“White & Woke at Work” A YouTube Series That Tackles Anti-Black Racism Head On.
White & Woke At Work is a series that was inspired by both my own life experiences, and that of others — Other brave individuals willing to come forward and speak openly about their awakening and deep rooted prejudice.
But before I get into the deep philosophical underpinnings of the series, I want to share with you the path that led me there.
Not too long ago, I met Sally Casterton, a financial services professional in the UK, as I had met countless others through the pandemic, over zoom for a chat. Our discussion turned quite naturally to the issue of race relations and the state of the world. And although I felt quite inspired by this, I felt it only scratched the surface and needed to dig deeper with Sally.
I suggested we meet again. Not for any business purpose. But, to truly learn more about her. And we did.
In the conversation that followed, I learned about her upbringing, schooling, and spoke quite candidly about racism in the UK and the movement for social justice.
This sparked an idea to take our discussion more into the public domain online to see what might transpire between a White woman from the UK and a Black woman from Canada. Would this be of interest to a broader audience?
I then connected with Phil Molé on LinkedIn, specifically on one of his posts, from the “I Was Wrong” series. In this series he corrects previously held beliefs about social justice issues impacting marginalized groups. I remarked that his journey to anti-Black racism would be so interesting and instructive for others.
And thus another seed was sown.
Concurrent to this, I was encountering the “All Lives Matter” crowd on LinkedIn, as well as other White people who publicly disagreed with the movement for social justice. They refused to believe that the police have any issues, and they were gaslighting other advocates for change who know that there are systemic problems in society that disproportionately impact the Black community in a negative way, including policing.
As this flurry of activity ensued, I spotted a post by Maja Sandstrom. Maja is a White woman fiercely onside and loud about #BlackLivesMatter. I quickly went to her page to learn more about her and saw her tagline, “Champion of Equity & Using White Privilege to Combat Racism.”
This struck me as refreshingly on point, and again I wondered what makes some White people such strong anti-racists, driven to stand in solidarity with the black community, while others remain so racist?
I saw so many forums where Black anti-racists were sharing their viewpoints. Our voices were rightfully being amplified at this time.
Meanwhile on my personal Facebook, my White FB friends had gone silent. Why?
One messaged me to confess that she wasn’t sure what she could say any more. She was fearful to say the wrong thing, but was still hearing the adage that “silence equals violence.” She was looking to me for direction.
Finally, I noticed Colin Jameson’s tagline. He was the “Giant White Anti-Racist Megaphone,” and I also came across Tara Furiani the HR lady with all her “F” bombs about the racist ills in the workplace and I noted their bravery. They were using their voices on LinkedIn and doing precisely what is required by White people in society who have the power and privilege to effect change.
This was the final piece to the puzzle and the catalyst for me to hear the stories of those who would speak out.
In order to narrow the parameters of the YouTube series, it made sense to tie it to things interviewees were doing in the workplace, since we know the experiences that black people have at work have been less than positive.
And thus, the genesis of “White & Woke At Work”.
This series would allow White people to share their journey to anti-racist activism, and have each express the precise moment they decided to use their voice for change.
Granted, this would be a touchy subject for many. But it was important to allow a safe space for open discussion, education, collaboration, and learning.
I quickly reached out to all the anti-racist White folks I had been connecting with on my LinkedIn to cajole them into being on the show. And they needed no convincing. They were ready to be heard.
What ensued on the coming videos were some candid conversations, from the personal to the global.
Through this series, I admit I was able to satisfy my own curiosity about why some people wake up to the realities of anti-black, systemic, racism while others, with similar opportunities, remain entrenched in their racist beliefs.
I learnt why some merely say “I’m not racist”, while others actually take anti-racist actions in their sphere of influence.
While my guests are all White, they are still very multi-faceted. They represent people from different religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, occupations, and generations. Some grew up in overtly racist households, while others did not.
As much as I struggled with whether this series was the right one to release at this time when Black voices should be amplified, ultimately, only White people, the ones with the majority of power in our society, have the ability to relinquish some of that power to correct society’s imbalance.
As noted by Alicia Sheares, Sociology Ph.D. Candidate at U.C., Berkeley White people have greater power to shape dominant cultural norms, expectations, and rules in society. To date, it has not worked when Black people have asked nicely for racist systems to be dismantled.
It is my hope that through this series, a new cohort of anti-racists could be inspired from all walks of life. People should watch my series, identify with at least one of the guests, think, reflect, and hopefully be inspired to conclude, “I can do this too”.
I truly hope you will consider watching the series, Subscribe to the All Things Equitable YouTube Channel, and Comment.
This discussion needs to happen and it needs to grow!
About Janelle Benjamin: Janelle Benjamin, B.A., J.D., is the Founder & Chief Equity Officer of All Things Equitable Inc. addressing systemic change for equity-seeking groups in the workplace. Learn more about Janelle.
