Honoring Black History Month And The Fight to Educate Against Anti-Black Racism
Black History Month is a time for us to educate ourselves on antiracism and the work of Black leaders. As part of my honoring this month, I want to amplify the voice of Denise Branch “The Branch of Truth”, a 4-times Forbes-featured antiracism educator who is doing amazing work in helping organizations and individuals unlearn racism. I’ve been following her work for the past several years on my own journey to becoming a better antiracist and I’ve had the privilege to get to know and learn from her, something I believe we can all do. In her own words “You don’t have to be racist to unlearn racism.”
I had the pleasure recently to chat with Denise about Black History Month and what it means for leaders and organizations to honor it and support the Black community beyond the month throughout the rest of the year.
“You don’t have to be racist to unlearn racism.”
Hey Denise, it is great to talk to you. How are you?
Some days I’m ok and some days I’m not Ok, but truly how can Black people be ok in a country with so much anti-black racism? As a Black woman, my days in America are filled with seeing injustices against my community that make me feel not ok, but anti-Blackness is America and anti-blackness is in Americans. I am a Black woman before I am an anti-racism educator. I educate against anti-black racism and experience anti-black racism at the same time. Black people face a large degree of labor — physical, emotional, mental, psychological — comes with simply living while Black in America. I hope Black women make it through all this — not just the coronavirus pandemic, but the pandemic of racism and misogynoir, too. I hope all Black people make it.
Thank you, Glenn, for lending and spending your privilege to support my work. My hope is that other leaders and their organizations will be inspired by your amplifying my work and reach out to work with me. I’m trying to, through my anti-racism education, educate the minds of people because racism is a mindset, when you educate people to be anti-racist that didn’t really have any racial competence, literacy, and intelligence on racism, especially anti-black racism, and now they do, it can save lives and livelihoods.
I am a Black woman before I am an anti-racism educator. I educate against anti-black racism and experience anti-black racism at the same time. Black people face a large degree of labor — physical, emotional, mental, psychological — comes with simply living while Black in America.
Black History Month prompts employers and their employees to start their educational journey to learn more about the Black community and its Heroes and Sheroes. Where can people learn about Black history every month?
Black history is American history. If we want America to learn how to be not anti-black — for the first time ever — America needs to live up to the racial justice and anti-racism work of our known and unknown Black Heroes and Sheroes who have fought and died throughout history fighting against anti-black racism. Both Americans and non-Americans can start by visiting online and offline spaces that tell the truth about Black people and the history of America towards Black people. It’s important that the world learns the truth about all the history that has been left out about Black people and our lives instead of the white lies. When history isn’t learned, it is repeated.
Here are a few places people can go to get educated and learn the truth about our shared history. Take a virtual tour or visit to start your Black history lessons:
- The International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro North Carolina
- The National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum
- The National African American Archives and Multicultural Museum in Mobile Alabama
- National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC·
- McKenna Museum of African American Art in New Orleans. The museum houses a private collection of documents, artifacts and art that immerses viewers in Black excellence from the 18th century to the present day.
- National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery Alabama. The memorial displays 805 hanging steel rectangles representing counties in the United States where a lynching was documented.
- Learn about the civil rights trail that crossed multiple states and walk in their footsteps to end the anti-black racism in you and around you. Think about the important role you can play on the A-team in the movement to save Black lives and livelihoods beyond Black History Month.
Also, when America speaks about Black history, it’s important to remember how multi-layered this history is, and it would be negligent to leave out the heroic actions of Black people who also shaped the advancement of rights for non-black people of color and LGBTQ
It’s important that the world learns the truth about all the history that has been left out about Black people and our lives instead of the white lies.
What is anti-black racism?
Anti-black racism is specific prejudices and exclusions against people of African descent. (Black, African Caribbean, African American, African Nationals and others of African ancestry) Anti-black racist beliefs and behaviors dehumanizes Blackness and prevents Black people from enjoying everyday life free from anti-black discrimination and abuse.
After all the racial injustice that has happened in the past few years with the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arberry, the lynching of George Floyd, and most recently with the execution of Amir Locke while asleep, WHY are we in ANOTHER Black History Month with heightened Anti-Black racism in Companies, Communities, and Countries?
Because the 3C’s have been anti-talking about anti-black racism and anti-taking action against anti-black threats. From day one of Black History Month there were HBCU bomb threats to the continued public lynching of Black bodies. Present-day Black people are getting a painful reminder of past anti-Black violence. The world has continually been re-awakened to the systemic anti-black racism that existed before Black History Month and that will continue its existence beyond Black History Month. Anti-black racism in the 3C’s is inseparable. Every anti-black racist caught on camera belongs to a company, community, or country and until they begin to educate and eradicate anti-blackness to its end we will see the continued heightened anti-black racism and devaluing of Black lives and livelihoods.
Companies need to ask themselves how do we start to value the humanity of our Black workers? Communities need to ask themselves how do we start valuing the humanity of our Black community members? Countries need to do the same and ask how do we start implementing laws that value the humanity of our Black citizens? Black people have a history of invaluable contributions to the world. The world must recognize anti-black racism as a human rights issue and a global health threat to the Black community. People are quick to say “we’re not our ancestors”, but what’s happening to Black people in the “New Jim Crow World” is mirroring the same playbook as their ancestors in the old Jim Crow era. It’s time to hold a mirror up to the world and everybody who says I’m not racist or I’m not my ancestors need to look in it and learn who they are and aren’t in anti-black racism.
We all must aggressively push back against “the New Jim Crow movement.” Black people and those who value Black lives must demand anti-racist change and if the 3C’s refuse to take actions to value Black humanity, financial boycotts and legal actions must be taken to bring about the anti-racist change we so desperately need to start seeing in the world today
Companies need to ask themselves how do we start to value the humanity of our Black workers? Communities need to ask themselves how do we start valuing the humanity of our Black community members? Countries need to do the same and ask how do we start implementing laws that value the humanity of our Black citizens?
What is some advice this Black History Month for ending anti-Black practices as an individual? As an organization?
Individuals need to get educated. Education is the most powerful weapon against anti-black racism. It ends with you, me, and every individual in the world. Imagine if every person who doesn’t experience anti-black racism got educated to start unlearning it? Then imagine what the world would look, sound, and feel like to Black people? Organizations need to ask themselves what practices and policies we need to challenge and change in this unprecedented environment of anti-black racism right now to ensure our Black employees and all of our Black stakeholders feel psychologically and physically safe in the workplace and worldplace?
Organizations must also be empathetic and mindful that Black employees can’t turn off the Black trauma and racial injustices they experience in the world when they get to work. Provide a safe space and experts they can talk to about Race-based PTSD inside and outside of the organization. And for all those who don’t know that anti-blackness is not an all-white individual affair. Individuals from non-black communities of color have played a secret and not-so-secret role in the affairs of upholding anti-black racism to align with whiteness and it’s time those individual communities confront their anti-black ways.
Education is the most powerful weapon against anti-black racism.
What are some things organizations can do beyond Black History month to align with their DEI, anti-racism, and Black Lives Matter commitments?
First, organizations need to acknowledge that anti-black racism exists and launch a budget to educate against it. That would be intentionally operating in alignment with their DEI, anti-racism, and Black Lives Matter commitments. Act and do what they pledged and committed to doing starting with putting an end to it within their own four walls, because that is something they can control because even an anti-black racist doesn’t want to lose his or her job. Additionally, continue the alignment assessment, starting at the top of the organization. Do you have Black board members? If you don’t, is there anti-black racism behind that? Then go to the C-suite level — are there Black leaders represented there, is there any anti-black racism behind that? Then ask a similar question about the talent pipeline. And beware of issuing blank statements. Black lives cannot matter if Black people are not part of an organization’s daily decision-making body, senior management, or corporate board. Develop a plan to put action behind your words and include target dates in that anti-racism action plan.
Furthermore, I would also like to see organizations who invest in VC funds or who have venture capital arms require investment in Black startups and businesses, especially those who have a history of exploiting the Black community and have profited off enslaved labor along with requiring non-black startups to commit to racial diversity as a requirement in receiving venture capital so that diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging and anti-racism is top of mind of their business practices at inception before they become the next Tesla, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Spotify, etc. along with divesting from racist businesses partnerships that don’t align with their DEI, anti-racism, and Black Lives Matter commitments. The data doesn’t lie. Nothing matters about the lived experiences of Black people, except for their Black dollars.
I get emails and inboxes from Black employees in every industry all the time sharing their experiences with racism and how their employers put out statements and are doing exactly what I speak of “Black Lives Marketing” because the psychological and physical safety of their own Black employees is not mattering.
Do you have Black board members? If you don’t, is there anti-black racism behind that? Then go to the C-suite level — are there Black leaders represented there, is there any anti-black racism behind that? Then ask a similar question about the talent pipeline.
In your work, you talk about organizations that are Black Lives Marketing in the Black Lives Matter era. What is Black Lives Marketing, and can you share an example of what you mean by that?
When Companies are using the ‘Black Lives Matter Movement’ for Marketing. Many of the companies guilty of Black Lives Marketing have no anti-racism strategy or offline relationships with the Black community. They also have a history of anti-black racism, racial discrimination, and exploiting the Black community. They have failed to hold themselves accountable for their past and present atrocities and inequities toward the Black community and failed to hire, fairly compensate, and promote Black employees within their organizations and are using the Black lives matter movement as marketing for social commerce. Here are a few examples and red flags which companies may be Black lives marketing.
- Organizations that have no Black lives working at their company, no Black leadership or no Black board members, and no immediate plans to onboard any.
- Organizations that hired non-black public relations firms to craft statements of solidarity regarding Black lives and stances against racism they released on social media.
- Organizations who have not sought Black marketing and advertising professionals to be the voices of those Black lives they now say matter in their marketing and advertising about Black lives.
- Organizations that posted a letter with the Black lives matter hashtag on social media proclaiming solidarity with the Black community and their website doesn’t have the same letter of commitment listed on it with action plans.
- Organizations that did not include how Black lives and leadership will matter going forward in their own organization.
- Organizations that are still anti-black in doing business with Black suppliers, consultants, coaches, speakers, trainers, creatives, and black suppliers during the black lives matter era.
- Organizations that haven’t even approved a budget for training to end the anti-black racism that led to the launch of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Those are just a few examples. I’ve seen all the Black Lives Matter social media statements, but what I haven’t seen much of is which organizations are challenging and changing internal systems along with educating their employees and social media followers on anti-racism and the systemic anti-black racism that led to the posting of these statements. The Black Lives Matter movement should never be used as a marketing tool. Too many of the statements have been performative at best and Black lives marketing at worst. While this behavior is disappointing it does not apply to every organization, but it applies to far too many. Organizations must avoid turning Black lives matter statements into Black lives marketing statements for social commerce and make real the statements they have put into the world.
Many of the companies guilty of Black Lives Marketing have no anti-racism strategy or offline relationships with the Black community. They also have a history of anti-black racism, racial discrimination, and exploiting the Black community.
What would you say to all the overnight allies and anti-racists who claim to support Black Lives Matter and are very performative during Black History Month but are not learning, unlearning, relearning, and listening to anti-racism educators like yourself?
I would say “what are you doing to end anti-black racism?” I have seen some encouraging allyship between those who experience racism and those who don’t experience racism, but I have yet to see allyship work that is fighting racism to its end. A lot of overnight allies and anti-racists think they have nothing to learn and unlearn because the Black, Indigenous, People of Color praise teams have made it easy for people to become performative overnight allies and anti-racists. The bar to allyship has been set so low by these praise teams but that doesn’t mean people have to be low bar allies and anti-racists. When I ask the performative allies who have claimed allyship through low bar entry to lend or spend their privilege that’s when the performative allies ghost me.
These are the same ones who will make no introductions or inclusion up into their organizations for speaking or training opportunities and that come in my inbox saying I’m here to learn who never end up supporting my work or signing up for any of my educational offerings. The ones who think Black means work for free and that my time or livelihood doesn’t matter. Black lives matter includes Black livelihoods mattering. Real allies would know this. The performative allies see me as their ancestors saw my ancestors. People value who they respect. I demand my respect and my work is invaluable. Becoming anti-racist or an ally is not an overnight journey. We don’t need allies we need accomplices and abolitionists.
When I ask the performative allies who have claimed allyship through low bar entry to lend or spend their privilege that’s when the performative allies ghost me.
I always find your words and quotes thought-provoking. One of your quotes that I thought was really interesting is about “unconscious bias” and how it’s being used to explain away and excuse racism. Your quote “I’m biased, you’re biased, we’re all biased, nobody’s racist, there’s no racism here.” Why don’t you prefer the unconscious bias approach to DEI work?
I don’t play unconscious bias games, What goes unnamed goes unchanged. What we’re seeing in the headlines daily isn’t unconscious bias it’s racism and racism kills lives and livelihoods! Organizational DEI work has always been anti-talking about race and racism which works against their commitments and stances on DEI and the root causes for the lack of racial diversity is inseparable. Time and time again White supremacy and those who work for them have always used unconscious bias to excuse and explain away racism. “I’m biased, you’re biased, we’re all biased “ meaning nobody is racist and there is no racism here. Everybody knows racism exists, but nobody is racist.
Where is all the racism coming from? Pretending that racism doesn’t exist around you or in you is why it still persists. It’s long overdue for Naming it, titling it, hiring for it, and training on it, and especially because every DEI professional is not an anti-racism professional, has done anti-racism work, or is anti-racist. Without active anti-racism work, organizations are not being true to their DEI and racial equity commitments. DEI work without anti-racism is neither DEI work nor anti-racism.
What we’re seeing in the headlines daily isn’t unconscious bias it’s racism and racism kills lives and livelihoods!
When you speak of the A-team. What is that, an African American team? Can you describe what that is?
No, it’s not an African American team. What I mean by A-team is that employers seeking to become anti-racist organizations with racism-free cultures will require support from employees with an A-team mindset. They will need to know who’s who in the fight against any systemic racism within the organization. Who are the anti-racist allies, accomplices, advocates, activists, amplifiers, altruists, abolitionists that can help the organization move the needle on racial diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging, and anti-racism work? Companies aren’t making real and sustained efforts to tackle racism, especially anti-black racism. Black people aren’t seeing progress in hiring and promotions, in the investments for Black-owned businesses and in Black communities, and in the treatment of Black customers and citizens. Most companies do not have A-team leadership. A company can only be as anti-racist as its leadership. Employees follow their leadership.
Who are the anti-racist allies, accomplices, advocates, activists, amplifiers, altruists, abolitionists that can help the organization move the needle on racial diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging and anti-racism work?
What advice would you give the technology industry on leveling up its anti-racism efforts while having to face its own anti-blackness issues?
Learn how to build anti-racist products and services and play a global role in building a just world for Black people. Technology can be dangerous in itself, but the anti-black side of the technology industry poses greater dangers to Black people. From racist algorithms to AI, to hateful designers and users using it to reinforce anti-black racism. Some of the language of technology needs to change and some minds behind the technology need to change. Long overdue to come face to face with the work it needs to do to end its own anti-blackness and own its complicity in upholding anti-black racism in the world wide web. anti-black racism in the tech industry is deep-rooted, deep-seated, and deep funded. From search engines to solutions to staffing tech companies have allowed anti-black discrimination to persist.
There is an inherent disconnect between the overwhelming amount of Black people we see on tech platforms, purchasers of tech products and services, and Black talent we see within the industry. The disconnect is a system of ongoing anti-Black racism in an industry that has been tasked with solving problems for other industries but can’t solve one of its own most pressing problems to date. A new legal framework is needed. The industry mustn’t be allowed to legislate itself from accountability. To no end, my call to action to address anti-black racism in the tech industry needs support by all of us, technologists and non-technologists, leaders and non-leaders, users and non-users.
The technology industry has been world-changing beings in the ways we eat, live, work, play, survive, and beyond. I believe the tech industry and its professionals can become mind-changing beings that can adopt new ways of thinking and behaving to build racial equity along with products, services, and solutions for all, with the right anti-racist education, coaching, and legislation.
Learn how to build anti-racist products and services and play a global role in building a just world for Black people.
Your anti-racism polls are thought-provoking and so educational. Do you have one for this interview?
“In your opinion, what is the root cause for the lack of Black leadership and workforce in the tech industry? Culture Fit, Racial Bias, Racism and Misogynoir, Diverse Talent Pipeline?”
How do you build mental strength to protect your mental health when educating against racism?
I have a mental strength training strategy for how I fight, and I also make sure I take the gloves off and rest when I need to. Daily meditation and mindfulness exercises, spa, and gym visits along with writing have been very therapeutic for me in protecting my mental health from race-based stress and trauma. Research has linked racism to a host of mental and physical health problems in the Black community. The American Medical Association and the CDC declared racism a public health threat to Black Americans. Most Black people already know the mental and physical threats associated with racist individuals and organizations. With that declaration now being known to the world of how racism has a destructive impact on Black people’s mental and physical health. My mental health and wellness are too important not to guard it.
That is why this work is now more important than ever and my mind has to be right to carry on my mission of producing anti-racist minds to save the intentional destruction of Black minds. To me, it’s when we will see the death of racism, instead of the deaths of Black people by racist minds. There’s more to racism than what comes out of people’s mouths, what’s inside of people’s minds is what powers up these anti-black ways of thinking and living. There is deep emotional stress and mental pain that come from experiencing anti-black racism. Black people should not have to carry the emotional and mental burdens from other people’s anti-black racism. All non-black people need to get educated. “It shouldn’t be everybody versus Black people. It should be everybody versus anti-black racism.” That is how individuals and organizations can truly honor Black History Month and protect all Black people’s mental health.
Research has linked racism to a host of mental and physical health problems in the Black community. The American Medical Association and the CDC declared racism a public health threat to Black Americans. Most Black people already know the mental and physical threats associated with racist individuals and organizations.
What’s your favorite fight song to get you pumped up to educate against racism to save lives and livelihoods?
“Formation” by Beyonce and “Till I collapse” by Eminem featuring Nate Dogg. I heard Eminem took a knee in front of 112 million people who watched the Superbowl. Imagine if 112 million white people took a stand to fight against anti-black racism? After Black History Month, Americans will go back to swallowing their tongues on anti-black racism.
Imagine if 112 million white people took a stand to fight against anti-black racism?
If you were selected to pick a Black person(s) of the 21st century to honor for Black History Month who would it be?
BLACK WOMEN, BLACK WOMEN, BLACK WOMEN, BLACK WOMEN, BLACK WOMEN, and BLACK WOMEN! Unknown and known. Past and present. Black women’s fight keeps me hopeful. From Sojourner Truth to Harriett Tubman to Stacey Abrams fighting to free us from the chains of white supremacy to fighting to keep us free from going back into the chains of white supremacy and letting the world know Black women are women too. I have a quote
“The sexist of my racist is my sexist and my racist”
Black women’s intersectional experiences must matter to the world. Does the world ever wonder why do Black women warrant such hate? What do Black women represent that is such a threat? White supremacy knows Black women are its only threat. We must Protect Black women at all costs. A threat to Black women anywhere is a threat to Black women everywhere. Black women stand up and protect everybody, and still, the most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman. Human rights activist Malcolm X said these famous words almost 60 years ago.
Shamefully, these words still ring true today. Honoring Black women who have given birth to movements that have changed history and who have fought to save a world that doesn’t care about saving us and continue to fight for our collective well-being is who we all should be honoring and thanking during Black History Month and beyond.
White supremacy knows Black women are its only threat. We must Protect Black women at all costs. A threat to Black women anywhere is a threat to Black women everywhere.
Anti-Racism hot seat question for you Glenn? What will you take from today’s interview to become a better anti-racist leader tomorrow?
That is a hot seat question! There are so many takeaways from this interview. One big takeaway is that the work to dismantle white supremacy is not and should not be bound to Black History Month. We should be working every day of every week of every month to stop the injustices against Black people. We shouldn’t wait until Black History Month to start working, and we shouldn’t stop when it ends. Another big takeaway is that anti-racism is not a problem only for the US. Eradicating racism requires change on a global scale.
My last big takeaway is recognizing the responsibility I have to use my power and privilege to bring change. I plan to be vigilant in working to ensure fair and equitable treatment within my organization for Black people. That won’t be easy and talk is cheap, but I have committed to walk the walk, and as a leader, in technology, I am empowered to bring that change.
Thank you Denise for taking the time to educate me and all those reading this article on what it REALLY means to honor Black History Month, and how to avoid being performative. You’ve been vulnerable and shared your personal experiences weathering the storm of racism in this country. And, you’ve given us a list of great resources that we can use to better educate ourselves about the plight of Black people in this country, and those Black leaders who have fought against the systems of oppression. I am grateful that we are able to have this interview. I appreciate you.
