Over the last 3 months, I’ve been doing a lot of observation.
Observing the ways in which my client organizations have (or not have) been able to pivot their operations and programming while supporting their staff and community in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the shelter-in-place orders many states and countries are still under.
The coronavirus coupled with the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Ahmaud Aubrey, Tony McDade and George Floyd in recent weeks have exposed what we already know: Our society is unequal and many of the systems and infrastructures we engage daily are not efficient, not accessible, and not equitable.
But lately, I’ve observed something else: Companies, organizations, thought leaders, and brands who have never spoken up about racial injustices before now bombarding our inboxes and social media feeds with solidarity statements and using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag.
If you’re like me, you’re skeptical of what you’re seeing. While there are some companies that have made their stance known on current events and social justice issues for a long time, I’ve divided public response into five categories:
- The ones that do care and always speak out on social injustices
- The ones that do care but have never spoken up until now
- The ones that may care but are unsure what to say because it’s not “on brand”
- The ones that don’t care but also don’t want to come off as racist, so they speak up
- The ones that don’t care and haven’t said anything
I’m seeing a lot of “I know this is important and I want to say something but don’t want to say the wrong thing/am not educated enough on racism and police brutality/don’t want to offend anyone” remarks. These comments are stemming from people and companies who would fall in the third category.
While I don’t believe that companies should be forced to make a statement on something they have no expertise in, many of these companies, organizations, thought leaders, and brands aren’t discriminating when it comes to who they get their money from. And since racism is embedded in many systems we engage with, these entities need to speak up about it.
When someone says they don’t want to offend anyone, who are they referring to? The people directly impacted by systemic racism, or the ones that aren’t? I’ve seen several people with large social media following focusing more on the number of social media followers they’re losing for speaking up.
If taking a stand against systemic racism and police brutality causes people to unfollow you or no longer support you, were they really your ideal people anyway?
Your values always come at a cost. I recognized this when I started my business. I’ve always been unapologetic of being a Black woman and I screen my clients to ensure that the work they’re doing and the projects they want me partnering on are meeting the needs of communities of color, especially Black communities.
In my client discovery questionnaire, the last question potential clients answer is “How will the outcomes of this project help you and your organization raise your voices for and with women and girls of color?” Some of the responses I’ve gotten have been a definite reach. Like, you just pulled a muscle level of reach. These people just wanted someone with the knowledge and expertise, not someone that will remind them of their humanity.
And I’m sure people have been turned away by my stance, and these aren’t people I would want to partner with anyway.
Your values always come at a cost. Race and racial identity may be considered a social construct, but it’s a construct that we’ve haven’t managed to let go of. We haven’t gotten to a place where we can see our differences and not only accept these differences but embrace them. If people are coming to you for your expertise but will announce they’re unfollowing you on social media because you talk too much about race or other identities (and I’ve seen this), these aren’t your people.
Losing clients and customers because they don’t want to see your humanity is not a loss. When they fade away, the people who see you for YOU as well as your expertise come in. My hope is that more companies, organizations, thought leaders, and brands start acknowledging that we have multiple identities and these identities impact how we navigate our lives and how we engage with their brands.
Whether you’re a professional brand or are building a more personal one, your values should guide how you interact with others, the companies you choose to work with or buy from, the clients you choose to partner with, and the company you keep.
There should be no question where you stand and you should only want to surround yourself with people who share the same values. If you value inclusivity, this should be evident in your hiring practices, who you have in positions of leadership, your desire to learn about lived experiences different from yours, your eagerness to speak openly about social injustices, your willingness to understand how systemic discrimination impacts your industry, and your ability to pass along opportunities to people whose identities may prevent them to being considered for those opportunities outright.
Your values always come at a cost. What price are you willing to pay?
Raise Your Voice: What price are you willing to pay to amplify your values? Share below in the comments section.
