A New Era to Defend Civil Rights Is Upon Us, and It's Good for Business

Cultural humility builds the case for businesses to protect our civil rights, which have been weakened by the courts

This summer marked the first anniversary of SCOTUS ending race-conscious affirmative action in higher education. Decisions like this have further eroded public trust in government and across industries, with some in the private sector stepping in to fill the resulting leadership gap for environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. This is responsive: customers and employees want to know that they buy from or work for a company that aligns with their values. These polls are consistent and nonpartisan. Yet, the silence from many within the C-Suite is deafening right now.

We need an anecdote to “greenhushing”—or the refusal or decision not to make public stances on issues. That solution may be the deep adoption of cultural humility, a powerful tool that remains massively underutilized. At its core, cultural humility is a commitment to understanding and respecting the values, beliefs, and ways of being that transcend race, culture, identity, and class. It is about fostering self-reflection and building deep, long-term relationships with your stakeholders and rightsholders.?

As the business community navigates ongoing attacks against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and ESG, and a growing number of laws are introduced in state legislatures that threaten or erode human and civil rights for women and LGBTQIA2S+ identifying people, it’s time to reassess the choice to remain silent. In a business context, this means examining our assumptions and motives that keep us from acting in accordance with our values.?

Employers should proactively defend worker rights because it is good business. Business costs rise when we employ people stressed and burdened by infringements on their personal freedoms. Adopting cultural humility means shifting our thinking, knowing that the expertise and experience of others cannot be fully known or understood. So, we can no longer make decisions in a vacuum. I am talking about more than just compassion for growing inequality. This is about shifting power and practicing inclusive decision-making, thereby cultivating empathy, inviting stakeholders into the conversation to create more equitable companies and communities.

This practice signals a shift from cultural competency, which may often feel like a superficial exercise because it takes time to develop. Cultural humility, instead, more simply requires leaders to change their posture towards a deeper, more meaningful openness to understanding what diversity, inclusion and belonging not only look like but also what it feels like to retain talent by reducing costly turnover and prioritizing worker rights, thereby making the workplace a safe and brave place.

The business case for cultural humility is strong: corporations with diverse teams consistently outperform their counterparts. A 2023 report by McKinsey & Company presented a compelling argument for diversity in business: companies with cultural representation have a 39% higher probability of outperforming those without. Yet, nearly half of Black workers are considering quitting their jobs, citing issues like pay transparency, misaligned values, and lack of diverse leadership. This trend underscores the critical importance of businesses addressing the challenges of retention and attrition of Black talent by adopting cultural humility and cultivating inclusive and varied workspaces.

Affirmative action is under attack, and while imperfect, the ultimate goal is to change culture, not just increase diversity. Cultural humility is a crucial element of inclusion and belonging that develops loyalty, providing the conditions to increase engagement. Integrating cultural humility and racial equity into business practices leads to stronger, more profitable companies. Companies can attract and retain top talent across diverse races and genders by fostering a culturally safe environment and one that is supportive of equitable opportunities for all employees. This inclusive company culture enhances employee satisfaction and drives innovation and productivity, ultimately boosting the company's bottom line.

The current criticisms of DEI and ESG initiatives falsely claim they offer preferential treatment to marginalized groups. This argument crucially misunderstands that these initiatives protect oppressed groups, dismantle barriers, and support marginalized communities in the face of historical inequity and racist barriers. Privileged groups do not lose in this effort; adopting cultural humility and centering equity benefits the economy and generates large profits, fostering healthier communities where everyone can thrive.

The 2023 lawsuit against the Fearless Fund , a Black-owned venture capital firm, and the June 3 federal appeals court decision to block its grant program underscore the critical need to protect racial equity initiatives from conservative efforts to dismantle them. The broader implications of dismantling programs like the Fearless Strivers Grant are clear: it could set a dangerous precedent, discouraging other initiatives that support marginalized communities. We can build resilience in the face of these attacks through a system-wide adoption of cultural humility that allows for freedom of expression, protected by the First Amendment. When CEOs and other C-Suite leaders exercise free speech, we motivate the laggards to make progress. By remaining silent, we are giving up our rights. The threats to democracy are present in the boardroom and the C-Suite.

I had not fully appreciated until recently that our approach to racial equity at B Lab U.S. & Canada applies cultural humility in important ways. We are adapting to a changing business environment by using new language to better understand that not all impacts are the same and are often not equitable in their desired outcomes.

It reminds me how much I have likely benefited personally from race-conscious policies that have changed the trajectory of my life, including affordable housing, equal access to education and affirmative action programs that helped advance my career. I have worked hard to get into leadership, yet I know good policies have made a difference. Now, I work tirelessly to help create the conditions for myself and others belonging to underrepresented and marginalized communities to succeed.?

We have introduced several initiatives to foster business resilience and bolster cultural humility, including the Racial Equity Improvement Program and the Principles for Frontline Partnerships . These programs educate, share stories, and work to change hearts and minds to transform the dominant culture within the B Corp community and the broader business landscape. They center Indigenous wisdom and the Black experience, guiding companies to improve their practices and policies. This work is core to our mission, and we are seeing the results of transformed leaders that participate in our programs.

Embracing cultural humility as a core value is essential right now. This entails actively supporting race-conscious initiatives to foster a robust and flourishing business community. Leaders must publicly advocate against dismantling programs such as the Fearless Strivers Grant to safeguard racial equity in business in perpetuity.