Attuned In: A Conversation with Greg Bunker on Understanding Privilege

Attuned In began as a series of conversations focused on diversity, equity and inclusion at Dow as racial injustice came to the forefront of our minds in 2020. As I learned more about racial and cultural biases, it became apparent that our colleagues needed a space to share thoughts and experiences openly. I also believe that sharing their perspectives and what they teach me (with permission, of course) can help others open their minds to grow and learn. ?

The most recent Dow colleague to share his perspective is Greg Bunker. Greg is currently the senior global business director for Functional Polymers and High-Pressure Envelope and has been with Dow since he joined as a process control engineer in 1995. ?

Welcoming New Perspectives?

Greg came to me to share his journey of understanding around the conversations we’ve been having about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Dow. As a white man, he certainly brings a different perspective than the ones we’ve heard so far, but I believe his honesty can be valuable to others who, like he once did, struggle to understand racial privilege.

I’m grateful to Greg for volunteering to share his journey with us. He saw how Attuned In and other initiatives began opening the floor at Dow for more hard-to-have conversations at a critical moment in our country. He also realized he had some mental barriers to tear down before he could embrace those conversations to fully open his mind for learning and growth.

That’s what Attuned In is all about — open, transparent conversations to help people learn and grow. My hope is that Greg’s journey will inspire others who resonate with his story to take one step closer to creating a more equitable world.

Reimagining Privilege in Simpler Terms?

Greg grew up in New Mexico amid a majority Hispanic population. At school, he was bullied and often felt ostracized for looking different from his peers. As he progressed through school and eventually began his career, he worked hard for his success every step of the way.

For a long time, when he heard the term “white privilege,” he felt an inflammatory reaction, as I believe many people do. To Greg, the term carried a negative connotation, the assumption that he’d led a privileged life in which things he did not earn or deserve were simply handed to him. Reflecting on his own experiences growing up and building his career, he felt the term unfairly mischaracterized him. Whenever white privilege came up in conversation, he felt a defensive wall go up in his mind that prevented him from fully listening and learning.

However, he has been working with the GAAN (Global African Affinity Network) ERG over the past year and in doing so has learned some things that helped shift his mindset. It started with a book discussion around “Why All the Black Kids Are Sitting Together in the Cafeteria,” by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, first published in 1997 and updated 20 years later to account for recent events. The book highlights perceived racial hierarchies and the resulting limitations on opportunities for equitable experiences, diving deep into racial identity and racism in America.

Greg related to this book as he reflected on looking different from the majority of his peers in school. But when topics of white privilege naturally came up in the discussions, Greg once again felt his defenses activate. Then, a colleague said something that stuck with him.

Jarod Davis, a sustainability leader at Dow, asked Greg to forget about the word “privilege” and instead think about the advantages he has in life because of his skin color.?

Where privilege defined as unearned access never resonated with Greg, privilege defined as “advantage” made sense. He began translating the term in his mind to remove the mental obstruction and work to better understand the lived experiences of others.

Greg shared a story he heard from one of his mentees, a Black man. The man had just purchased a brand-new car and was quickly pulled over while driving it. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but the officer accused him of stealing the vehicle — the underlying assumption being that people who look like him can’t own cars like the one he was driving.

When Greg reflected on this conversation, his white advantage became very clear: He may have grown up looking different from his peers in New Mexico, but he doesn’t have to deal with harmful stereotypes attached to his skin color in his everyday life. Because Greg is white, he will likely never be pulled over simply for driving a new car. And he doesn’t have to teach his kids the right way to get pulled over or live with the constant mental strain of feeling like there’s a target on his back because of the color of his skin.

Greg’s ask of anyone else who might feel their hackles rise at the mention of white privilege is this: Consider replacing the word “privilege” with “advantage,” and honestly evaluate if there is merit to that assessment.?

Breaking Down Barriers to Open the Door for Understanding?

I know it can be easy to imagine these situations as out of our hands. Many people think that because they’re not racist themselves, they are not part of the problem. And when they think they’re not part of the problem, they feel they don’t need to do the work necessary to understand the experiences of those hit the hardest by it.

With that in mind, I was curious about what motivated Greg to instead pause, reflect, and reshape his thinking. Greg said it was the one-on-one conversations he’d had with Black and other minority employees that helped him empathize. The pain and impact of racist systems became clear when he saw it in the people he knew and cared about. And he recognized that he would never have to navigate the stereotypes and systemic challenges of his Black and minority peers.

Greg didn’t contribute to the problem on purpose — but he realized that because he does have unfair advantages due to the color of his skin, he is responsible for contributing to the solution. We are not entitled to advantages because of our race, gender or identity. So, we must do our part to level the playing field. Greg now participates in advocacy efforts to help move Dow forward and hopes other leaders will consider how they can use their influence to create positive change within their own organizations and beyond.

The Unexpected Gift of Mentorship?

Mentorship has been a common theme on Attuned In, and like the other guests, Greg believes in the power of mentorship to help create a more inclusive and equitable environment within Dow and throughout other organizations. This is especially true when leaders make an active effort to mentor people who don’t look like them, which Greg does and encourages others to do. Opening ourselves up to different people with varying backgrounds and experiences can help both parties, mentors and mentees, learn and grow.

During our conversation, Greg stressed this idea that the benefits of mentorship go both ways. His mentees have given him an invaluable gift of trust and understanding. When mentees trust their mentors enough to share their lived experiences and challenges, mentors gain the gift of opportunity for deeper understanding and growth.

When Greg’s mentees shared their stories, especially stories surrounding racial inequities, he was able to open his mind and shift his perspectives. That’s a valuable tool as we work toward a more inclusive environment for all.

Greg and I also discussed another important shift in mindset, one that both of us have gained from open and honest conversations: It is OK, and even necessary, to make mistakes. As Greg put it, making mistakes is the key to learning anything.

When we accept that we’re going to have missteps from time to time, we can break down a barrier of fear that often keeps us from diving in fully. We can accept that we won’t get it right every time when we’re working toward inclusion and equity at Dow and beyond — and we can acknowledge and learn from our mistakes to propel us forward with even more momentum.

Accepting mistakes also enables us to feel more comfortable having hard conversations. As Greg has shown, when we can have those conversations, we can hear others’ stories firsthand, grow more empathetic, open our minds and gain perspective. In turn, we can figure out how to become better leaders and human beings in general. My hope is that Greg’s story inspires others to reflect on their advantages — and how they can use them to help others succeed.?

Check out the Attuned In YouTube playlist to explore more conversations from the series.