Kaepernicked: Talking About Race at Work

Much has been written about Colin Kaepernick, the football player who protested police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem. The outspoken quarterback, while being better than many quarterbacks currently in the league, has yet to be signed to a team.
I am not going to tell you why you should or should not support Colin Kaepernick. I am not going to tell you why you should or should not participate in a boycott of the NFL. (For the record, I do support him and will be boycotting the NFL.) I am here to ask a few questions and to make those who are committed to this work of diversity and inclusion think — and think about Colin Kaepernick in a different way.
What has happened to Colin Kaepernick is reflective of an occurrence that we need to name, because we can only solve problems that we name. “Kaepernicked” is a verb I have coined to describe when individuals are shut out of opportunities, careers, promotions, and the like because they voiced a point of view that is controversial or made someone uncomfortable. It happens more than any of us would like to admit. Many who speak out in ways that are far less objectionable and public are “Kaepernicked” in the very workplaces that claim to value diversity and encourage their employees to be “their authentic selves” at work. So the story of Colin Kaepernick, then, gives us an opportunity to ask, “How do we treat those who talk about race? Why does it happen? What does it say about true diversity and inclusion? What does it say about our organization?”
For the most part, one can be who they are and talk about what they want at work — as long as it is not related to race. It is not my imagination that individuals are encouraged to be who they are at work. Gladly, workplaces have become accommodating of sexual orientation and/or identity. There is a wonderful story written by an employee of JPMorgan Chase about how her gender transition made her a more valuable employee and the support she received. Research says that when women are authentic they increase their impact across an organization. There are books about being your whole self at work and even a TED Talk. Of course, a TED Talk on anything makes it legit; Ted Talks are the best! (This is my shameless petition to the Universe to send a Ted Talk opportunity my way; I am thankful in advance.) Chief Product Officer of GoDaddy, Steven Aldrich, has even defined what “bringing your whole self to work” means:
For me, that means being authentic and really having no barriers between what your colleagues see from you at work and what they would see from you if they were your friend outside of work. It’s a really important concept… So for me…it’s talking about things that I’m passionate about, and it’s being clear that I’m going to make decisions at work and outside of work with the same set of values in a very consistent way.
However, far too often this idea does not extend to conversations about race (particularly Blackness and/or anti-blackness) and race-related inequities within the organization or society. This is a problem. What organizations are implying is, “We can talk about all kinds of stuff, but we can’t talk about race.” Statistics show this to be the case. The study “Easing Racial Tensions at Work” found:
- Black professionals are the most likely to experience discrimination at work;
- Black professionals are more likely than any other group to report they cannot discuss racial bias at work;
- Of those Black professionals who report they cannot discuss racial bias, they feel more isolation and are 3 times as likely to say they cannot bring their whole selves to work.
Often times those who proceed to talk about race in spite of the risks get “Kaepernicked.” This happens in the presence of stated intentions to be inclusive and promote equity. It happens because Americans are more comfortable talking about who a person sleeps with (among other things) than they are talking about race.
But, there is a lesson here for those who mean what they say about diversity and inclusion and there is something you can do. As the nation talks about Colin Kaepernick you can commit to helping your organization become more adept at talking about race. You can be a person who seeks to make sure your organizations words are consistent with its actions. If you choose to do that, Harriet Speaks is here to help.
Jyarland Daniels, MBA, JD is CEO & Founder of Harriet Speaks℠, a racial equity and inclusion consultancy that offers training, coaching, and (crisis) communications strategies for non-profits, educational institutions, and corporations. Learn more at harrietspeaks.com.
