Corporate America. It Wasn’t Made For Us.

Daniella Lomo
Aug 9, 2017 · 4 min read

A common saying these days: “Closed mouths don’t get fed”. Adding bass to your voice and asking for what you want is essential in Corporate America. Without taking a stance on issues that matter to you, your colleagues will overlook you.

Being an African American in Corporate America, I can say I have found a place among the Employee Resource Groups (also known as affinity groups) to grow my voice. Given the cut throat culture, groups like this can help with your development, as well as, provide a community that understands where you are in your professional career. Sometimes having an assigned mentor or just your team is not enough.

However, I came across some interesting information. In recent weeks Deloitte announced the dissolution of their affinity groups.”Over the next 18 months, the accounting and consulting firm will phase out groups like the Women’s Initiative (WIN) and LGBT group Globe, and replacing them with ‘inclusion councils’ where all employees are welcome. It’s primarily an attempt to bring the majority — white men — into the conversation.” (Business Insider)

A couple of thoughts and questions come to mind when reading into the situation.

  • Did the decision making team include active members of respective affinity groups?
  • Was the existence of affinity groups an issue for the majority white men?
  • How will this impact diversity efforts among the firm?
  • How will this impact retention among the firm?
  • Will student led/national diversity based organizations (i.e. NABA, ALPFA, ASCEND, etc.) have the same support going forward?
  • Is this the beginning of a domino affect on other large corporate entities?

In a perfect world, the idea of welcoming everyone to the table makes sense. Having all parties in a collaborative space to discuss issues and be advocates for one another is a necessity. However, the problem found here is that affinity groups are more than just the depicted platform for white counterparts to come to the aid of minorities.

These groups create a space for minorities to find support from others who are like them when it is not easily found in a direct manager or company mentor. It creates a platform for driven individuals who can collectively make an impact on topics they value. For example, the way one group would cherish Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month or LGBT Pride Month would not be the same as another. By having these groups, it allows for individuals to come together and enlighten the masses.

In addition, these affinity groups provide visibility to those of similar backgrounds in higher positions. The level of access these groups provide to those of staff/mid career backgrounds is irreplaceable. Knowing that someone that looks like you is excelling in such an environment can make all the difference in someone’s decision to stay or leave a firm. How are we (minorities) supposed to thrive in a world where our communities are being redefined to appease others? This is, in itself, a form of gentrification within Corporate America.

“Purushothaman says Deloitte’s shift may be difficult for some employees, particularly because race and gender are still hot political topics, but the company wants to move forward. ‘People would understand if we kept the structure as it was, given all the current conversations about women in corporate America and everything else,’ she says. ‘But for us, in order to really drive change, get everyone on board, and to really have a focus on the culture conversation that needs to happen, these things were necessary.’”(Bloomberg)

And for the above statement, I bet it would have been nice for those disappointed employees to have a say in this shift. Because, at the end of the day, this shift is impacting them more than the Leadership team. The purpose of these groups was never to make others feel excluded. They were made for us to feel included.

The fact of the matter is, there are no rules prohibiting anyone from joining these groups. If majority members truly wanted to join, be an advocate, or be an ally, affinity groups would be welcoming. Furthermore, it just goes to show that Corporate America was not built for us. The moment we find platforms that bring us together those same platforms are taken away from us.

Thoughts Anyone? Do you think the need for affinity groups is a thing of the past? Does Corporate America provide a leveled field for minorities to succeed? Comment and share. Let’s start the conversation!

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Read more by Daniella Lomo on ColorFull.

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