The Future of Corporate Racial Justice: How Companies Can Bring Greater Meaning to Their Commitments
Many people attend DEI and racial justice training, and most talk about fear or anxiety of speaking up and speaking out related to issues of justice. They feel deeply uncomfortable, and they become stuck. And when employees become stuck, the organization becomes stuck.
2020 was a year of change. The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted people’s lives and continues to do so, and the highly publicized killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans, along with the subsequent protests, revived national dialogue on the longtime issues of police brutality and systemic racism. As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and racial justice initiatives have taken the spotlight in corporate America, so too has the need for empathy and understanding.
Countless major corporations have pledged to take action for racial justice in the past year, with U.S. companies pledging $50 billion toward racial equity. PepsiCo committed $50 million over 5 years to “strengthen local Black-owned businesses.” The formation of coalitions such as OneTen, whose goal is business transformation in diversity and inclusion by hiring and training one million Black Americans to change corporate culture, are also working on long-term, scalable initiatives. There is momentum building, and Justin Woods, Founder of social learning platform EQuity, has powerful insights on what is needed to sustain it so that there is genuine, impactful change.
For me, authentic racial justice looks like ensuring that while trying to address racial inequities in one area of your organization, you’re devoting equal energy to making sure you aren’t perpetuating racial inequality in another area.
EQuity aims to equip employees and organizations with the emotional intelligence skills that are necessary to effectively engage in racial justice conversations and decision making. Woods drew upon his own experiences and knowledge in racial justice, business, and social work in creating EQuity in 2019.
Serving as an Applebaum Impact Design Fellow in the Ross +Impact Studio in 2020 and 2021, as well as a Founder in the Studio, when launching EQuity has been valuable in shaping his venture. For Woods, his experience at the studio has only strengthened his belief in the impact of intentional action on racial justice. By providing the support necessary for growing entrepreneurs, especially those who are Black or from other marginalized and intersecting identities, EQuity and the +Impact Studio is a microcosm of the kind of work Woods argues should be reflected in big companies and corporations.
An ongoing problem within companies is investment in one-time or isolated training that may not result in long-term change. Why do you think that is?
There is a lot of energy and excitement [among corporations] for DEI, and people are verbally committed, but I don’t think they realize the gravity of making change. Moreover, exploring and excavating the barriers to racial equity in your organization oftentimes brings discomfort, disbelief, and discord. It’s easy in those moments to pull back and reassess prior commitments for action.
For companies who took a more isolated action — made a statement, did a listening session/DEI session in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and other Black Americans — what actions can and should companies do to make meaningful change today?
Given that every organization is unique, it’s hard to make a blanket statement. However, I feel there are two key principles that they should follow: center marginalized voices — in this case Black voices — and try to create systemic initiatives. By centering marginalized voices, you ensure you’re creating a responsive solution that is inclusive of everyone. If a solution meets the unique needs of Black, trans, immigrant, and other marginalized employees, it will inherently meet the needs of lesser marginalized employees. And if your solution isn’t systemic, it’s inherently fleeting.
For me, authentic racial justice looks like ensuring that while trying to address racial inequities in one area of your organization, you’re devoting equal energy to making sure you aren’t perpetuating racial inequality in another area. What do I mean? It’s great to focus on creating pathways for new Black talent to achieve racial parity, but it’s futile if you have referral programs that hire disproportionately white talent. Racial justice can’t be an either/or.
Shifting from one-time donations to multi-year initiatives is important for sustainability. Most businesses know their way around a budget and know how to ensure longevity through multi-year funding mechanisms.
How can HR leaders and employees make sure the budget is allocated to DEI and racial justice initiatives?
It’s important that there is a dedicated budget to issues addressing race and anti-Blackness specifically. Anti-racism can sometimes get lost in the larger “DEI” conversation; a specific line item is critical. Moreover, shifting from one-time donations to multi-year initiatives is important for sustainability. Most businesses know their way around a budget and know how to ensure longevity through multi-year funding mechanisms.
Following that line of thought, what can companies do to sustain this work and build long-term change? What role can employees play in ensuring that racial justice remains a core focus within their organization?
Public measures of accountability and building in regular evaluation is essential. Having public, measurable goals allows employees and other stakeholders to engage decision-makers to ensure accountability on professed goals. Regular evaluation ensures that the topic keeps coming up at regular intervals to make sure energy or progress hasn’t waned.
How does EQuity play a role in transforming the workplace to make it more diverse and inclusive?
EQuity unlocks organizational capacity for action on racial justice. Many people attend DEI and racial justice training, and most talk about fear or anxiety of speaking up and speaking out related to issues of justice. They feel deeply uncomfortable, and they become stuck. And when employees become stuck, the organization becomes stuck. Through building employees’ capacity for emotional awareness and regulation, we are giving people the tools to take meaningful action and change culture.
What sets EQuity apart from other DEI initiatives that are focused on advancing the progress coming from the rise in inclusion programs and employee social accountability?
EQuity has numerous differentiators: our training is rooted in a proven pedagogical framework; we evaluate our programs to demonstrate participant growth; we have an online social community to support participants after the fact. The summation of these differences means wraparound support to ensure EQuity participants are equipped to take action, and have access to support over time to support their growth.
How do you plan for EQuity and its training to align itself with long-term social accountability long after you have worked with a client?
EQuity Online is a social learning platform that allows participants to share resources, get access to EQuity materials, and continue to access course resources long after the training itself. This means that participants have a toolbox to draw from when they are actively implementing their learning, and can get feedback and encouragement from other members in our community who understand our framework.
As 2021 is coming to a close, it is important to reflect and look ahead to how companies can move from commitment to impact for racial justice.
With a complete eight-session curriculum for racial justice, EQuity Fundamentals engages corporations, schools, and other community organizations to bring EQuity into their racial justice training. Building the online social platform is another expansion goal for the coming year in order to allow participants to engage with one another outside of an online session, which is an area Woods has noticed that others in the space are lacking in.
Woods’s next step is to continue growing and expanding EQuity to be a pivotal leader in racial justice: shifting mindsets to advance racial justice, to be more honest about what the work DEI requires, and to supply the tools to diminish the cost of this work in both personal and especially professional spaces.
If you are interested in learning more about EQuity Fundamentals or if you would like to support their ongoing scholarship program, the information can be found on EQuity’s website and their GoFundMe. Get involved!
