The Work: Takeaways from “Transforming Silence Into Action”

Public relations, marketing, corporate social responsibility, content strategy…. Whatever our professional specialties, as communicators, it’s our job to influence how audiences perceive the organizations we work for. We stay tuned in to what’s happening outside the organization so we can help equip executive leaders make good decisions. We ask questions. We listen. We read. We see around corners. We design for users’ wants and needs.

Why, then, are organizations having such a hard time responding to the current moment and confronting racism? Why did so many brands blow it when protests of police brutality against Black people erupted following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others? Corporate responses have ranged from bland, noncommittal statements of solidarity with Black Lives Matter to performative virtue signaling. Others have stayed quiet, waiting for the moment to pass so they can return to business as usual. Regardless, organizations seem to be struggling to get it right with customers, employees and stakeholders. It’s as if a switch just got flipped, and, squinting in the bright light, executives are saying, “Hey, we’re really white.” This article in Fortune says only five Black CEOs are on the 2020 list of Fortune 500 companies. The peak was six Black CEOs in 2012. How is anyone surprised by this?

The thing is, organizations are struggling exactly because they are responding as if this is a moment. But a moment of realization for white people doesn’t equate to a moment of racism. By now (hopefully), most of us understand that anti-Black racism, in particular, is a centuries-old and foundational problem in the U.S., and it is woven into all our corporate, government, healthcare, education and legal systems. We are so immersed in systemic racism that it feels normal to white people to work at majority-white organizations, while employees of color are too exhausted by the constant, generational weight of racism to speak up every time they are confronted by it. Besides, speaking up hasn’t exactly been rewarded.

As any communicator knows, a message with no action behind it doesn’t accomplish anything and can actually backfire, so the real question here isn’t whether an organization should say something. The question isn’t even whether an organization should do something. (That one is easy: Yes, organizations should do something.) The most important question should be this: What, specifically, is the organization going to do? Then the organization should commit to taking action, and leaders should follow through. If organizations are on board with taking meaningful, measurable steps to change their own hiring practices and workplace culture, then communicators might have something to work with.

As a communicator, a white woman and a parent, I have my own work to do—professionally and personally. As part of that work, I attended “Transforming Silence Into Action: An Anti-Racism Learning Series for Communication & Marketing Professionals.” The two sessions I attended were outstanding. I wish I could have made it to all three. The series was created by writer, speaker and disrupter Jodi-Ann Burey, and sponsored by the University of Washington Communication Leadership program and Simplicity Consulting. The impressive lineup of speakers—all women of color—shared experiences, hard truths and actionable advice. Although the title of the series is specific to communication and marketing pros, the lessons are broadly applicable.

Here are some of the takeaways I captured:

• Before making a statement, stop and think about why: Startup advisor Jennifer Kim said to consider your motivation. Who would the message be serving? Are there better ways to be more impactful?
• Black people are not diverse:  Adding Black people to your majority-white workforce will diversify the perspectives on your teams, but an individual is not “diverse,” and labeling a Black person as diverse minimizes the experiences, value and contributions of the person. Folayo Lasaki, award winning marketing executive, principal and founder at Striped Elephant marketing and communications in Los Angeles, said people who label individuals as diverse are operating “from the perspective of a white male baseline.” But that isn’t the experience of people of color. “I am my baseline,” she said.
• Process up your color line: This is especially important for white allies, said Aubrey Blanche, Director of Equitable Design and Impact at Culture Amp. This may feel like a period of greater social awareness for white people, but being subjected to racism is not new to Black people. And although it is exhausting at times for everyone, it can add to the burden of Black people when white people complain to them or express shock about the realities of racism.
• Address the talent pipeline AND the organizational culture: Improving an organization’s access to a diverse talent pool is one thing, but maintaining a workplace that feels safe and like a place where people of color can thrive is essential, said Kelli Mason, partner at Notley and a graduate of Standford Law School. Word travels. If your company is not already a good place for people of color, you’re going to have a hard time getting people to take the job, and you’re going to have a hard time getting them to stay. And it’s not just people of color—white people don’t want to work for all white, all male employers either.
• Hire Black people and make room for them on your leadership team: As a white person who is actively looking for work and trying to attract clients, this one was the hardest for me. The market is fierce right now. But after I thought about it for a minute, I realized that, to Mason’s point, I don’t want to work for an all white, all male employer. Also, when I’m in a position to hire people or work with subcontractors, I get to make choices about who I work with. I understand that racial diversity brings diversity of thought, which leads to a more successful businesses. Plus, I think it’s a lot more fun to work with people whose experiences are different from mine.
• Pay people of color for extra work: If you have one Black woman on your staff, and you ask her to be on every interview panel and committee, pay her more. That’s extra work. Same goes for asking employees who speak multiple languages to provide translation services. But if you only have one Black person for your hiring panels, you should think about why that is and change it.
• Avoid tokenism: It’s disingenuous to put your one Black employee in your marketing materials and on your website to highlight your organization’s diversity. It’s also false advertising to potential job candidates. If you have to ask your one Black employee to participate, again, think about why you have to try so hard to show diversity and why you don’t have more honest options. If you are white and see your Black colleagues being used in this way, speak up.
• Publish your employee stats: A lot of companies get buried in the data, said Crystal Tomczyk, Vice President of equity and belonging at Zillow. They worry they don’t have enough people of color, or they don’t have enough women in leadership. “Own it,” she said. “Accept it’s a problem. Get involved in the community. Be honest about it. Stop talking about what you’re going to do. Do it.”
• It’s not the job of marginalized people to educate others: White people who want to learn should seek out information from professional experts who are offering instruction. Attend events. Read. Have difficult conversations. Practice empathy. Tina-Marie Gulley, Vice President of Business Marketing at Edelman, emphasized the importance of stepping aside and listening: “Create space for others instead of taking it up… Look for potential and promise in other people.”

If you attended these sessions and have other takeaways—or if you think I got something wrong—please share in the comments. If you weren’t able to attend, Burey’s website has discussion questions and resources, and organizers said highlights and resources would be posted on the UW Communication Leadership website.