Celebrating 10,000 Copies Sold: A discussion guide to accompany The Anti-Racist Organization

The Anti-Racist Organization: Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace was released almost 18 months ago and has gone on to sell over 10,000 copies. ?

Not bad for a first-time author, whose journey began from recording one 20-min video in my bedroom on my mobile phone – pretty much saying enough is enough.?And it seems like a few people agreed with me.?

The book has been bought, gifted, talked about in virtual and physical spaces and it speaks to a continued desire to optimise organizations to be more equitable, anti-racist and kind.?

After reviewing all the feedback gathered from social media, Amazon reviews, emails and our HR rewired partners and clients, it became apparent that the book was being used as a reference guide as well as a tool to build awareness, knowledge and understanding.?

“It would be great to be able to talk to other people about what is resonating with me, but our company doesn’t really allow for that to happen [without it being a formal training session]”. ?

To help inspire you to continue having those honest and courageous conversations about systemic racism within your organization, my team and I are working on a discussion guide to accompany the book, tailored specifically for conversations within a workplace setting.??

If this is of interest to you, join our?waiting list HERE to receive a digital copy when it’s released. ?

What the guide will help you do

We recognize that some of the themes and perspectives shared within The Anti-Racist Organization can challenge world views and dominant narratives that seek to exceptionalise racism as the unfortunate behaviour of one or two bad apples, rather than critically examine the way it is systemically ingrained in business structures and practices, irrespective of good (or bad) intentions.

A quick policy review or an aggressive recruitment drive to attract more “diverse” employees may be the default position that many take, yet it is proven not to be the silver bullet that makes this “all go away”.

Conversations are happening, yet there is still a need to empower and encourage, this discussion guide is deliberately designed to:

• Facilitate open, transparent and compassionate dialogue between team members, managers and leaders.
• Encourage introspective reflection from multiple viewpoints, promoting critical thinking without fear of judgement or reprisal.
• Provide answers to common questions such as “Should discussion groups be all-white, all-Black? Or does it matter?” “Can a white person facilitate conversations about racism?” “How do you maintain control of conversations?” “How do you guard against fragility and defensiveness?” “How can we open a dialogue that is respectful yet doesn’t centre white colleagues and their feelings?”
• Recognise the nuances and demands of organizational dialogue; meaning it’s structured to respect the time and mental capacity of busy team members who want a focused, informal yet impactful exploration of the book's themes.

Selfishly, we want the book to be used.

Maybe it will inspire more people to take substantive action to mitigate the risk of having great employees leave, purely because organizations are unwilling to examine and correct the way structural barriers impact on progression, opportunities and experiences for racialised employees.

Join our waiting list HERE to receive a digital copy as soon as the guide is released.