Confronting Racism
Janelle Benjamin speaks to a captive audience at the Audley Recreation Centre - Photo credit: Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre
(Adapted from my Keynote Address at the Confronting Racism in Durham Project)
It is time to face the hard truth – racism is still very much alive in our world today. We can no longer pretend it doesn't exist, nor can we pretend it doesn't have serious implications.
Racism has been a part of the human condition for centuries. It is deeply embedded in the systems and institutions that shape our society. Racism is a skin-colour based classification system and an oppressive ideology that is used by those in positions of power or privilege to create and sustain unequal power dynamics between different groups. From colonization to slavery, from Jim Crow segregation laws to systemic racism today, racism has been used to further the interests of those in power. Even though slavery was abolished over 150 years ago, racism still persists in our society today. This can be seen in the higher rates of poverty, incarceration, lack of access to health care, and job discrimination that disproportionately affect people of colour. This is why it's so important that we work towards dismantling racism and its effects. We need to actively confront and challenge racist beliefs and practices in order to create a more equitable society.
The impacts of racism go beyond individual experiences, it extends to a variety of areas including but not limited to; education, health care, employment, housing, legal and criminal justice systems. Racism can cause exclusion, unequal representation (overrepresentation or underrepresentation) or inequity in opportunities, resources, supports, or services in all these systems for racialized people. In the worst cases, racism causes mental anguish, physical harm or even death.
For racialized people, the effects of racism can manifest in multiple ways; from Tone Policing, to not being hired for a job because of your ethnic-sounding name, to not receiving the same quality of healthcare during labour and delivery as someone who is white. I was recently cited in Forbes discussing this very thing.
In addition to this, individuals may experience internalized oppression, which is when someone internalizes the belief that they are inferior to others because of their race or ethnicity or when someone prefers to align themselves with the dominant class negating their racialized identity. This often happens as a result of experiencing racism on a regular basis.
Specific to Black Women at work, “Pet to Threat” is another way that racism plays out. It was a concept coined by Dr. Kecia M. Thomas to explain the racist behaviour by leaders in organizations that adversely affects the career trajectory and experiences of Black women in the workplace. This unique form of racism, happened to me – TWICE. It’s where a woman of colour enters an organization – has a bit of a honeymoon phase where she feels welcomed and needed – and then begins to be tokenized – to experience microaggressions – and the more accountability she pushes for, she is seen as a problem. This can have generational impacts. Studies have shown that racism has a direct effect on mental and physical health, social economic mobility and even educational attainment.
It’s clear that racism is complex and the effects of racism are far reaching. So, if we want to create an equitable workplace, employers must confront it and take action to address it.
The only way to truly confront racism is to listen to those who are most affected by it – the most marginalized. Because Anti-Black racism is arguably the worst form, these are your Black staff, who have multiple intersecting identities.
It's important to be aware of the power dynamics between different racialized and non-racialized staff members in the workplace. It’s also important to recognize the various forms of racism that exist, such as colourism, featurism, texturism, tokenism, fetish, and systemic inequity. The latter is something we see throughout our society, where opportunities, resources, and privileges are not always shared equally amongst different communities. It’s a long process to work on undoing these systems of inequality, but one of the best ways to start is by listening and learning from those affected by them. In addition, it’s important to recognize the microaggressions people experience on a daily basis in the workplace. This can range from subtle comments about race, to outright, overt, racism. When you hear someone say something that perpetuates stereotypes or causes harm to another person, it’s important to speak up and call it out.
Finally, it’s important to understand how racism has been historically embedded into our institutions and culture. Educate yourself about these issues and encourage your team members to do the same. Education is a powerful way to address racism. Change starts from within, so take the time to listen and learn, and then take action to make sure everyone in your organization feels respected and included. I talk about how real allies push past their discomfort and take actions to address racism in this Forbes article.
Janelle Benjamin keynote speaking. Photo Credit: Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre
Confronting racism means that as employers, you actually need to take the time and ask yourself a LOT of reflexive questions:
How does structural racism manifest here, in this organization?
How can we minimize biases?
Do certain systems perpetuate inequities?
Does leadership reflect the population?
Is there a power or pay gap?
Are we hiring, promoting or paying people based on subjective criteria
Are leaders discounting any experiences?
Are leaders disregarding the opinions of racialized staff?
How do we ensure psychological safety for racialized employees and freedom from the white gaze?
What is the ethno-racial background of those we’ve dismissed in the last few years?
Do we have an issue retaining racialized people?
Reflect on how racism presents in your workplace. Because it is there. Every. Single. Day.
There are considerable benefits to confronting racism and addressing systemic inequities. Organizations that address racism have greater diversity, better retention, higher engagement, and less human rights complaints. We have all heard the clichés—these organizations innovate better and enhance belonging. Yet, too many people in organizations are silent, afraid, and excessively consumed with personal risks when witnessing injustice, exclusion, or inequity. They don’t want to actively challenge anything in the organization and certainly do not want to actively challenge microaggressions or overt racism. To confront racism means that you must speak truth to power, courageously confront authority, call out injustices that occur on your watch and demand change.
We all have a responsibility to confront racism and work towards a more equal society. It is important to educate ourselves on the history of racism, its current impact, and how to take action against it. Begin with addressing inequities for the most marginalized at work: typically, Black women, again. with varying intersecting identities. To get you started, below are some resources for further learning that will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to become an active participant in the fight against this unique form of racism against Black women known as misogynoir:
1. All Things Equitable’s very own YouTube series, Twice as Hard: This series provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences Black women have working Twice as Hard over the course of their careers in order to be recognized in the workplace. It includes the steps individuals can take to combat racism and support Black women at work.
2. . "When Black Women Go From Office Pet To Office Threat" by ZORA – This article provides insight into the unique form of racism, known as "pet to threat," that Black women can experience in the workplace.
3. "The Problem Woman of Colour in Nonprofit Organizations" by Coco-Net – This article explores the dynamics that prevent women of colour from remaining in leadership roles in non-profit organizations.
About Janelle Benjamin: Janelle Benjamin, B.A., J.D., is the Founder & Chief Equity Officer of All Things Equitable Inc. helping employers make workplaces more diverse, inclusive, and safe for equity-seeking groups. Learn more about Janelle and how she can help you!
