There is not a single individual or organization that has not been impacted by the recent death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of a white member of the Minneapolis Police Department. George Floyd’s name is the latest in a long, long list of members of the Black community who have been killed by white police officers. And it feels like the United States has finally reached a breaking point — protestors have been turning out to the streets in droves all across the country, demanding an end to police brutality and an acknowledgement that Black lives matter.
The footage of Floyd’s last living moments is deeply disturbing. The protests are stirring intense emotions. And of course, we can’t forget that all of this is happening in the middle of a global pandemic, when the solace we would usually be able to take in spending time with friends and family is inadvisable due to social distancing guidelines.
Yes, we are all hurting. However, now is the moment for organizational leaders to recognize one thing. Your Black employees are hurting more and they have been for quite some time.
There is a stark difference between a White employee feeling sick to their stomach about an instance of police brutality, and the naked fear a Black employee experiences when they realize, that could just as easily have happened to me. While we all need to take a long look at the ways we may contribute to and the ways we can work to change the system, if you are in any sort of leadership position in your company, you also need to think about how you can best support your Black employees in this moment, right now.
First and foremost, you need to say something and more importantly do something. Communication from your office — better yet, from your individual email — needs to make it clear that you recognize the issue of police brutality, you support the Black Lives Matter movement, addressing and acknowledging the overall racial injustices/inequities and you want to affect change in any way you can. Next, do something. Assemble leaders from all demographics in your organization to look at how you can make positive change to policies around hiring, promotion and identify ways to increase equity across all marginalized groups.
Acknowledge privilege and lack of experience. White people will never, ever know what it is like to fear police in the way that Black people do. That is okay — if anything, that’s where we want to get to as a society, a place where all people are not afraid of the police. But we’re not there yet. It’s okay to say that you have gaps in your knowledge. The key is to commit to fill those gaps.
Realize your Black employees may need some time. Their productivity is not your main concern right now, their mental health and wellbeing are. If your Black employees need some time away from the office, or they need someone else to step up and temporarily take over one of their projects, or they’re mostly okay but they just cannot handle being in that one meeting today, listen. Understand. Give them what they need.
Don’t stop caring. The Floyd protests feel like a turning point, but we have got a long road ahead of us as a society. Change will not happen overnight. And in a month or two months when this all feels less immediate to you, recognize that it will still feel just as fresh for your Black employees. Make sure you make it clear to them, and to all of your employees, that you still see police brutality as an important and ongoing issue. This may involve making systemic changes to your company. Keep an eye out for a forthcoming blog with more information on how to make that happen.
