The Missing Piece - This One Goes Out to All the Antiracism Advocates

antiracism training discrimination fatigue weathering workplace Sep 09, 2022

The no. 1 element, antiracism advocates in the workplace, underestimate…

Tell me in a song lyric.

“Get up Stand up, stand up for your rights” Bob Marley?

“Don’t Touch my Hair.” Solange?

“Free your Mind” Envogue?

No, okay, forget the songs. Try again.

Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu? Ibram X Kendi? John Amaechi?

Come on, I’m rooting for you. Try again.

LinkedIn? Guardian? The OBV website?

Okay, come back this way, you’re heading way out the dancehall.

Let’s keep things very real. You know more about race and racism than most people. You live and breathe it. As soon as you discover a new angle, Amazon Prime is on your doorstep with the latest book filled with golden knowledge nuggets.

But you have forgotten something.

However, before I get into that. Allow me to share a personal story for context.

I started our delivering cultural awareness training to primary school teachers. Talking about the ‘R’ word was beyond a taboo, but we would get close enough, by discussing ‘cultures’ and ‘cultural’ clashes.

One session, I shared that as humans, we all pre-judge (unconscious bias hadn’t been popularised yet). This idea was so horrifying to one teacher, that she leapt up in a rage, protesting that she didn’t judge anyone and never would. Consequently, she made a complaint about me, and I wasn’t invited back.

This event was so shocking and traumatising to me (because before that, I had been able to be happy-go-lucky Rebbecca simply sharing researched material). Suddenly, I became the monster that dared to suggest, as fallible humans, we might not treat everyone equally.

As a result, I concluded it was far too painful to train people, to make life fairer for racially marginalised people, so I stopped (for about 8 years).

Fast forward to 2020, George Floyd (rest peacefully), BLM protests, Black social media squares illuminated the consciousness of the world. People remembered me; they must have been saying “Rebbecca does that kind of training.” My inbox was blowing up. Many white leaders of large organisations were asking me to deliver training on systemic racism, white fragility, white privilege.

“Say what now?”

My eyes couldn’t open any wider in disbelief. How things had changed.

Quickly, I realised that finally many people (not all) were open to still having the conversation and I knew it was time to give this a shot again. Hence the reason you see me going all in today.

Are you following what I’m saying?

  • Do you find you’re constantly battling to be heard?
  • Is race always squeezed out of the meeting for more ‘pressing issues’?
  • Are you viewed as that moany disruptor because you dare point out systems are failing ethnic minorities?

Yet you still show up to work rapping Kendrick Lamar’s “We gon be alright.”, with a Colgate smile but a heavy frowning heart?

Look, it really doesn’t need to be this way. You can talk about race; be yourself and be supported.

How? Place yourself in environments where you are

CELEBRATED and not TOLERATED

(thank you to the originator of this quote – I wish I knew who you were).

Now I am not saying to all those in the trenches to give up the fight on the front line or that that is necessary. I am saying that if/when this all gets too much, there’s another way.

There’s only so much pulling people up on their microaggressions, complaining, challenging policy, etc… you can do. Some people are committed to not hearing you. Experiencing the impact of systemic racism (if you’re an ethnic minority) in general is hard enough.

So, what does this mean for you?

Imagine showing up for work, where your values and ideas are supported? Envision working for a company that genuinely champions antiracism? These companies exist! I’ve delivered training in many.

“…I found it. I found the party inside me. The celebration that needs to happen to combat the pain and trauma of memory. I found that there is no creating without using you.”

Viola Davis, Finding Me

I love this!

What Viola and I are saying, is…

Authenticity + a supportive environment = the freedom to create change

That really is it!

The power to make meaningful change (no matter the size) is in your hands. Being in a place where others believe in the cause is not conducive to better outcomes for racially marginalised people, it is also much kinder to your mental well-being.

To sum up,

Encouragement and celebration (of you), I believe, lead to a much more fulfilling life.

Before you know it, Beyonce’s ‘Break my Soul’ song will be your life’s anthem.

“… I'm on that new vibration

I’m building my own foundation, yeah!”

(Okay, I’m done with the song lyrics, I promise).

Psychology expert Anthony Robbins says, if we want to make change, we must change our perception or our procedure. Which is it going to be for you?

Wherever you are, if you need colleagues to further support you by developing their knowledge on antiracism, enrol them onto our online CPD accredited antiracism courses: Time to Talk about Race or Understanding Microaggressions – the subtle racism. We teach them and test their knowledge to prove learning has taken place.

I wish you nothing but happiness, success and a new, energising hope-filled life playlist

Take care of you

Rebbecca ‘your creating cultural harmony guide’ Hemmings

 

 

 

 

Talking about racism can seem difficult and uncomfortable. This CPD accredited course provides a foundational education on racism to help to increase racial literacy which includes building confidence to speak about and deal with issues concerning race. It provides a language through which meaningful conversation can take place (particularly in the workplace).

Time to Talk about Race Online Course

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