From non-racist to anti-racist: lessons learned about allyship and equity

October is Black History Month in the UK, and a great opportunity for individuals and organisations alike to think about how we can better contribute towards a more equitable world.

As a white woman I recognise my own privilege and do not claim to have all the answers. I am not an expert on racism and the Black experience. Nevertheless, I believe that these facts do not absolve me from a responsibility to act in good faith as an anti-racism ally.

As Maurice Mcleod says in the most recent episode of The Chief Psychology Officer podcast, “Putting Race on the Agenda”, being an ally is about putting aside ego. Me writing this article will, I hope, be seen in the way it is intended: not an attempt to speak over the Black voices we should be listening to, but rather my contribution as an ally, speaking to friends and colleagues about our role in the fight against racism and inequity.

Allyship is a learning process. My intention as an ally is positive and I hope we can all stay curious, have meaningful conversations and keep learning.

Are you non-racist or anti-racist?

All of us should be stepping back and asking ourselves this question, whether it be at home or work. Marlon James in “Are you racist? ‘No’ isn't a good enough answer” beautifully articulates the difference between non-racist and anti-racist. In the past, I would have been categorised as non-racist. Someone who silently believes in the individual, that all human lives have value, and you should treat people as you would want to be treated yourself. “Silently” is the operative word here.

During the Black Lives Matter marches in the UK, the BBC aired an episode of its investigatory documentary series Panorama entitled “Let’s talk about race” and it was these interviews that completely changed my understanding of my role in influencing equity within the spaces in which I have a voice.

My understanding now is that I should be constantly striving to be anti-racist, someone who speaks up and finds a way to have a voice whilst respecting the role that I can play. In addition to this, it is also not good enough to treat others as you would like to be treated, as there is not a level playing field. Self-awareness is essential before you can be an active anti-racist.

Self-awareness sometimes means re-evaluating our knee-jerk responses to others’ perspectives.

Educate yourself

In one interview in the BBC documentary an individual described how it is impossible for someone like me to meaningfully understand the Black experience. This perspective threw up a challenge: if I can never truly understand, how does my voice have meaning?

The most unhelpful response to this is not to try to understand. The internet is full of resources; there are thought leaders, passionate advocates, documentaries about racist crimes and the shelves of our libraries house volumes of social history. George Floyd, although a catalyst to amplify the message of inequality, is by no means the only victim, as there are generations of examples around us, including in the UK.

Large organisations frequently run Unconscious Bias training, a starting point for many to gain understanding of our inbuilt biases. However, we also need to learn about institutional and structural racism and micro-aggressions, the more subtle barriers that Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups experience every day.

In my endeavour to learn, I volunteered to be a mentor with the Extraordinary Mentors Network (EMN). This network strives to support Black professionals in their careers. As a mentor I worked with a Black female entrepreneur during the pandemic. The experience was incredibly rewarding and hopefully mutually beneficial.

One way to educate yourself is through meaningful conversations, speaking openly and honestly with Black colleagues and friends about their experiences and perspectives. However, it is important to do our own research as well. It is not fair to put all the burden onto them. As their friends, colleagues and just as fellow human beings, we should care to hear their perspectives and empathise with their experiences, but on the same note, it is not their job to fill in the gaps of our ignorance – especially when there are excellent resources for learning on the internet. Some of these resources have been provided at the end of this article (below “References”).

Challenge attitudes

As DEI expert Joan C. Williams says in a TEDx video, “To address structural racism, you need to change structures.” We may not all be in a position to change entire structures in our workplaces or in public life, but we can certainly play our part as allies by challenging racist behaviours and attitudes when we see them.

A high-profile example of this can be seen in British politics and MP Rupa Huq’s recent comments about Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng being “superficially Black”. After backlash Ms Huq apologised for her “ill-judged” statements, but it was right that even her own colleagues called out the racism of her comments. Ms Huq has since been suspended from the Labour party pending an investigation.

Racism of course exists outside of political life as well, and we are likely to come across it at some point. While such behaviour or comments or so-called “jokes” may not rise to the level of investigations, it is still our responsibility as allies to hold ourselves and our colleagues accountable. Challenging attitudes is one of the most effective ways we can be good allies.

This includes challenging our own attitudes and behaviours. Racism can be deeply ingrained and we may not always recognise it in our own actions. Part of being an ally is admitting our mistakes and committing to correcting them. We listen, we learn, we apologise without making excuses, and we move on with a greater understanding of how we can do better.

Challenging attitudes takes courage. It is not easy to admit our mistakes. It is not easy to point out someone else’s. We don’t have to approach this as a performative, “cancel culture” attack on our friends or colleagues. It is possible to challenge attitudes from a position of kindness and empathy. Often others, like ourselves, are not intentionally racist, but rather ignorant of how their behaviour or attitude perpetuates racist agendas.

Nothing about us without us

Maurice Mcleod in the CPO podcast explains that race is a highly complex commercial and social man-made issue, one that is constantly evolving. The dynamic nature can make it challenging to address, which is why it is so important to involve Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees and colleagues in DEI policy creation and implementation. Making decisions to break down barriers within your organisation without the voice of those who are impacted is inherently flawed.

At Zircon, cognitive diversity is at the heart of our beliefs around good leadership. Nevertheless, we recognise that we are woefully underrepresented in our demographic makeup as an organisation. In an effort to address this, we have conducted a full review of our processes, resulting in recommendations around talent attraction and development opportunities. But we want to go a step further. We have realised that a Board adviser, someone who has a voice in the strategic discussions, is a gap that we can influence much more quickly.

Board adviser is an expert role; you pay for their advice and give them a seat at the table when strategic decisions are being made, rather than simply canvassing the opinion of those in your social network. If you are taking the challenge seriously, then investment both in terms of personal commitment and the status of the roles in your company to raise the profile of the discussion sends a strong message to the entire team and your wider network.

At Zircon we are always open to learning, and it is our aim to add our contribution to the fight against racism as organisational allies. We invite other organisations to join us.

Written by Sarah Linton , COO and Director of Talent at Zircon Management Consulting

References

Mcleod, Maurice (2022). “Putting Race on the Agenda”. Episode 16, The Chief Psychology Officer. https://www.thecpo.co.uk

James, Marlon (2016). “Are you racist? 'No' isn't a good enough answer”. Video from The Guardian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm5DWa2bpbs

Munchetty, Naga (2021). “Let’s talk about race”. BBC Panorama. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t1cd

Extraordinary Mentors Network (EMN). Derek Bruce Associates. https://www.derekbruce-associates.com/emn/

Williams, Joan C. “Why corporate diversity programs fail -- and how small tweaks can have big impact”. TEDx talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/joan_c_williams_why_corporate_diversity_programs_fail_and_how_small_tweaks_can_have_big_impact?language=en

Resources on allyship:

Ebbitt, Kathleen (2015). “Why It's Important to Think About Privilege — and Why It's Hard”. Global Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/why-its-important-to-think-about-privilege-and-why/

Gray Park ’28 Library. “Race, Racism and Anti-Racism: How to Be an Ally”. https://libguides.kent-school.edu/race-racism-antiracism/ally

Imperial College London. “Race equality: How to be a white ally”. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/resources/race-equality/how-to-be-a-white-ally/

Melaku, Tsedale M., Beeman, Angie, Smith, David G. and Johnson, W. Brad (2020). “Be a Better Ally”. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/11/be-a-better-ally

Reid, Nova (2021). “No more white saviours, thanks: how to be a true anti-racist ally”. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/19/no-more-white-saviours-thanks-how-to-be-a-true-anti-racist-ally

Resources on the Black experience:

Black Women in Leadership Network. 2022 BWIL Survey: Black Women in the U.K. Workplace. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7-3IT6214JYylqeAO6XbWg4Oft4mK8U/view

Hofmann, Yetunde (2022). “10 microaggressions Black women experience at work – and how HR can put a stop to them”. People Management. https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1756083/10-microaggressions-black-women-experience-work-%E2%80%93-hr-put-stop

McCluney, C. L., Durkee, M. I., Smith II, R. E., Robotham, K. J., & Lee, S. S. L. (2021). “To be, or not to be… Black: The effects of racial codeswitching on perceived professionalism in the workplace”. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 97, 104199.

McKinsey & Company (2021). “Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector”. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/race-in-the-workplace-the-black-experience-in-the-us-private-sector

Williams, Joan C., Andrews, Olivia and Boginsky, Mikayla (2022). “Why Many Women of Color Don’t Want to Return to the Office”. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/05/why-many-women-of-color-dont-want-to-return-to-the-office%2520