Integration is a B- Here's where ERGs fit in

This weekend, I saw an interesting post on Twitter, someone shared a book they found at a yard sale “Integration is a B****."

It's a book told mainly with some insightful cartoons that paint the picture of what And the concept of integration was like in the 60s for black folks in the workplace.

Something to note, the 60s were also when ERGs were first started in the workplace, so reading the book from that lens really adds some color to the experiences of the ERG pioneers. The kicker is, it's actually not that far off from where we are now.

Reading this book, almost 60 years after its publication, and seeing experiences I or people I know have faced today makes you question things. It really speaks to one of my latest hot takes: integration in the workplace never fully completed. I’ve been saying this here and there lately, but wanted to do more research before broadly sharing. I used to sayWe brought more Black people and diverse backgrounds into corporate spaces, but the culture of corporate America? Still a work in progress.

Think about it: 60 years later, we’re still passing laws like the Crown Act to prevent hair discrimination. Hair! Something that shouldn’t matter at all but wasn’t considered “professional.” This shows that the integration process was incomplete. Why did we stop or slow down? I want to learn more because it feels like we’re still in the early stages of true integration.

This brings me to ERGs. I’ve always been a big advocate for ERGs for underrepresented people because integration hasn’t fully happened. People still seek community with others who understand their experiences in a corporate culture still rooted in the past. Back in the 50s and 60s, being your true self at work was often met with sideways glances. It’s more subtle now, but it’s still there.

Anyway, Here are some highlights from the book:

• A Black employee whispering to Mr. Brown, “I’m so glad you’re here.”
• Mr. Brown being congratulated by his white colleagues in a performative way, captioned, “See, here’s proof that you guys can make it.” Tokenism is still alive and kicking today.
• Mr. Brown being “complimented” with the caption, “Great idea, who helped you with it?” Contributions from marginalized groups are often overlooked or credited to others.
• Mr. Brown being asked to do basic tasks outside of his role scope - been there.
• Mr. Brown being asked on the company radio (fireside chat?), “What do you think about Negroes in the streets? I mean, crime in the streets.” This mirrors today’s uncomfortable questions about racial issues posed in workplace settings.
• A white employee explaining something basic to Mr. Brown who clearly already knows the information. The look on the employee’s face says it all.
• Mr. Brown being paraded around the office for a photo op with the caption, “Make sure these pictures are sent to the Black dispatch, Afro American news, etc.” Performative diversity efforts, anyone?

The book is called “Integration is a B****”, and honestly, I still agree with that sentiment today. And I feel like that's more of the DEIB work - so I'm not really going to weigh in too much on that because there are people who know way more on this than I do, BUT I rarely - if ever - hear the DEI conversation coming from the angle of integration.

Just because we’re 60 years down the road doesn’t mean integration has been completed. There’s more to this process than just getting diverse people into the workplace (desegregation). I really liked ChatGPT’s take on this:

A lot of the things I talk about are from an African American perspective, because that’s my experience. Although ERGs started because of the integration of African Americans into the workplace, Integration is not just an “African American issue” and as we all know ERGs are not an “African American thing”. There are many dimensions of diversity that haven’t been fully integrated.

That’s why I love ERGs. I’m not in the business of defining how to overhaul corporate culture, educate people, or fully integrating workplaces until you’re changing mindsets and fostering a culture where even microaggressions are called out. That’s not my lane (and I can’t say that I’ve ever seen that happen). My lane is creating spaces for people to help make the experience of existing in a non-integrated workplace a little better.

That’s what ERGs are about for me. That’s why community is enough.

It feels disrespectful to the original cause when we lose sight of that. If the founders of the first ERG saw what ERGs have become today, would they recognize their vision?

Can you imagine if the pioneers of ERGs were told they had to make money for the company, come up with marketable ideas, and be spotlighted as having the best experience ever? Almost surely, they would have denied it, and rightfully so.

My goal is to make it clear how important this is…and there’s work to be done.

Let’s keep making waves.