas to America. I submit to you that it is the foundation of the racist ideologies inherited by these settlers that still haunt us today because America has never dealt with this original sin: a sin that was on full display at our nation’s capital building on January 6, 2021. “How can this be? This is not who we are. I thought we were beyond this,” were the cries of many on social media. Well this is who some of us are and until we reconcile with our past and make amends to groups who were systemically subjugated and exploited, our racial divide, and that hate that we saw on full display by people who believe the lies of a leader who gave them hope to continue the belief in white supremacy and the ideas that were brought to America by this nation’s British forefathers, will continue to grow leaving unity out of reach like a carrot dangling on a string in front of a wagon’s mule. In other words, unity can only be achieved with the acknowledgement of our nation’s past mistakes, a promise not to continue the behavior and a repair. And while President Bill Clinton did the first component of this trilogy, we appear to be years away from dismantling systemic racism and reparations.

 

So where does that leave us? It leaves us with much work to do. We need to be allies to work to dismantle systems of oppression for marginalized people. We need to be courageous to withstand the pressure of the hate that is permeating our society and work to dismantle it with love and education. We need to stand up to fear because this fear paralyzes us from doing what is right. We need to continue to educate ourselves on what systemic racism and oppression is. And we need to heed the words of Amanda Gorman, the first ever youth poet laureate when she stated at the Biden/Harris inauguration that we need to “come together and leave behind a country better than the one we were left.”

 

2020- The Year of Awakening & Action

 

For all of the challenges the world has faced in 2020 with respect to a 100-year global pandemic, there was good news in the fight for racial justice. Twenty-twenty will be remembered as the tipping point for equity and justice, the likes that haven’t been seen in the United States since the 1960’s. The callous and wanton murder of George Floyd in May of 2020 sparked a revolution and a call for justice so long overdue that it sent a tidal wave of change that can be considered a silver lining for this year: a silver lining moving human-kind forward during a post-Obama period saddled with many social justice set-backs.

Such set-backs by the 45th administration as:

• The January 20, 2017 removal of LGBTQ+ issues removed from the official White House webpage less than two hours after the 45^th president of the United States was sworn in.

• The January 25, 2017 executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to begin constructing a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border and the immediate detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants.

• The January 27^th executive order banning foreign nationals from seven predominately Muslim countries from visiting the United States for 90 days and prohibiting other refugees from coming to the United States for 120 days.

• The September 25, 2017 announcement to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) ending legal protections granted to 800,000 Dreamers who were illegally brought to this country as children by their parents.

• The September 22, 2020 Executive Order that bans anti-racism training to federal contractors ironically labeling the training “race and sex stereotyping.”

These are just a few actions that began under the 45th presidential administration sending a strong signal to people of color, immigrants of color, and the LGBTQ+ communities that they don’t matter. On January 21^st I recall a good friend of mine who identifies as gay, stopping by my office to visit me and asking if I been was aware of the removal of LGBTQ+ issues from the White House website. I will never forget the look on his face. It was the look of someone who felt erased, like they didn’t matter. It is the same look I’ve seen in the eyes of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors after a black community member’s life has been erased by police, the people our tax dollars pay to protect us. It is the look of powerlessness and sadness all balled up into a knot of frustration. A look of betrayal in the principles that we learned in kindergarten: to be kind, treat everyone fairly and with respect, and that we are all equal.

 

There is a Chinese philosophy represented by the yin yang symbol that embraces polarities. By embracing the challenges of 2020, we also embrace the opportunities and if we look closely, we will see the truly amazing benefits that have come from our struggles.

 

Such examples of positive changes that have come from our awakening are:

• February of 2020 The Land O’ Lakes brand removes a Native American woman from its packaging.

• June of 2020 the Quaker Oats brand removes the Aunt Jemima woman from its pancake mix.

• June 5, 2020 video by National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell admitting that the league had been wrong for how they handled NFL player protests against police brutality and for how the league treated former NFL player Colin Kaepernick for initiating these protests in 2016.

• July 8, 2020 NBC Universal announces its “Fifty Percent Challenge Initiative” to hire 50% people of color and 50% women for its organization. Sadly, they did not give themselves a target date for this initiative which is a very important component for accountability.

• July 9, 2020 Facebook bans white nationalism and promises a new civil-rights hire to meet boycott demands.

• July 13, 2020 The Washington Redskins football team changes its name and logo, dropping the term “Redskins” which Native Americans consider offensive and have been lobbying for the term to be dropped from the team’s name for years.

• July 31, 2020 Google begins helping connect consumers to black-owned businesses by giving merchants the option to add “black-owned” to their business profiles.

• September 1, 2020 Ben & Jerry’s broadcasts a podcast that examines legal discrimination, segregation and state-sanctioned violence faced by African-Americans since the end of chattel slavery. (Incidentally, Ben & Jerry’s has one of the most comprehensive BLM statements that I have seen and find it exemplary. You can view their statement here: https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/media-center/dismantle-white-supremacy

Students of my equity, diversity, inclusiveness and/or allyship classes understand the great significance of these symbolic and systemic changes. These changes indicate a quantum leap in systemic changes from one of the oldest links in society to slavery: corporations. The corporate salary model is set up in a pyramid where some U.S. CEO’s make up to 300 times what their line workers earn. This extreme ratio of pay inequity stems from the slavery model where the workers make nothing while making those in charge become wealthy. There must be a better way to distribute wealth and create livable wages in the United States.

 

Corporate America is the backbone of the United States and once this backbone begins adopting systemic changes to dismantle racial oppression and inequity, our society has a great chance to create lasting change. Please note here that I did not make mention of the many generous organizations that gave tens of millions of dollars to BLM and other social justice causes because though helpful and beneficial, it is systems, policies and practices that contribute to inequitable outcomes for people of color and people from marginalized groups. Dismantling inequitable policies and practices is the best way to level the playing field and begin to walk our talk in the United States with respect to the equity we posit in our country’s governing documents.

Those of us who understand the importance to continue the fight for social and racial justice must press on and keep the momentum going. For more information on equity, diversity and inclusiveness consulting and training visit www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com