#anti-racism in the workplace coaching | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

publicschooll · 4 years

Text

How White Leaders Can Support Black Employees in 2021 & Beyond

Deciding to officially launch this blog on the first day of Black History month may seem a little cliche, but given the year that black people had to endure, I think it’s more than appropriate. And before you, as a white person, white facing person, POC that’s not black says “everyone had to endure this year”, I want you, for once to not make everything about you. This year, companies should learn that being inclusive is not a PR stunt or something you say to shut your minority employees up. It shouldn’t be performative. Let’s not forget, Starbucks firing a young woman for refusing to wear an LGBT Pride shirt because it was against her religion, but the same Starbucks refusing to let employees of color wear Black Lives Matter shirts because supporting black lives is divisive. Go figure.

If you can lead with empathy like many of you claim, you should be able to extend that empathy as hard as you do for your white employees, to everyone. When your black employees start resigning from your organization but don’t mention race at their exit interviews understand that it is 10/10 usually the reason they left. You don’t have an inclusive environment that supports them. Your white team members spew hatred and racism without even realizing it because they are so used to living in their whiteness. If there is someone at your organization brave enough to force these conversations about race, you make it about your experience. You have never had to worry about being protected or being afraid to speak your mind. You have never had to worry about being blackballed or being threatened due to your “aggressive” tone, appearance, or demeanor. Pay attention.

The title is leading to only place blame on White leaders but the truth is there are so many people complicit. Asians, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and “non-threatening” black people are also complicit in insidious discrimination. Those who were adopted and grew up in white households, those who were privileged enough to attend white schools, those who have been protected, and essentially are products of white privilege. These recommendations are very surface level. The reason for that is that black people have done the work for white people time and time again, for free. We’re tired. If you want more in-depth help, please reach out to a qualified, black, DE&I coach and pay them to help.

1. Avoid starting DE&I initiatives until your organization stops being racist

When it comes to DE&I initiatives, most companies think they are not the issue. I’ve heard CEOs say things like they can’t find good diverse talent or that their culture isn’t a fit for diversity. What that translates to is we like to be racist without repercussions and we do not want an environment that includes people that don’t think/look like us. You can’t retain diverse talent when your organization makes inappropriate jokes about race or calls a black person’s tone via email aggressive.

2. Stop thinking that DE&I initiatives are separate from HR

HR is recruiting, onboarding, progressive discipline, engagement, the whole employee lifecycle. DE&I is the surety that HR is being compliant in anti-racism and discrimination in those functions. It’s that simple. They’re not separate. Your DE&I partner should be included in any meeting that includes your senior HR person.

3. White people can not effectively and efficiently determine what behaviors are discriminatory/racist

Someone who has never experienced bias, discrimination, or racism can not identify what it is. I have super thick, and kinky natural hair. I’ve had a senior leader ask me when I was going to get my hair done. I’ve also had someone tell me that my hair looks better when I straighten it. I’ve had someone ask if I stuck my finger in an electrical outlet. While those all sound like harmless jabs in a workplace, they are not. They are rooted in hatred and discrimination. The need to get my hair done insinuates that the way my hair grows out of my head is unacceptable. Imposing European standards of beauty upon a black person is downright disrespectful. These are very light-hearted examples but I have seen and experienced how gross it can be.

4. Martin Luther King Day is a non-negotiable, paid holiday for everyone

PERIOD. If your locations are open on MLK day, pay time and a half. If 80% of the workforce is people of color, this is a huge non-negotiable.

5. Stop demeaning black people’s experiences and LISTEN

You don’t have to insert your experience of “discrimination” every time a black person talks about racism. If someone says they experienced something, stop telling them that they’re overreacting or making it about race.

The last point is truly the one that is the most impactful. Educate yourself. If you can head to google for anything, head to google to arm yourself with education about racism. Educate yourself about the history of America. Understand the experience of Black people in this country. Be an actual ally to them, not a performative one. I recommend putting the E first in DE&I. It’s easier for people to understand equity than it is for them to understand diversity. That is a conversation for another day.

Resources:

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/Hair-Guidance.pdf

https://news.stanford.edu/2020/06/09/seven-factors-contributing-american-racism/

https://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/print/volume-102-issue-5/aggressive-encounters-and-white-fragility-deconstructing-the-trope-of-the-angry-black-woman/

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/starbucks-barista-says-she-was-fired-refusing-wear-pride-shirt-n1248847

https://www.fastcompany.com/90516865/starbucks-banned-employees-from-wearing-blm-t-shirts-now-its-designing-its-own

#diversity #human resources #discrimination #racism #leadership

1 note · View note

calford91 · 4 years

Text

Racism is real.

Excuse me for this, but I need to say something about what’s going on concerning these issues like that Karen and George Lynch. I will be real blunt here. If this offends you, don’t read it. First, Imma say this, there’s no such thing as post-racial America. Racism has always been here, but why? One if you think that racism exists because people talk about, you’re stupid af. Does Firemen talking fires create more fires? No. So stop that.

As said by the quote, racism is about power, not morality. That’s why racism stays afloat in this country because it actually benefits it. Racism is privilege/predujice plus power. You must have power to be racist. Racism is about a system that favors one race over others. Racism is about targeting marginalized races through institutional violence or discrimination. Lynchings, blackface, segregated buildings, gerrymandering, racial violence and killings, gentrification, not serving marginalized races, workplace discrimination, persecution of immigrants, police violence, assimilation, economic/income inequality, mass imprisonment, racial profiling, sacred land being disrespected, poor environmental/economic/working conditions are examples. Our government is responsible for keeping racism alive, from the beginning to right now. They either supported it, let it happened, or did nothing. The 13th Amendment never ended racism nor did integration. I’m all for desegregation, but the push for integration was a waste because it did nothing to protect us (Black people) from racism, it just assimilated us. You can’t integrate without any social or economic justice. MLK warned us about it.

If we’re living in a post racial society, why are there still, KKK, Neo Nazis, and all types of fascists and white supremacists running around? Why are there still places that are segregated? I see this a lot in my home state Mississippi, and other southern states. And it’s not just there, it’s everywhere. There is just as much racism and segregation in other regions like the Midwest and the Pacific States. For example, progressive cities like Portland, Seattle, Austin, San Francisco, NYC, Boston and yes Minneapolis have racism. Why are worshipping racist imagery like the CONfederacy (it’s dead and no more), plantations, famous people that we known racists this includes politicians and presidents? We still have the issues of racism like the aforementioned ways of institutional violence and discrimination still going on and our government (alluvem) did nothing. They’ve let the beast grow stronger and it’s gonna continue until we stop it.

What I need to add about racism being still alive is that its been normalized and/or no one gave a damn about it. Racism is more than just hating on skin color or calling people racist slurs, stop looking at the Webster definition. Racism is also about ways how to support the racist system. Examples: Falsely calling the police, supporting a reason why a Black person or POC should get killed, policing Black people/POC on racism, denying racism, fetishizing us and our culture, complaining about us winning awards and pageants, getting roles that are usually reserved for whites, stereotyping, and moving on up in the workplace, All Lives Matter, what about Black on Black crime despite every race doing some crime, okaying removal of Indigenous land, supporting racist politicians, branding nonChristians as terrorists, supporting that immigrants should be treated terribly because they crossed the border despite the fact that this country is originally Indigenous land, angry about the kneeling protests, putting MLK in yo mouth, wisecracking jokes about us like something about welfare or unemployment, saying words like thugs, animals, ghetto, criminals to describe Black folks, issa lot. Here’s a pyramid too.

But what about racism by Black people? Don’t be silly. We can be douches to y’all, but we (along with Indigenous people) can’t be racist to y’all because we don’t have the power to actively discriminate against y’all. If you want reverse discrimination, then look at Planet of the Apes. The apes are rulers of their planet, while the humans are oppressed. That’s what it looks like.

Now on the Karen (Imma call her on that) and George Lynch. So the Karen had the audacity to call the police on Christian Cooper because she couldn’t control her dog. This is a historical problem. Women like her have accused Black men of harming them, when it was a lie, and it got Black people killed. Emmett Till, Tulsa riots, Rosewood, Scotsboro Case, the Central Park Five are examples. On George Lynch, it was murder by the police. Police violence is institutional because it’s made to target marginalized people especially Black and Brown people, women, poor people, immigrants, LBGT people especially trans people (the ones y’all treat like garbage, despite the fact that all they wanna do is live life), and it’s not a few bad seeds, it’s a majority. There are cops that are good people, but that don’t mean anything. And the riots that happen, it’s not an act of recklessness, it’s a rebellion. Riots been happening since ever. There were riots when MLK was killed, the Vietnam War happening, when Black people were getting killed or brutalized by the police like Rodney King (LA), Mike Brown (Ferguson), Freddie Gray (Baltimore), and now George Lynch (Minneapolis). If you can’t put 1 and 1 together, then you’re the problem. These riots are because they’re angry at the system that keep targeting people like them. Keep in mind that these people are targeting corporations and the state not people. It really shows that you care about property than human lives. BTW, where’s all that energy for Tulsa and Rosewood, the KKK, Rioting over sports, Rioting over that creepy coach from Penn State, and those anti-quarantine protestors with racist imagery who’s armed with guns and been blocking ambulances? I don’t see y’all saying anything bout them. This also ties into other issues. Y’all have a problem with rebellious violence, but not a problem with going to another country and destroying it?

I’m so dang tired, y’all and stuff like this happens not just the people who do it, but the people who refuse to acknowledge it or do nothing about it. Look at the quote above. If y’all ain’t gonna do anything about it, you’ve chosen a side. Lemme tell y’all something, your ignorance, apathy, apologism, colorblindless tone policing, and reactionary behavior contributes to stuff like this. If ain’t gonna be anti-racist, then sit down and shut up. Stop with this crap like I don’t see color or we’re the same. Our race matters. We ain’t the same as you. We’re different from you. We don’t have the same luxuries and lifestyles as you. Stop thinking we can make it far as you. We got blocks in our way. You don’t.

All the things that I’ve mentioned about concerning racism is why we kneel (I see nothing wrong with it). Y’all upset with people kneeling, but y’all think that all types bigots and reactionary trash should have free speech. Rioting happens because of injustice against marginalized people. If you can’t see that, you’re lost. As Malcolm X said, the chickens are coming home to roost. What about all that stuff they’ve taken? Screw dat stuff. These multi-millionaire and billionaire companies got the money to save themselves. Property can be replaced, not human lives. Speaking of that, why ain’t you mad that these corporations have doubled, tripled their wealth during this crisis?

Now to allies because Imma see who y’all riding with. One of the worse things you can do is center yourselves or one of your kinfolk into issues like this. It’s not about you. If y’all are all talk, no action then you fake as hell. If you doing this cuz you saw the video, then it’s not genuine because you had all time to do so. If you see someone being racist or just being a huge reactionary ass, CALL THEM OUT ON IT! It’s time to hold these people accountable or if they can’t comply, cancel them. If you see someone doing something to Black people, stop em. There’s Google, y’all need to look up the history of Black people not only in America, but the world, because anti-Blackness is global. This includes Indigenous people too. Understand how colonialism work because that’s how stuff like this happens. Support Black people financially such as Mutual Aids, helping out when they’re down financially, and sending money to Black owned anything. The founder of Little Ceaser’s helped paid for Rosa Parks’ living. Fight for better working, living conditions for us. If you see something wrong, speak out. Don’t be a white savior. You ain’t doing this for validity. You’re doing this because it’s what you’re supposed to do. Don’t listen to the media, because they’re full of lies (alluvem). I’m finished y’all. Here some more quotes:

#racism #blacklivesmatter #antiblackness #white supremacy #georgelynch #christian cooper #karen

3 notes · View notes

patriotnewsdaily · 3 years

Text

New Post has been published on PatriotNewsDaily.com

New Post has been published on https://patriotnewsdaily.com/raiders-coach-jon-gruden-steps-down-after-old-emails-surface/

Raiders Coach Jon Gruden Steps Down After Old Emails Surface

Jon Gruden has resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after emails he sent before being hired in 2018 contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments.

Gruden released a statement Monday night, saying: “I have resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”

He stepped down after The New York Times reported that Gruden frequently used misogynistic and homophobic language directed at Commissioner Roger Goodell and others in the NFL.

Special teams and assistant head coach Rich Bisaccia will take over on an interim basis.

It was a rapid downfall for Gruden, who is in the fourth year of a 10-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Raiders in 2018. It started on Friday when the Wall Street Journal reported that Gruden used a racist term to describe NFL union chief DeMaurice Smith in a 2011 email to former Washington executive Bruce Allen.

The emails were discovered in a workplace misconduct investigation into the Washington Football Team but ended up costing Gruden his job when they also showed Gruden denounced the drafting of a gay player and the tolerance of players protesting during the playing of the national anthem among other issues.

Gruden apologized for his “insensitive remarks” about Smith, saying they were made out of frustration over the 2011 lockout. But the latest emails sent from between 2011-18 when Gruden was an analyst for ESPN show his use of derogatory language went well beyond that.

A league source confirms the accuracy of the emails and said they were sent to the Raiders last week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t made the emails public.

Raiders owner Mark Davis said last week that the email about Smith was “disturbing and not what the Raiders stand for” and said the team was reviewing the additional emails. Davis issued a statement Monday saying only that he accepted Gruden’s resignation.

The Times reported that Gruden used a gay slur to insult Goodell and said he was “clueless” and “anti-football.” He also said Goodell shouldn’t have pressured the Rams to draft “queers,” a reference to Michael Sam, who was the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team.

Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay in June and is the first openly gay player to appear in an NFL game.

In a 2017 email, the Times said Gruden responded to a sexist meme of a female official by saying: “Nice job roger.”

The paper also said Gruden criticized Goodell and the NFL league for trying to reduce concussions, and said that Eric Reid, a player who had demonstrated during the playing of the national anthem, should be fired.

The newspaper said Gruden also mocked an article in 2017 about players calling on Goodell to support their efforts promoting racial equality and criminal justice reform.

“He needs to hide in his concussion protocol tent,” Gruden wrote.

Gruden and Allen have a long relationship, having worked together in Oakland and Tampa Bay. The emails between the two and other men included photos of women wearing only bikini bottoms, including one photo of two Washington team cheerleaders.

Gruden also criticized President Barack Obama during his re-election campaign in 2012, and then-vice president Joe Biden.

Smith said earlier Monday that he appreciates that Gruden reached out to him following the initial report, but that the email is evidence that the fight against racism is ongoing.

“But make no mistake, the news is not about what is said in our private conversation, but what else is said by people who never thought they would be exposed and how they are going to be held to account,” Smith wrote in a Twitter thread.

Gruden’s comments to Allen about Smith came during the 2011 lockout of the players by the NFL. Gruden told the Wall Street Journal he was angry about the lockout during labor negotiations and he didn’t trust the direction the union was taking.

“Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires,” Gruden wrote in the email reviewed by the newspaper.

Davis had been trying to hire Gruden almost since he took charge following the death of his father, Al, in 2011. He finally got his prize in 2018 when Gruden agreed to leave ESPN and return to the sideline with a 10-year contract. Gruden had revived the Raiders in is first stint in 1998-2001 and then beat them in the Super Bowl the following season after he was traded to Tampa Bay for a boatload of draft picks.

Gruden has a 117-112 career record but hasn’t won a playoff game since the Super Bowl victory over the Raiders in the 2002 season.

His second tenure with the team started with a pep rally introductory news conference but provided few reasons for celebration as Gruden had a 22-31 record, failing to reach a winning record or make the playoffs.

He traded away stars Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper in his first season to start a rebuild, which has showed only minor progress. After the Raiders went 4-12 in his first season, Gruden tried to make a push in 2019 in the team’s final season in Oakland by spending heavily in free agency and trading for star receiver Antonio Brown. But Brown was cut before the season after a series of run-ins with management, and the Raiders went 7-9.

They improved to 8-8 last season and got off to a promising 3-0 start this year before losing the past two games.

Bisaccia has been a special teams coordinator in the NFL for 19 seasons with the Raiders, Chargers, Dallas and Tampa Bay. He has no head coaching experience but his elevation will allow other assistants such as defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to stay in their current roles.

Original Article: https://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Raiders-coach-Jon-Gruden-fired-emails-racist-16526108.php

0 notes

michaelandy101-blog · 4 years

Text

#StopAsianHate

New Post has been published on http://tiptopreview.com/stopasianhate/

#StopAsianHate

We condemn the horrific acts of hate and violence focusing on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) neighborhood, which culminated within the tragic mass taking pictures in Georgia on March 17th. We mourn the lack of life and grieve with the households which have been damaged by this newest racist, misogynistic hate crime.

This isn’t an remoted incident. We should acknowledge the widespread examples of violence and prejudice, bigotry, and intolerance which have been constructing for a while. We have seen assaults on elders within the Asian neighborhood. Youngsters face bullying from friends. There was workplace discrimination, street harassment, violence, and vandalism. For the reason that starting of the pandemic, hate crimes against Asians have increased tremendously. Anti-Asian racism isn’t new, however it’s been fueled by harmful false rhetoric surrounding COVID-19. I problem myself and my neighborhood to acknowledge the painful historical past of anti-Asian racism, to be taught and perceive the expertise of AAPI people, and to make use of the ability and privilege now we have to face as much as bigotry.

Why are we discussing this now?

To do the work of combating hate in each nook of our society, we have to maintain conversations about these points, loudly and infrequently. At Moz, now we have a platform that enables us to shine a light-weight on the darkness we’re dealing with. We have now privilege that enables us to confront the uncomfortable. Silence permits hatred to flourish; dialogue and accountability weeds it from the foundation.

What can all of us do to fight AAPI hate and help the AAPI neighborhood?

Hatred shrinks from bravery. In the event you witness somebody experiencing anti-Asian sentiment or discrimination, use bystander intervention training to tell your response. Intervene and educate family and friends that perpetuate dangerous stereotypes, letting them know hatred can’t be tolerated. Search out sources to coach your self and share along with your circle of affect. Present compassion and empathy to your AAPI associates, household, and coworkers, providing house earlier than it is requested. Hearken to and amplify AAPI voices. Discover and patronize native AAPI-owned small companies — Intentionalist is a implausible software to make use of right here. Help organizations combating to make the world a fairer, safer place for all — we’ll share a number of within the Assets part beneath.

Maybe most significantly, have braveness. We can not enable hate to go unchecked. Be courageous. Be loud. Say no to hate.

Assets Many because of Kim Saira and Annie Wu Henry for compiling sources and schooling on this subject.

About SarahBird —

Sarah is the CEO of Moz. She is happiest when creating inclusive environments for folks to be taught and do their greatest work. She spends her days spreading TAGFEE and making software program that helps entrepreneurs perceive and enhance their inbound marketing efforts. Oh, and doing e-mail. Plenty of e-mail.

She additionally enjoys cookies, her lovely son Jack, binge studying, and strolling down the road.

Source link

#General

0 notes

junker-town · 5 years

Text

Why UEFA is useless at dealing with racism in soccer

Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Racism in soccer can’t be curbed unless the sport’s governing bodies start holding teams accountable.

On Monday, a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between England and Bulgaria in Sofia was stopped twice due to racist abuse. Bulgarian fans taunted black English players and performed fascist salutes, while the PA announcer told fans to stop as play was halted. The game would eventually be completed with England winning, 6-0.

England manager Gareth Southgate complained to the fourth official on two occasions, and the referee finally stopped play late in the first half, leading to the PA announcement.

Stadium announcement at Bulgaria vs England: "Because of racist behaviour which is interfering with the game, the referee has indicated he may have to suspend the match. Please be in no doubt that the game may be suspended and abandoned if racist behaviour continues."#BULENG pic.twitter.com/OvxeoJmWsu

— Goal (@goal) October 14, 2019

This is the first step in UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. Step two, if the racist abuse doesn’t stop, is for the referee to take players off the pitch while another announcement is made. Step three is for the match to be abandoned. On this occasion, the referee did not progress past step one.

At halftime, Bulgaria’s captain attempted to get fans to stop the racist chanting.

Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov spent half-time pleading with the fans to stop racist chanting.#OptusSport #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/J59PlPV96s

— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) October 14, 2019

While they were successful enough in reducing the abuse that the referee did not stop the match again, field microphones continued to pick up sporadic chants of monkey noise directed at black players throughout the rest of the match.

Bizarrely, Bulgaria manager Krasimir Balakov pretended he was completely unaware of what happened.

I tried to engage the Bulgaria manager about tonight's racism after Krasimir Balakov said he didn't hear anything. A few locals tutted when I asked a follow-up question about whether he was surprised the match was halted given he was unaware of any racism

— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) October 14, 2019

Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov says he was unaware his captain (Popov) spoke to a group of supporters at half-time, adding: "It is probably because the fans were unhappy with the way the team was performing." The level of denial is staggering.

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) October 14, 2019

UEFA should have seen this coming

A 5,000-seat section of Levski National Stadium was closed off Monday night due to racist chanting by Bulgaria fans in two previous matches against Kosovo and the Czech Republic. Because of that, England players were asked about what they might do in the face of racist abuse, and Tammy Abraham said the team would consider walking off the field together. Bulgarian officials weren’t pleased, saying that England’s speculation about potential racist abuse was “offensive.”

Unsurprisingly, in a country where football and racism have become increasingly intertwined, all this talk did not lead to racists keeping their mouths shut. As anyone could have predicted, racist abuse from the stands started early and continued throughout the match. UEFA, the organizing body in charge of the game, took no proactive measures.

This has happened for years and will keep happening for the foreseeable future

Bulgaria was previously forced to play in an empty stadium due to an incident of racist abuse in 2013. Over the last decade, UEFA has also handed down supporter bans to clubs and national teams in Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Spain, France, Poland and Greece. It has also handed out small fines and declined to issue supporter bans for dozens of other reported racist incidents.

UEFA hoped that the introduction of its three-step policy to combat in-stadium racism would solve the problem, but that’s clearly not the case. If there are no consequences for racist chanting until after the second warning, there’s no reason for people who want to engage in racism to stop themselves until that point in time.

What UEFA needs is for football associations to start self-policing more seriously. They currently have little incentive to do so, given that UEFA has never expelled a team from competition for the actions of its fans. If threatened with multiple-year bans from international competition, the Bulgarian FA and others will have to take the problem seriously and do more to make sure their events aren’t megaphones for racists.

This is a workplace safety issue, not just a PR issue

ESPN FC writer Musa Okwonga had conversations with fans on Twitter about the emotional toll racist abuse can take on players, and I think they are worth your time. A brief selection:

I’ve been saying this is a work place health and safety issue. Some People think I’m being dramatic. If you can’t feel safe at work, why would you continue working?

— andrew bailey (@blaknblue1965) October 14, 2019

Was at a Show Racism The Red Card event this week, Paul Canoville spoke about the scars that he still carries daily from the abuse he received. Shutting them up momentarily by scoring is nice and all but the players having to deal with this shit need lots of support. pic.twitter.com/MJxI2OmCZo

— Mario (@MMLe0) October 14, 2019

Racist abuse is not just people being mean on one day. It’s not just about players having their feelings hurt while they’re on the field. Racist abuse has long-lasting psychological effects. UEFA, FIFA, and FAs have recently started taking mental health and substance abuse issues seriously after realizing the toll they take on players. It’s time to think about the effects of racism the same way, and treat it with the same level of seriousness.

0 notes

worklabournewsresearch · 3 years

Text

Why Many Racialized People Feel They Need to ‘Code-Switch’ in the Workplace

"As a gay, Black man, Jefferson Darrell has been 'code-switching' his entire life. ... 'I once worked in a public-sector organization that suffered from anti-Black racism as well as homophobia,” recalled the Toronto-based founder of consultancy Breakfast Culture, which helps cultivate inclusive workplaces. 'Both myself and my white colleague would get excited about our work, yet I was told that my excitement appeared ‘too aggressive and intimidating’ and her excitement was considered ‘passionate.’'"

"For Mr. Darrell and so many racialized people, code-switching is a go-to tool used to 'fit' into the workplace. It involves modifying the way you speak or behave to accommodate different norms, then switching back to your way of being when you are outside these spaces. Based on various research studies, we know this can be effective; for example, when Black students code-switch between standard English in class and African-American Vernacular English with their friends, their 'social standing' rises with each audience."

"Prof. Foster suggests thinking of code-switching as being fluent in a second language. Code-switchers, like people who speak more than one language, tend to have better memory, listening, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration and the ability to multitask, he says. ... That’s why building a supportive network, largely made up of racialized people who can understand what you’re feeling, is crucial to finding comfort during a typical 9-to-5 job, he adds. In the workplace, these are called 'affinity groups.' They help with legitimizing one’s identity, networking, collaboration and productivity."

The Globe and Mail, May 28, 2021: "Why many racialized people feel they need to ‘code-switch’ in the workplace," by Sadaf Ahsan

Durkee, M. & Williams, J. L. (2013). Accusations of Acting White: Links to Black Students’ Racial Identity and Mental Health. Journal of Black Psychology 41 (1), 26-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798413505323 (23 pages, PDF)

Lambertz-Berndt, M. M. (2016). Communicating Identity in the Workplace and Affinity Groups Spaces. Theses and Dissertations from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/1169 (113 pages, PDF)

Hall, J. C., Hamilton-Mason, J., Everett, J. E. (2012). Black Women Talk About Workplace Stress and How They Cope. Journal of Black Studies 43 (2), 207-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934711413272 (Available to the U of T Community)

NALP, February 2021: NALP Report on Diversity (32 pages, PDF)

Gulati, M. & Carbado, D.W. (2004). Race to the Top of the Corporate Ladder: What Minorities Do When They Get There, Washington & Lee Law Review 61, 1645-1693. (50 pages, PDF)

Secret Sauce Blog website

Why the Quest for Good Soft Skills Can Often be the Same as Looking for ‘Whiteness’

"For Agatha, a 30-year-old Chinese-Canadian substitute teacher in Toronto, working primarily with white colleagues can often make her feel like an outsider. ... She says the energy and style with which many of those colleagues communicate is very different than her own, and makes her feel like she’s somehow not good enough. She feels that cultural gap most in job interviews, and says that it’s led to a dip in confidence, a rise in anxiety and a lack of passion in her work. ... This is a common dynamic for people of colour, especially as companies place increasing emphasis on soft skills – those skills which define the way we interact with each other in the workplace."

"In fact, a 2017 study by Google, which analyzed a wide range of employee data accumulated since the company’s inception in 1998, found that of the eight most important qualities in its top employees, soft skills comprised the top seven, while STEM experience came in last. Those soft skills included being a good coach, communicating and listening well, possessing insights into others (including their values and points of view), and having empathy toward others. ... And that’s not specific to Google. According to a 2019 survey conducted by educational-technology company Cengage of more than 650 employers and more than 1,500 current and former college students in the United States, it was found that soft skills were the most in demand – desired by 65 per cent of employers compared with 50 per cent of employers seeking out those with stronger technical skills."

The Globe and Mail, May 28, 2021: "Why the quest for good soft skills can often be the same as looking for ‘whiteness’," by Sadaf Ahsan

The Conversation, March 5, 2017: "Four cultural clashes that are holding East Asian employees back," by Betina Szkudlarek

Photo Source: Chu, Pawel. (2017). Meeting space table [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/ULh0i2txBCY

#The Globe and Mail #soft skills #implicit bias #employees #workplace #code-switch #racialized people #survey #workplace culture #mental health

0 notes

android-for-life · 4 years

Text

"Our commitments to racial equity"

Editor’s Note: CEO Sundar Pichai sent the following note to the company today.

Hi everyone,

Over the past several weeks, violent and racist attacks against the Black community have forced the world to reckon with the structural and systemic racism that Black people have experienced over generations. My own search for answers started within our own walls. Listening to the personal accounts of members of our Black Leadership Advisory Group and our Black+ Googlers has only reinforced for me the reality our Black communities face: one where systemic racism permeates every aspect of life, from interactions with law enforcement, to access to housing and capital, to health care, education, and the workplace.

As a company, and as individuals who came here to build helpful products for everyone, Google commits to translating the energy of this moment into lasting, meaningful change. Today we are announcing a set of concrete commitments to move that work forward: internally, to build sustainable equity for Google’s Black+ community, and externally, to make our products and programs helpful in the moments that matter most to Black users.

Building sustainable equity

Creating meaningful change starts within our own company. Strengthening our commitment to racial equity and inclusion will help Google build more helpful products for our users and the world. To that end, we’re announcing several commitments to build sustainable equity for our Black+ community.

First, we’re working to improve Black+ representation at senior levels and committing to a goal to improve leadership representation of underrepresented groups by 30 percent by 2025. To help achieve this, we’ll post senior leadership roles externally as well as internally, and increase our investments in places such as Atlanta, Washington DC, Chicago, and London, where we already have offices. We'll take the same approach across regions, using site and country-specific plans to recruit and hire more underrepresented Googlers in communities where the social infrastructure already supports a sense of belonging and contributes to a better quality of life.

Second, we’ll do more to address representation challenges and focus on hiring, retention, and promotion at all levels. To help direct that work, I’m establishing a new talent liaison within each product and functional area to mentor and advocate for the progression and retention of Googlers from underrepresented groups. I’m also convening a task force, including senior members of the Black+ community at Google, to develop concrete recommendations and proposals for accountability across all of the areas that affect the Black+ Googler experience, from recruiting and hiring, to performance management, to career progression and retention. I’ve asked the task force to come back with specific proposals (including measurable goals) within 90 days.

Third, we’re working to create a stronger sense of inclusion and belonging for Googlers in general and our Black+ community in particular. Our internal research shows that feelings of belonging are driven by many aspects of our experiences at work, including the psychological safety we feel among our teams, the support of our managers and leaders, equitable people processes, and opportunities to grow and develop our careers. Across all of these dimensions, we’re committed to building more inclusive practices and policies—and revisiting them when we don’t get them right.

As one example, we’ve had a security practice of Googlers watching for “tailgaters” in order to reduce instances of unauthorized visitors in offices. We have realized this process is susceptible to bias. So, over the past year, our Global Security and Resilience team partnering with a cross-functional working group, conducted extensive research, listened to Black Googlers’ experiences, and developed and tested new security procedures to ensure we could maintain the safety and security of the Google community without relying on this type of enforcement. Now, as we prepare to return to the office, we will end the practice of Googlers badge-checking each other and rely on our already robust security infrastructure.

Fourth, we’ll establish a range of anti-racism educational programs that are global in view and able to scale to all Googlers.We’ll be welcoming external experts into Google to share their expertise on racial history and structural inequities, and start conversations on education, allyship, and self-reflection. And this week we’ve begun piloting a new, multi-series training for Googlers of all levels that explores systemic racism and racial consciousness, to help develop stronger awareness and capacity for creating spaces where everyone feels they belong. We plan to roll out this training globally by early next year. We’ll also integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into our mandatory manager trainings.

Fifth, we’re focused on better supporting the mental and physical health and well-being of our Black+ community. For example, over the past year, we’ve worked with our mental health provider in the U.S., to increase their Black network of counselors from 6.6 percent to 9.8 percent. Our global EAP providers are also working to further diversify their network of counselors. Over the next 90 days, our Benefits team will work with the Equity Project Management Office and Black Leadership Advisory Group to identify areas where we could expand our benefits or provide additional support to Googlers and their families. As one example of the kinds of programs that work: we've made the medical second opinion service available to Googlers’ extended family—something that our Black+ community told us was important to supporting a family structure that includes siblings, parents, parents-in-law and grandparents.

Building products for change

Turning to our external announcements, we want to create products and programs that help Black users in the moments that matter most. Two weeks ago, I put out a call for ideas, and Googlers from all over the world have submitted more than 500 suggestions. We’ve assembled a product task force to prioritize and implement these ideas in partnership with our Black Leadership Advisory Group and members of our Black Googler Network.

Some activations have already launched, including the Assistant’s responses to questions related to Black Lives Matter and—as of this week—Juneteenth. We're also working quickly to give merchants in the U.S. the option of adding a “Black-owned” business attribute to their Business Profile on Google to help people find and support Black-owned local businesses by using Search and Maps. This opt-in feature is in development and will roll out to Business Profiles in the coming weeks.

Creating products for everyone is a core principle at Google, so our product teams will work to ensure that all users, and particularly Black users, see themselves reflected in our products. In addition, building on YouTube's announcement last week, our Trust and Safety team will work to strengthen our product policies against hate and harassment.

Helping create economic opportunity

Beyond our products, we know that racial equity is inextricably linked to economic opportunity. So today we are announcing a $175 million+ economic opportunity package to support Black business owners, startup founders, job seekers and developers, in addition to YouTube’s $100 million fund to amplify Black creators and artists. This new commitment includes:

$50 million in financing and grants for small businesses, focused on the Black community and in partnership with Opportunity Finance Network. This commitment builds on our recent $125 million Grow with Google Small Business Fund that is helping underserved minority and women-owned small businesses across the U.S.

$100 million in funding participation in Black-led capital firms, startups and organizations supporting Black entrepreneurs, including increased investments in Plexo Capital and non-dilutive funding to Black founders in the Google for Startups network.

$15 million in training, through partners like the National Urban League, to help Black jobseekers grow their skills.

$10 million+ to help improve the Black community’s access to education, equipment and economic opportunities in our developer ecosystem, and increase equity, representation and inclusion across our developer platforms, including Android, Chrome, Flutter, Firebase, Google Play and more.

Mentorship is also critical to growing networks and successful businesses. Today, we are launching our Google for Startups Accelerator for Black Founders, a three-month digital accelerator program for high potential Seed to Series A startups and announcing an expansion of our Digital Coaches program to 8 new cities, including Memphis, Birmingham, and Cleveland, to provide 50K Black-owned businesses in the U.S. with the mentorship, networking and training they need to grow.

Improving education

We’re also committing nearly $3 million to help close the racial equity gaps in computer science education and increase Black+ representation in STEM fields. This starts with making sure Black students have access to opportunities early on in their education. To that end, we’re expanding our CS First curriculum to 7,000 more teachers who reach 100,000+ Black students, scaling our Applied Digital Skills program to reach 400,000 Black middle and high school students, and making a $1 million Google.org grant to the DonorsChoose #ISeeMe campaign, to help teachers access materials to make their classrooms more inclusive.

Beyond the classroom, we’re increasing our exploreCSR awards to 16 more universities to address racial gaps in CS research & academia, and we’re also supporting Black in AI with $250,000 to help increase Black representation in the field of AI.

These efforts build on our other education initiatives, including CodeNext, focused on cultivating the next generation of Black and Latinx tech leaders, and TechExchange, which partners with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) to bring students to Google’s campus for four months to learn about topics from product management to machine learning.

Supporting racial justice organizations

We also continue to support organizations working to advance criminal justice reform. Earlier this month, Google.org pledged another $12 million, in addition to the $32 million we’ve already contributed since the Charleston shooting five years ago today. We’re announcing the next round of grants—at $1 million each—to the Leadership Conference Education Fund, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Policing Reform Campaign and the Movement for Black Lives. We’ve also created a public donation page to help raise even more for organizations fighting against racism and inequality. Recognizing that racism is a problem the world over, looking ahead, we will focus on more global solutions, and will be giving grants to local community organizations tackling these issues in Brazil, and across Europe and Africa.

Let me close by simply saying thank you to the many Googlers who have come together to drive these efforts. That includes our Chief Diversity Officer Melonie Parker and the Employee Engagement team, our Equity Project Management Office working in partnership with our Black Leadership Advisory Group and members of our Black Googler Network, and everyone who has stepped up with ideas on how we can build a better workplace, and, in turn, better products for the world.

-Sundar

Source : The Official Google Blog via Source information

#jeprog

0 notes

depaulcorpcomms · 5 years

Text

UEFA: Three-Step Anti-Racism Protocol Tested During Bulgaria vs. England Qualifying Match

BY: Kristina Antonova

SUMMARY OF:

youtube

On October 14, a qualifying UEFA 2020 Euro match between Bulgaria and England had to be stopped twice due to racist abuse from the fans. Bulgarian fans mocked English players by making monkey noises and performing Nazi salutes.

England's football manager had to complain twice for the referee to stop the game the first time. A warning was announced to fans, and the game continued. The behavior didn't stop after the first warning, so the game was stopped a second time, and a second warning was issued. The second warning to the fans cautioned them that if the game were stopped a third time, the match would be abandoned entirely. The two warnings were right before halftime; the Bulgarian captain spent his halftime break pledging with the fans to stop this behavior (Ogden, p. 5-8, 2019).

The reaction following this match was immediate. The president of the Bulgaria Football Union resigned the following day after being called out by Prime Minister. He was not the only one to resign; the Bulgaria football manager also resigned after claiming not to have heard anything during the match.("Uefa to decide Bulgaria," p. 5-7, 2019). UEFA placed a two-game stadium ban on Bulgaria with an $83,160 sanction.

The UEFA is under criticism because of its Anti-Racism Protocol. The protocol consists of three steps: 1) the referee must stop the game when they become aware of any racist activity and issue warning, 2) the referee will stop the game again, and request teams go back to dressing rooms, and 3) the match is abandoned.

The criticism came because first, the referee had to be asked twice by England's manager for the first step, and then the teams remained on the field with the fans continuing their behavior for the second step. ("Empowering referees to act against racism," 2019).

Fans are concerned over the health and conditions of the players dealing with this abuse – everyone is urging UEFA to come up with a better system against racism during games (McCauley, p.11, 2019). Many fans have expressed their disgust over this match, and previous matches and some are planning on boycotting UEFA and FIFA in general.

REACTION TO:

Personally, as a Bulgarian, I am also very appalled at the behavior of the fans and even the head coach of the Bulgarian team. Like many fans have expressed on social media, no one should have to deal with constant racial abuse in their workplace. While a soccer field is not a traditional work environment, it is still a workplace. The three-step protocol is good in theory, but it doesn't change anything, especially if it is not applied correctly. Still, I think that UEFA should step up their punishments and make an example out of Bulgaria that fans cannot act like that. Hopefully, they come up with a stronger Anti-Racism strategy before fans completely give up on them.

PAGE PRINCIPLES:

Prove it with Action:

The first Page Principle that should be applied here is to prove it with action. UEFA has been trying to act against racism for a while, but whenever they are forced to act, they don't entirely do anything. They come up with lighter punishments instead of ultimately putting their foot down. The president of UEFA mentions that educating is more critical than punishing, and yet we have seen even less educating for their side. If they want to have an Anti-Racism campaign, then they should go full force before another match ends in a disappointment. So far, the only action that the UEFA has done is place a two-game stadium ban and issued a sanction, but no changes have been made to the protocol and no future changes have been discussed yet.

Listen to Stakeholders:

The second Page Principle that should be applied is to listen to stakeholders. Stakeholders include the 'employees' or in this case, the players and the fans. Listening to firsthand experiences from players dealing with racism, not only on the field but off, it can give some insight on how to prevent future incidents during matches. Fans also have been sharing their disapproval of current protocols and actions. The UEFA needs to start listening to their stakeholders that are often overlooked in the decision making process.

REFERENCES:

Empowering referees to act against racism: UEFA's three-step procedure (2019, October 15). Inside UEFA. Retrieved from https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/news/newsid=2628179.html

[Guardian Football]. (2019, October 15). Bulgaria v England: 'One of the most appalling nights in football' [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSLkh33ZLjk

McCauley, K. (2019, October 15). Why UEFA is useless at dealing with racism in soccer. SBNation. Retrieved from https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2019/10/14/20914442/uefa-racism-abuse-protocol-england-vs-bulgaria-euro-2020

Ogden, M. (2019, October 14). Bulgaria-England halted due to racism protocol. ESPN. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/soccer/england-eng/story/3965118/england-bulgaria-halted-under-uefa-racism-protocol

The Page Principles. (n.d.). Arthur W. Page Society. Retrieved from https://page.org/site/the-page-principles

Uefa to decide Bulgaria punishment for racist abuse in England qualifier. (2019, October 27). BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50202399

0 notes

unfilteredpatriot · 5 years

Text

New Post has been published on Unfiltered Patriot

New Post has been published on http://unfilteredpatriot.com/nyc-education-chancellor-accused-of-racism-against-white-employees/

NYC Education Chancellor Accused of Racism Against White Employees

Several former employees of the New York City Department of Education are preparing to file a lawsuit against the city, accusing public schools Chancellor Richard Carranza of fostering an environment that is “hostile toward whites.” According to the New York Post, the accusers are white women who say they were deliberately passed over and pushed out of their jobs so that Carranza could bring in racial minorities who were less qualified for the job.

“These decisions are being made because DOE leadership believes that skin color plays a role in how to get equity – that white people can’t convey the message,” a source told the Post. “There’s a toxic whiteness concept going on.”

Under the chancellor’s leadership, the sources say, some whites are being told to either move on or give up some of their responsibilities – regardless of how well they performed in their positions. They say more than a dozen high-level superintendents and school officials have been demoted or pushed out as part of Carranza’s efforts to de-white the DOE.

In addition to personnel changes, sources say Carranza is infusing the department with anti-whiteness training propaganda.

From the Post:

The DOE has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants to coach supervisors on how to “disrupt the power structure and dismantle institutional racism,” a supervisor said.

“There’s been a lot of discussion of white supremacy and how it manifests in the workplace, conversations about race, and looking at how the white culture behaves,” said a white executive who received the training.

“White supremacy is characterized by perfectionism, a belief in meritocracy, and the Protestant work ethic,” the exec said, adding that whites who object when accused of deep-rooted bias are called “fragile” and “defensive.”

“Can you imagine if we scrutinized blackness or brownness? We’re being trained in anti-bias not to stereotype blacks, but they’re fostering a stereotyping of whites.”

Can you imagine, indeed.

But this is the way of the liberal world now, and the boundaries of that world extend well beyond New York City. It is no longer even controversial for education officials to discuss the “toxicity of whiteness.” It is no longer even questioned when restaurants train their employees on how to recognize their own “white privilege.” The diseased, highly unscientific theories that used to be confined to sociology departments have now infected much of the real world. And it was only a matter of time before white people, through absolutely no fault of their own, began to be punished for having the wrong color skin.

This movement, like every other racist movement in human history, will not end well.

0 notes

deniscollins · 4 years

Text

From Cosmetics to NASCAR, Calls for Racial Justice Are Spreading

Estée Lauder announced donating $1 million to support racial and social justice organizations in response to the George Floyd tragedy. But employees pinpointed Mr. Lauder’s political donations to President rump as being in conflict with the company’s stance on race, particularly since the president has tweeted conspiracy theories about injured protesters, and described demonstrators as “THUGS.” If you were Mr. Lauder would you increase your donation to social justice groups to match your donations to President Trump: (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

The reckonings have been swift and dizzying.

On Monday, it was the dictionary, with Merriam-Webster saying it was revising its entry on racism to illustrate the ways in which it “can be systemic.”

On Tuesday, the University of Washington removed the coach of its dance team after the only two black members of the group were cut. The two women were invited to return.

On Wednesday, after a black racecar driver called on NASCAR to ban the Confederate battle flag from its events, the organization did just that.

On Thursday, Nike joined a wave of American companies that have made Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in America, an official paid holiday, “to better commemorate and celebrate Black history and culture.”

And on Friday, ABC Entertainment named the franchise’s first black man to star in “The Bachelor” in the show’s 18-year history, acceding to longstanding demands from fans.

In just under three weeks since the killing of George Floyd set off widespread protests, what started as a renewed demand for police reform has now roiled seemingly every sphere of American life, prompting institutions and individuals around the country to confront enduring forms of racial discrimination.

Many black Americans have been inundated with testaments and queries from white friends about fighting racism. And anti-racist activists have watched with some amazement as powerful white leaders and corporations acknowledge concepts like “structural racism’’ and pledge to make sweeping changes in personal and institutional behavior.

But those who have been in the trenches for decades fighting racism in America wonder how lasting the soul searching will be.

The flood of corporate statements denouncing racism “feels like a series of mea culpas written by the press folks and run by the top black folks” inside each organization, said Dream Hampton, a writer and filmmaker. “Show us a picture of your C-suite, who is on your board. Then we can have a conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion.”

“Stop sending positive vibes,’’ begged Chad Sanders, a writer, in a recent New York Times Op-Ed, directing his white friends to instead help protect black protesters, donate to black politicians and funds fighting racial injustice, and urge others to do the same.

The protests have so far yielded some tangible changes in policing itself. On Friday, New York banned the use of chokeholds by law enforcement and repealed a law that kept police disciplinary records secret.

But their power is also cultural. A run on books about racism has reordered best-seller lists, driving titles like “How to Be an Antiracist’’ and “White Fragility’’ to the top. And language about American racial dynamics that was once the purview of academia and activism appears to have gone mainstream.

In a video released June 5 apologizing for the N.F.L.’s previous failure to support players who protested police violence, Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the league, condemned the “systematic oppression” of black people, a term used to convey that racism is embedded in the policies of public and private institutions. The Denver Board of Education, in voting to end its contract with the city police department for school resource officers, cited a desire to avoid the “perpetuation of the school-to-prison pipeline,” a reference to how school policies can lay the groundwork for the incarceration of young black Americans.

“One of the exhilarating things about this moment is that black people are articulating to the world that this isn’t just an issue of the state literally killing us, it’s also about psychic death,’’ said Jeremy O. Harris, a playwright whose “Slave Play” addresses the failure of white liberals to admit their complicity in America’s ongoing racial inequities.

He added, “It’s exhilarating because for the first time, in a macro sense, people are saying names and showing up and showing receipts.’’

Sensing a rare, and perhaps fleeting, opportunity to be heard, many black Americans are sharing painful stories on social media about racism and mistreatment in the workplace, accounts that some said they were too scared to disclose before. They are using hashtags like #BlackInTheIvory or #WeSeeYouWAT, referring to bias in academia and “White American Theater.”

The feeling of a dam breaking has drawn analogies to the fall and winter of 2017, when sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein triggered a deluge of disturbing accounts from women and provoked frank conversations in which friends, colleagues and neighbors confessed to one another: I’ve suffered in that manner as well. Or: I now realize I have wronged someone, and I’d like to do better.

Though racism is hardly a secret, “a huge awakening is just the awareness of people who don’t face the headwinds,” said Drew Dixon, a music producer, activist and subject of the documentary “On the Record,” about her decision to come forward with rape allegations against the music producer Russell Simmons, which he has denied. “Many people had no idea what women deal with every single day, and I think many non-black people had no idea what black people deal with every day.”

A shift in the making

While the outpouring may seem sudden, there have been signs that perceptions on race were already in flux.

Opinion polls over the last decade have shown a self-reported turn by Democrats toward a more sympathetic view of black Americans, with more attributing disparities in areas like income and education to discrimination rather than personal failure. By 2018, white liberals said they felt more positively about blacks, Latinos and Asians than they did about whites.

The reason for the shift is unclear — and those attitudes have so far not translated into desegregated schools or neighborhoods — but may help explain the cascade of responses to Mr. Floyd’s killing.

The outpouring is also related to the horrific nature of Mr. Floyd’s death — a white police officer kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes — captured in a stark video at a moment of rising national frustration with the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown.

The protests still surging through the streets of America’s cities, said the civil rights movement scholar Aldon Morris, are “unprecedented in terms of the high levels of white participation in a movement targeting black oppression and grievances.”

Younger Americans are also much more racially diverse than earlier generations. They tend to have different views on race. And their imprint on society is only growing.

Brands trying to appeal to younger consumers have in recent years increasingly proclaimed their belief in equality and justice. Two years ago, Nike featured in a major ad campaign the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who knelt during the national anthem to protest racism. The tagline for MAC, the cosmetics company, is “All Ages, All Races, All Genders.”

In the wake of the Floyd protests, everyone from Wall Street C.E.O.s and the sportswear giant Adidas to the fruit snack Gushers and a company that sells stun guns put out statements of support of diversity, flooding Instagram with vague messages.

These prompted cries of hypocrisy from those who said the companies don’t practice the values they’re espousing.

At several companies, what employees saw as an inadequate response to Mr. Floyd’s death seemed to serve as a catalyst for a long-simmering contention over questions of racial equity. At Adidas, dozens of employees stopped working to attend daily protests outside the company’s North American headquarters in Portland, Ore.

The tumult has been especially fraught at Estée Lauder, the beauty giant, stemming from the political donations of Ronald S. Lauder, a 76-year-old board member and a son of the company’s founders. He has also been a prominent supporter of President Trump.

On May 29, employees at Estée Lauder, like those in much of the rest of corporate America, began receiving emails from the company’s leadership addressing racial discrimination.

There was “considerable pain” in black communities, one missive noted. According to copies of the internal communications obtained by The New York Times, the company, whose vast portfolio includes Clinique, MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer and Aveda, encouraged employees to pause working on June 2 in honor of “Blackout Tuesday.”

At a video meeting on June 4 among an internal group called NOBLE, or Network of Black Leaders and Executives, company leaders said Estée Lauder was donating $1 million to support racial and social justice organizations. But employees pinpointed Mr. Lauder’s political donations to Mr. Trump as being in conflict with the company’s stance on race. The president has tweeted conspiracy theories about injured protesters, described demonstrators as “THUGS,” and praised most law enforcement officers as “great people.”

Employees left dissatisfied. Later that night, a petition appeared on Change.org.

The company’s donation did “not match, or exceed Ronald Lauder’s personal donations in support of state-sanctioned violence,” organizers of the petition, which has amassed more than 6,000 signatures, wrote. “Ronald Lauder’s involvement with the Estée Lauder Companies is damaging to our corporate values, our relationship with the Black community, our relationship with this company’s Black employees, and this company’s legacy.”

In his first public comment on the situation, Mr. Lauder told The Times in a statement Friday that he had spent decades “fighting anti-Semitism, hate and bigotry in all its forms in New York and around the world as president of the World Jewish Congress.”

“As a country, we must recommit ourselves to the fight against anti-Semitism and racism,” he said. “In this urgent moment of change, I am expanding the scope of my anti-Semitism campaign to include causes for racial justice, especially in the Black community, as well as other forms of dangerous ethnic and religious intolerance around the world.”

On Monday, Estée Lauder said it would donate $5 million in coming weeks to “support racial and social justice and to continue to support greater access to education,” and donate an additional $5 million over the following two years.

Other companies have also pledged money. On Thursday alone, PayPal, Apple and YouTube collectively pledged $730 million to racial justice and equity efforts.

Jobs on the line

As companies face restive employees, pressure has also grown to remove those who have made offensive statements. Others have had to apologize publicly. Adam Rapoport resigned as editor in chief of the magazine Bon Appétit on Monday after a 2004 photo showing him in an offensive costume resurfaced on social media.

And Greg Glassman, the founder and chief executive of CrossFit, stepped down on Tuesday following comments about race and racism on a Zoom call to gym owners.

“We’re not mourning for George Floyd, I don’t think me or any of my staff are,” said Mr. Glassman on the Zoom call, according to a recording of the call provided to The Times.

“Can you tell me why I should mourn for him?” he said. “Other than it’s the ‘white’ thing to do. I get that pressure, but give me another reason.”

NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast that includes the NBC broadcast network and cable channels like Bravo, has encountered fires on multiple fronts as the reckoning has swept the country.

For NBC, the problems started the morning after Mr. Floyd’s death, when Jimmy Fallon found himself under attack on Twitter for performing in blackface on “Saturday Night Live” in 2000. A video of the sketch had resurfaced online. Mr. Fallon, who has been an NBC star for 22 years, first at “SNL” and more recently leading the “Tonight” show, issued a written apology that afternoon. He apologized at length on camera the following day.

On June 2, a writer was fired from an upcoming NBC series, “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” after posting photos of himself on Facebook holding a weapon and threatening to “light up” looters.

Then came an explosion from NBCUniversal’s cable division. The hit reality series “Vanderpump Rules,” an anchor tenant on Bravo since 2013, fired four cast members for past racist behavior. Some of the incidents were already known. Others were disclosed on Instagram after Mr. Floyd’s death.

On June 8, Brian Roberts, Comcast’s chief executive, said in a memo to employees that the company would give $75 million to social justice organizations, along with $25 million worth of advertising inventory, including on Sky, its pay-television unit in Britain.

“We know that Comcast alone can’t remedy this complex issue,” Mr. Roberts wrote. “But you have my commitment that our company will try to play an integral role in driving lasting reform.”

LONG ARTICLE CONTINUES ...

0 notes