We have entered a period where silence for most is no longer an option. The constant trauma of seeing and experiencing black lives taken needlessly has evoked a move to cry out to the world. Black men and women have always held their emotions close. We often come to work pretending that everything is ok. We strive for success, we try to jump higher and run faster just to keep up a pace, where others are almost always given a head start. What is that head start? Not being black
Before the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others, it was a well-known secret that we couldn’t afford to talk about our true feelings and be our authentic selves. We have policed our tone, facial expressions, dress, and hair, but these terrible tragedies were the heavy cherry on top of all of that.
We are tired, thus you get TRUTH.
We are starting to have conversations, demanding safe spaces, equality, respect, and accountability. Many people that are in the majority are uncomfortable. This is not a bad thing and we are going to give you 3 reasons why:
- Change happens when you are uncomfortable
- People are becoming more aware of the root cause of the discomfort
- We can call out the people, things, issues that make us uncomfortable as a result of more people seeing it and do something about it
Most black people go to work every day in uncomfortable circumstances, aside from those outside of work. It’s time for that to change. We call on allies to use their discomfort to make change. Organizational leaders and HR departments have the opportunity to be on the side of right and truly make their workplaces all-inclusive and diverse, on purpose. We urge all of you to feel empathy with your discomfort. We charge you to CLEAR THE PATH. DO BETTER.
