As we all know, 2020 was not the year any of us had anticipated. From a raging pandemic to a global reckoning on race and injustice, we faced new and unexpected challenges but also new opportunities for building equity and inclusion.
A year ago, I gave you a list of the ten trends I hoped to see in the DEI field to drive meaningful and sustainable inclusion. In some cases, we have met expectations. In others, we have been lamentably stagnant. In our responsiveness to crises, we have also pushed the limits on what is possible, leading to new trends that will carry forward into how we shape our workplace communities. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash Over the past month, it seems empathy has been top of mind for many of our clients. In a time like no other, when our emotional and mental health has been challenged in unprecedented ways, we need to be especially compassionate with one another. Indeed, we are presented with a unique opportunity to consider how inclusion can be both a process and an outcome. Any kind of change can be destabilizing – and this is particularly true in the context of COVID-19, as well as in the context of the present racial reckoning – so it is critical that empathy is central to any inclusion work we do.
For this reason, we will be sharing an article we wrote earlier this year for Charity Village, Empathy: A Key Ingredient In Effective Diversity, Equity And Inclusion. Here we reflect on empathy, including leading thinking on how we can be better empaths, and why it’s important for successful and sustainable DEI. Click here to access the article. Over the last few months, Boldly Inclusive has been working closely with a number of organizations to support their anti-racism efforts. Given current dialogues about the particular challenges and barriers faced by Black communities, many are interested in learning how businesses can be better allies in confronting and disrupting anti-Blackness.
The truth is that we are in an exceptional moment of change. The closest we’ve ever come prior to this was about 60 years ago. The Civil Rights movement coupled with a wave of anti-colonialism efforts in Africa and across the Diaspora drastically transformed possibilities for Black communities worldwide. Though people of all races, creeds, and colours were partners in the fight for change, the scope of their involvement is unlike what we are seeing today. The strength of Black voices, supported by many more white and non-Black racialized people serving as allies, has brought us to a time where we can reimagine the future we want to see, the type of inclusion that we should all experience, and everyone’s role in striving for change. For this reason, when I facilitate workshops, we encourage learners to be open to learning and in doing so, lean into what can often be uncomfortable. Be honest, be vulnerable, ask questions. If we don’t exercise curiosity, we limit our understanding of one another and our potential to support them in building this new reality. This blog will tackle 3 of the more frequently asked questions that have come up in our anti-racism workshops. As you probably know by now, Boldly Inclusive has been a monthly contributor to the Leadership Leap Radio for the better part of a year. During our last appearance before the summer break, we dove deep into the Inclusion Zone to talk race and politics. Two taboo topics at once -- they don’t call us bold for nothing! The idea for this segment came from a question posed during a masterclass we recently delivered. The question was “can you be an ally while not being political?” The answer was yes, no and it's complicated. Interestingly, as the world continues to grapple with concepts of anti-racism, justice and equity – particularly in the context of events taking place south of Canadian boarders – this question has been posed more and more often, and with more and more trepidation. Still, it's an important one, as we consider how many of us remain on the margins of society due to inaction. Check out this episode to learn more, and unpack why this question is much more complex and nuanced than it appears on the surface. (HINT: It has more to do with trust than anything else). June 18, 2020: "Don't Be Political!" It’s been over two months since Memorial Day in the US. Over two months since the Central Park “Karen”, Canadian ex-pat Amy Cooper, leveraged her whiteness and gender to threaten the safety of a Black man during a feigned distress call to the police. Over two months since George Floyd was killed when a police officer asphyxiated him by digging his knee to Floyd’s neck for 8 mins and 46 seconds, while others either held Floyd down or prevented the public from intervening -- all over a $20 counterfeit bill.
It seems it has been ages ago, but indeed, the world finally started to wake up to the gruesome reality of anti-Black racism. On Memorial Day. A day to honour those who gave their lives for the good of their country. Although it has and continues to be a painful time for many, the response I have seen from organizations wanting to be part of the solution has been commendable. It seems we are in a crucial moment of transformation. Each of us has a choice to make, to welcome, ignore, or resist it. |