Читать книгу The Anti-Racist Organization - Shereen Daniels - Страница 8

Read any traditional marketing ‘bible’ or listen to the advice of seasoned sales professionals and they will all tell you the same thing. When writing a book, particularly a business one, aim to solve the problems of your readers. Make sure you speak their language.

 You must resonate with them.

 You should make them feel like every word you write is aimed personally at them and that you, and you alone, hold the key to their solving their problems.

 Position yourself as the expert.

 Reinforce your credibility.

 Centre them and their needs.

 Always.

When some contacts in my network knew I was writing this book, they had some words of advice along similar lines but specific to the subject matter:

 Be careful you don't take things too far in what you write about. You don't want to alienate potential customers.

 You have to know how to play the game and meet people where they are.

 White people are tired of having racism shoved down their throats. We didn't create these problems.

 The problem is that change takes time. You need to be more patient and ease people into this rather than hitting them over the head.

 Don't forget to focus on the good work that organizations have done. It's not all bad news. Could you highlight that in your book, do you think?

Maybe you're someone who has said or thought something akin to these ideas, in relation to this subject matter in other contexts.

The Anti‐Racist Organization isn't a book that panders to whiteness or seeks to make the subject palatable for decision makers. It isn't one that gently cajoles leaders into action, creating a smooth, risk‐free path to racial equity. Nor does it seek to convince anyone that racism is a ‘thing’ and why you should care enough to do differently.

We are beyond this now.

Prioritising the comfort of white leaders is partly why organizations are still microcosms of racism and discrimination. Through ignorance, fear and a lack of addressing the root causes, we have continued to uphold and preserve environments that work for the white majority yet are harmful to Black colleagues.

We cannot disrupt and dismantle what we seek to change if we retreat at the first signs of discomfort, whether that's within ourselves or in our teams.

As someone who is personally impacted by the very topic I advise on, I am no longer motivated by the need to be accepted by the majority, by the demand to maintain the status quo or by the desire to avoid disrupting the apple cart.

I, and millions of people like me, have done that. It has gotten us nowhere. Because here we are, still missing from many corridors of power and still building business cases to dismantle systemic racism.