Читать книгу The Anti-Racist Organization - Shereen Daniels - Страница 9

Each chapter is a quick read that, although light in words, contains considerable content that will prompt questions to which you thought you knew all the answers. You are unlikely to see the world in quite the same way again. You are likely to flinch at times, and that's okay. It's to be expected.

Whilst this book is addressed to you, I'm centring your Black colleagues and the issues at hand that uniquely impact on their experiences in the workplace:

 Racism.

 Not diversity.

 Not inclusion.

 Not belonging.

Specifics matter, and it's important we hold the line to ensure that when we are talking about systemic racism, we don't bend and weave with the language we use.

I am compassionate and empathetic in my ongoing challenges to you, because – if you join me – we are walking the same path: using curiosity and introspection to advance racial equity, challenging the deeply held beliefs and values about who we are, what is the leadership legacy we want to leave behind and examining our personal relationship with race and racism.

Detractors believe that to consistently talk about racism, how it shows up, what we should do differently is to stoke fires of division. That it's anti‐white, not professional, inhumane.

I disagree.

Creating environments that mirror the unequal, inequitable aspects of society is inhumane.

Ignoring the lived experiences of colleagues because they are a minority in your organization is inhumane.

Having systems and practices that reward behaviour that excludes people because of their skin colour and other characteristics is inhumane.

Addressing the root cause of systemic racism, drawing attention to where it shows up and how you can take intentional steps to make a difference is one of the most rewarding and impactful cultural transformation programmes you can ever embark on.

You are doing when most are still talking.

That's humanity.