Big Data: Where Do African Americans Fit in the Future of Work?

Big Data: Where Do African Americans Fit in the Future of Work?

In an ideal world, we would not have to differentiate between American and African American. We would not have to fight for diversity and equity, because it would be automatic. The world would be truly fair, and we would have an actual meritocracy.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a world where the balance of power still falls heavily towards straight white men, and where being African American is a data verified disadvantage.

In 2019, some of the most powerful corporations commissioned a study to pinpoint the exact situation of Black people in corporate America. The findings were shocking – but not as shocking as the fact that it is now three years later, and there is no sign of change on the horizon.

Here is what you need to know about the true status of African Americans in corporate America, and what we need to do to make real, concrete and long overdue change.

Truth 1: White People Don’t Get to Decide

One of the biggest problems African American people face in life and in the workplace is that there are some white people who feel there’s no problem, and because they don’t think there is, the conversation ends there.

The truth is, unless you are directly affected by discrimination, even if you don’t think it is a problem, your job is not to decide that. Your job is to really listen to the problem, and to suggestions about how to make it better.

Truth 2: Equality Doesn’t Mean Equity

Very often, corporate America develops diversity policies that group all historically disadvantaged groups together. This means that they apply the same policies to all people of color, and all genders.

However, this ignores the fact that these groups have very different challenges and lived experiences.

While it is certainly a step forward to acknowledge that some people face more difficulties than others, that’s not enough to address the issues facing each of those groups. An equal employment policy is not enough – it needs to be a policy that recognizes the different needs and problems for each group and addresses them accordingly.

Truth 3: Sometimes, It IS Who You Know

They say that it’s not what you know. It’s who you know. Which automatically puts many top achieving black professionals behind in the race to the top.

That’s because even though they might achieve in tertiary education settings, and even though they may be better at their jobs, they are less likely to have the networks, connections, and relationships it often takes to climb the corporate ladder.

Simply put, in the business world, the buddy system is more likely to help white people to advance in most companies.

Truth 4: It’s Harder to Find a True Mentor

A mentor – someone who sees themselves in you twenty or thirty years ago – is easy to find when you look like everyone else at the top.

But when you don’t look like upper management, not only are there fewer role models to aspire to be like, but it’s also a lot harder to find a true mentor. Mentorship from people who have been in your industry and company for many years is one of the most powerful tools at any ambitious person’s toolbox. But when you’re Black, you probably don’t have that.

Truth 5: It’s Not Always Intentional

Many black professionals – 58% to be exact – have said that they have felt prejudice at work. That’s significantly more than white people at 15% and even Latinx people who reported 41%.

Very often, when faced with statistics like that, white people become defensive. But it’s important to recognize that this is not an accusation. It’s a lesson.

There are certainly still actively racist people out there – but they are a diminishing group.

This is not about white hoods and burning crosses. It’s about casual racism and ignorance. You don’t know what you don’t know, and many white people in American workplaces do not have any African American friends outside of the office. They have no idea what African American culture is, let alone what is acceptable and what is not.

Not knowing doesn’t make you a bad person. But making an effort to learn will make you a better one.

Truth 6: Apathy Is Waning

The problems facing Black people in the workplace are not new. You could even say they have gotten better over the years. But they’re nowhere near where they should be.

Older African American people were much more likely to accept the status quo, put their heads down and work within the system – but that is changing. Younger African American people who have grown up in a different world are much more likely to question, to challenge and to rock the boat.

They’re not afraid to make people uncomfortable if that’s what it takes to address the problems that still face Black people in the American workplace, and sometimes, that’s seen as aggression.

However, when you’ve been the victim of microaggressions your whole life, it’s not aggressive to defend yourself.

Truth 7: It’s All Intersectional

The report commissioned by the leaders of corporate America might have focused on African Americans, but the truth is, when there is active oppression or absent-minded exclusion, it’s always intersectional.

No person on this planet is only one thing. You might be black, but you might also be LGBTQ2, or a single mom, or an older person, or disabled. Each one of those challenges adds another layer to one person’s experience, and they should all be considered when structuring diversity programs in the workplace.

Truth 8: They’re Likely to Leave Because of It

Nearly a third of all people surveyed for the report stated that they were intending to leave their job because of their experiences there.

This does not benefit companies, because staff turnover is always a costly problem, and it doesn’t help the career advancement of the people who are forced to leave. Black people are also 30% more likely to want to leave than white people, and in nearly every case when someone leaves a job (across the whole race spectrum) the cause is almost always job satisfaction.

African Americans might leave jobs they thought were a dream when they face daily demoralization, lack of access to opportunity or just feel invisible no matter what they do.

Truth 9: It’s Driving Entrepreneurship

Black employees are 3.6 times more likely than their white colleagues to be planning to start their own companies. In a world where you can’t climb the ladder because you’re missing some of the rungs, sometimes it’s a better deal to create your own ladder from scratch.

Of those surveyed, many more African American men than any other group said they were thinking of starting their own venture. While this is good in terms of creating new industries and opportunities in the economy as a whole, it’s a clear sign that something is not right in corporate America, and that change is not happening as quickly as it should.

Truth 10: Current Programs Are Not Enough

Many companies have embraced diversity and inclusion programs, but many of those have only made that choice because they have no option. Programs are designed to be good on marketing materials, but don’t make real demographic change in offices.

Most diversity and inclusion programs are passive. Companies are not actively recruiting and mentoring African American people. Companies are still demographically skewed to white people, and the further you go up the line, the more skewed it is.

It’s very hard to say you have a functioning diversity program when anyone with eyes can see that inclusion is not really happening.

Solutions Do Exist

The good news is that while there is clearly still a big disconnect between the African American reality and corporate America, there are some solutions.

Many African Americans find that they find much better opportunities in smaller companies rather than mega corporations.

Companies that set and uphold clear inclusion policies are also far more likely to retain African American employees, as are those that have clear diversity policies. This is amplified when the criteria for promotion are clearly communicated, and when they make it possible for African American people to climb the ladder.

Many companies that are winning the diversity race are also offering additional training and networking opportunities to African American employees, so that they can compete on a level playing field.

The most important thing that predominantly white run companies can do though is to stop looking at the problem through white eyes.

Whether it’s acknowledged or not, and whether decision makers agree or not, whiteness has always been an unfair advantage in America. The system is set up to favor the white experience, and while that does not make white people bad, it does mean that more care needs to be taken to uplift and empower Black people.

We can live in a world where race doesn’t matter. But first we have to make sure that race actually isn’t a factor in success.?

Dr. Terry Jackson is C-Suite Advisor, Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach, Global Leadership Development, Organizational Architect, Thinkers50. Dr. Jackson partners with Executives and Organizations to align Strategy, People and Processes to optimize and sustain Peak Business Performance.?