Blog Post 5: June 16th, 2020
Actions speak louder than words. 3 weeks. 21 days. 504 hours. 30,240 minutes. 1,814,400 seconds. Protests erupted in every single state in the United States and around the world following the murder of George Floyd. Fighting for equality. Justice. Change. The recent uproar about police brutality and racism has garnered attention, and expectations for change have extended to retailers, brands, and other businesses.
A lot of businesses have put out statements, often from the chief executive officers, regarding combatting racism. Companies like Apple and Walmart have put out statements condemning racial violence and committing to fight against racial injustice. Apple and Walmart, among others, have also pledged $100 million to this fight. But is that enough?
A lot of employees are speaking up about diversity within their organizations. Many companies talk about diversity and inclusion and how they have a diverse workplace. Brickson Diamond, the chief executive of diversity consulting firm Big Answers, said "I appreciate your Black Lives Matter post. Now follow that up with a picture of your senior management team and your board." This quote perfectly illustrates how many black and brown people do not hold higher-up positions, especially within corporate America. In companies like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, 5 percent or less of senior positions are held by black people. Companies need to do more than just issue these statements.
These recent corporate statements, filled with essentially empty words, have brought up issues that black people face, even before they enter a workplace. Black people, along with other minorities, are discriminated against their race or ethnicity and their names. The applicant could be a perfect candidate for the job but they do not get hired because of their name or race. One Twitter thread had multiple examples of how people applied to jobs with their actual name and race—black or other minority names and races—and they did not receive a callback. They later reapplied for the job and put their race as white, or a typical white name like Brittany, and they got a callback. The only difference between the two applications was either the name or race or both, not the experience or qualifications one has. Another Twitter thread has many more examples of this. It is absolutely unethical and unfair that companies put out statements about not discriminating against applicants, but it ends up not being true. Companies should be more transparent about racial diversity within their organization. Also, companies need to support their black and employees of color a lot more.
As a black woman, I often think about what the job application process will be like after college. Yes, I have a white name, but I cannot consider myself lucky if I get a job on that basis. Companies need to do more than just put out a statement and donate money. Companies need to look within their own organizations to see where they fall short. Even before someone steps foot in the company's building, they are being discriminated against. If a person perfectly qualifies for a job, why does their name, race, ethnicity, gender, etcetera matter? Minorities, especially women, get paid much less than their white counterparts. There is also extreme wealth inequality and pay inequality. Systemic racism is real, not only in the workplace, but in America. White privilege is real. Supervisors need to show authenticity. Hiring managers need to be less prejudiced. Companies need to do better.
A lot of businesses have put out statements, often from the chief executive officers, regarding combatting racism. Companies like Apple and Walmart have put out statements condemning racial violence and committing to fight against racial injustice. Apple and Walmart, among others, have also pledged $100 million to this fight. But is that enough?
A lot of employees are speaking up about diversity within their organizations. Many companies talk about diversity and inclusion and how they have a diverse workplace. Brickson Diamond, the chief executive of diversity consulting firm Big Answers, said "I appreciate your Black Lives Matter post. Now follow that up with a picture of your senior management team and your board." This quote perfectly illustrates how many black and brown people do not hold higher-up positions, especially within corporate America. In companies like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, 5 percent or less of senior positions are held by black people. Companies need to do more than just issue these statements.
These recent corporate statements, filled with essentially empty words, have brought up issues that black people face, even before they enter a workplace. Black people, along with other minorities, are discriminated against their race or ethnicity and their names. The applicant could be a perfect candidate for the job but they do not get hired because of their name or race. One Twitter thread had multiple examples of how people applied to jobs with their actual name and race—black or other minority names and races—and they did not receive a callback. They later reapplied for the job and put their race as white, or a typical white name like Brittany, and they got a callback. The only difference between the two applications was either the name or race or both, not the experience or qualifications one has. Another Twitter thread has many more examples of this. It is absolutely unethical and unfair that companies put out statements about not discriminating against applicants, but it ends up not being true. Companies should be more transparent about racial diversity within their organization. Also, companies need to support their black and employees of color a lot more.
As a black woman, I often think about what the job application process will be like after college. Yes, I have a white name, but I cannot consider myself lucky if I get a job on that basis. Companies need to do more than just put out a statement and donate money. Companies need to look within their own organizations to see where they fall short. Even before someone steps foot in the company's building, they are being discriminated against. If a person perfectly qualifies for a job, why does their name, race, ethnicity, gender, etcetera matter? Minorities, especially women, get paid much less than their white counterparts. There is also extreme wealth inequality and pay inequality. Systemic racism is real, not only in the workplace, but in America. White privilege is real. Supervisors need to show authenticity. Hiring managers need to be less prejudiced. Companies need to do better.
Discussion 5 Question: How can a company support black employees on a much deeper level within the workplace?
*the red words are hyperlinks to articles that go into more detail about what I mentioned.*
Comments
Post a Comment