6 Anti-Racism Strategies to Implement in your Organisation

October is here which means that Black History Month is well underway. So, this month we are dedicating The Privilege Conundrum articles to Black History Month.

Over the past few years, the term ‘anti-racist’ has become increasingly popular amongst media channels, DEIB expertise, and society as a whole, but what does it really mean?

In a world where we must use our voices to speak for those whose voices have been ripped away from them throughout history, claiming that you are ‘not racist’ is no longer enough.

It is all well and true to be ‘not racist’, but what society needs is for us all to be ‘anti-racist’.

Anti-racism is the ACT of fighting against racism, whereas being ‘not racist’ simply says, ‘it’s not my problem’, even when it isn’t meant to come across that way.

Anti-racism is defined by the Oxford Language Dictionary as:

A person who opposes racism and promotes racial equality.

So, as an organisation, are you re-enforcing anti-racism?

In 2021 alone, two thirds of Black employees experienced racism at work (Urquhart, 2022), so if that doesn’t tell you enough about the WHY you should be implementing anti-racism strategies at work, I don’t know what will.

So, what can you do as a leader to make your organisation ‘anti-racist’?

Here are 6 strategies to help:

1. Help them understand – So, you want to implement these policies and anti-racism strategies? That’s great, but first we must help employees understand WHY they are being implemented and why they are so important. Ensure that you guide your employees to understand anti-racism in order to achieve the greatest outcome.
2. Review your organisations values – The values within the organisation are often those that reflect from its leaders. So, take time to reflect on the values that you uphold and those that are reflected within the organisation. Are they anti-racist? How are they showing up in your organisation? What is required to reflect these values? What are you, as a leader, going to do about it?
3. Clear and concise – When putting policies in place, make them clear and concise to ensure that employees get the message that any acts of racism will not be tolerated, and sanctions will be in place for those that disobey. Have you checked your policies through an anti-racist lens?
4. ACT on it – The policies and procedures that you put in place to deal with racism and implement anti-racism must be acted upon. If someone disobeys the policies, take action, and let your DEIB experts guide you.
5. Connect with your Black employees – Ensure that Black employees feel safe, heard, and understood. Allow them to use their voice to speak up on what is working and what isn’t. Let them join your conversations because their experiences matter and deserve to be heard.
6. Work with experts – We understand that it can be a lot to take on by yourself, it isn’t easy. So, working alongside DEIB experts will allow you to be guided to your organisations fullest potential while perceiving the changes that need to be made through multiple lenses.

If you would like to know more about how DEIB experts, like us at Belonging Pioneers, can guide you through this process, please do not hesitate to contact me.

We would love to start a conversation and help you reach your organisations fullest potential.