May 25...a day to remember?

I remember where I was when John Hinkley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. I remember where I was when the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded. I remember where I was when the World Trade Center was attacked. What is disturbing to me is that as a Black man, I do not remember where I was when I first heard about George Floyd’s murder.  

 Because of the pandemic, I am sure I was at home… but I don’t know where I was in the house, the time of day, who told me. At the time, it was another unfortunate death of a Black person in America—tragic, sad, disheartening but unfortunately, and maybe most disturbingly, it also didn’t feel remarkable to me. I noted it, but it was something that happens all of the time, and so I went about my business.

 And yet, something was different this time.  In my meetings that week, I’d expected to talk about traditional business issues. Instead, all of the leaders I met with asked me my thoughts on what had happened, and what companies might be able to do in response. Something was different about the impact of this tragedy on people. 

 I have two sons, who are generally aware of current events, but I wouldn’t say are heavily into politics and societal movements (their friends are more interested in my line of work than they are). And yet for the first time, my older son attended a protest at City Hall, and my younger son sent some of the money he had earned through coaching soccer to different businesses that were damaged during the protests. Another clue that this was different.

 In the following weeks, I received phone calls from two different people from middle school. I had not seen them in years, and they were not close friends. I was more memorable to them because I was the only Black student in my elementary school and middle school. And they both apologized to me for how they had treated me and the ethnic slurs that they used many years ago. I didn’t know what to do, but again, I knew that something was different.

 Something really was different. That was the graphic video that reverberated around the world in that moment, and the outcry was universal in a way that we’ve rarely seen. On the Sunday after May 25, I jumped on a call with members from my team, Monetta White and Mark Sabb from the Museum of the African Diaspora, and Dr. Keith Leonard of American University to talk about doing something unique in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space for Dropboxers. We knew we didn’t want this to be only reacting to a news cycle, but an effort that would have a transformational impact. That Sunday afternoon, we came up with the concept of our Truth and Reconciliation Series—a six month long series of talks, panels, and interactive workshops designed to educate, inspire, and take action.

 As a diversity professional, I live something of a duality, empathizing for those in pain and excluded because of their identity, yet being strategic about the needs of a business, and somehow trying to marry the two. Frankly, I was challenged in a way that I haven’t been before. I’m often focused on the responsibilities of my role, but really never took the time to process what it meant for me personally.

 This ushered in a new phase for me. I realized that for many companies, even though it was going to be messy sometimes, we were going to do our best to see ourselves not only as a business, but as part of something bigger, where we have a role in transformational impact. That is one of the major reasons I am where I am and I acknowledge that at times it may not seem like enough—fast enough or strong enough for some of us, but we are trying. 

 Unlike many aspects of business where we compete, this is one area where we really are stronger together. George Floyd’s death also had an impact on my peers in this work. A group of Chief Diversity Officers from technology companies across the US began meeting on a monthly basis, and agreed we wanted to do something that would have a long term impact. We’re working on something very tangible in terms of driving equity for the Black community, and we’re on track to announce it this summer. 

 Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what to do when something like this happens. Instead of actions, let me leave you with a three questions: As individuals, I ask you:

1). Do you remember when you heard about George Floyd?

 2). If you do remember, do you also remember the commitments you made then, and are you following through on them?

 3). If you don’t remember, what needs to change for you so that you will remember next time?

 I hope that May 25 has impacted the world for the long term, but I wish with every ounce of me that it hadn’t come at the cost of George Floyd’s life. I challenge each and every one of us to keep reflecting on these complex issues, and never stop questioning how we might shape the world into a more just and equitable place for all—as individuals, as employees, and as companies.