We’ve just had our webinar on racial Diversity and Inclusion, the first on our series of Practical measures on re-thinking business after covid-19. It was a great discussion on practices and actions that SME’s can take to overcome barriers on racism and inequalities, as well as some important insights on acknowledging that racism is a systemic problem, nevertheless we know that is a very complex subject and sometimes we can feel lost about how we can start addressing the problems.
To help you navigate though the labyrinth of self-reflection, education and action, we would like to share a collection of carefully curated resources made available for us by Amelie Lambert, extended with business related D&I tools and links by Marina Bradford and myself. Some of them are UK focused, but surely suiting the global context. Feel free to explore and share it!
“It can often start with you and another person, or you and two people, having a conversation about what the world can be and here are the steps you can take. You need to take concrete steps — small ones, like steps on a ladder — to get to systemic change.“
DeRay Mckesson
How you can be an ally in the fight for racial justice
D&I Tools
4D Sustainability Canvas
Toolkit for inclusive spaces
Resources and tools by Business in the community
Support Black businesses
- UK – support black owned businesses
- Black Business Directory – Submit Your Black Owned Businesses
- Black2Business UK
- Graphic recording & visual communication consultancy (as seen on the slides) – A thousand Words Consulting
Listen and Learn
Systemic inequalities and racism do exist. Recognizing that we know little about it is a good starting point. Understanding the causes of racism, reflecting on unconscious bias (including concepts of white privilege & systemic or institutional racism) is our duty as individuals, organisations and institutions that make up a society.
From a personal point of view, self-education is of crucial importance, we can start doing our own research, acknowledging our privilege (if applies), to help you here are some great resources to get started:
- Privilege explained, with two videos gone viral here and here
- Jane Elliot, american schoolteacher and anti-racism activist, and her famous “blue eyes, brown eyes” experiment in 1968 (following MR. King’s assassination), still relevant
- BBC news in the wake of George Floyd’s death, UK protests; Jamelia on covert racism
- The Conversation : Explainer: what is systemic racism and institutional racism?
- UK: The MacPherson’s report, following the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, brought to light “institutional racism” : What has really happened since Macpherson’s report and what was it and what impact did it have?
- Ben & Jerry’s (facts and stats) 7 Ways We Know Systemic Racism Is Real + remarkable statement “We must dismantle white supremacy”
- On Imperialism, a history of racism and a personal story growing up in 20th century Britain – ‘Natives’, by Akala. And his book interview
- Everything and anything by James Baldwin
Sustainability & Racial Inequality
So, to white people who care about maintaining a habitable planet, I need you to become actively anti-racist. I need you to understand that our racial inequality crisis is intertwined with our climate crisis. If we don’t work on both, we will succeed at neither. I need you to step up. Please. Because I am exhausted.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
I’m a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet
- The UN – Let’s Fight Racism & How the SDGs relate to Human Rights
- Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Washington Post: I’m a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet
- Somini Sengupta, NYT: Black Environmentalists Talk About Climate and Anti-Racism
Engage. Reach out. Prompt the conversation.
So you could do it better equipped find out how to become allies with the BLM and other movements in your own communities and country. Start at your home! In the book Road Map for Revolutionaries you can find “a lucid, refreshing, and concise guide […] to transform rage into productive, long-term resistance”.
Take Action for Anti-Racism, justice and equality.
- CHECK YOUR OWN biases
- CALL IT when you see/hear it. Being a by-stander enables injustice to take place.
- DEMAND transparency and action for equality & racial justice from your local authorities: r
– Write to your MP (find your local MP if you are in the UK here)
– Petition: example – Introduce Mandatory Ethnicity Pay Gap Reporting - DISCUSS with friends, relatives, community and in the workplace. For example, is your organisation promoting and applying fair and equal pay? Diversity practices?
- JOIN the demonstrations
- DONATE to organisations that are already working on addressing the issues:
– ENAR: pan-European anti-racism network that combines advocacy for racial equality and facilitating cooperation among civil society anti-racism actors in Europe.
– UK charities and organisations all tackling racism in different ways.
– Dos Afros Pro Mundo: Brazilian NGO working on the integration of black informal workers and afro entrepreneurs into formal supply chains. - How to support anti racist if you can’t donate (UK)
Opinion pieces
- Barack Obama
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change
Anguish and Action - Donna Alexander
I don’t know how to act anymore - Jaz Broughton
Black Lives Matter – An Open Letter to colleagues
Further resources + readings lists (including films and documentaries)
- Layla F Saad, The Guardian: Do the work: an anti-racist reading list (Layla is the author of Me and White Supremacy, also on many reading lists)
- Julia Wuench, Forbes (incl. books, articles, TV series, films & documentaries): First, Listen. Then, Learn: Anti-Racism Resources For White People
- Suyin Haynes, The Times: Books to read to educate yourself about anti-racism and race
- Writer Alyssa Klein and activist and filmmaker Sarah Sophie Flicker compiled a public google doc with over 75 anti-racism resources for white people and parents to deepen their anti-racism work.
- TED talk by justice scientist Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff: When we define racism as behaviors instead of feelings, we can measure it — and transform it from an impossible problem into a solvable one.
- On inclusive feminism: black feminist theorist bell hooks’ noted in From Margin to Center that the 1960’s second wave of feminism was racist, and classist: “Hooks argues that feminism’s goal of seeking credibility and acceptance on already existing ground – rather than demanding the lasting and more fundamental transformation of society – shortchanged the movement.”
Business and inclusion
- Success stories of inclusive businesses during Pandemic
- 8 resources for diverse stock photos
- Diversity still matters McKinsey report
- Race in the Workplace (UK)
- Recommended Diversity & Inclusion experts: Obi James and Sonia Meggie
We hope the above content provides the right framework to begin a sustainable and effective action. Have something to add? Don’t hesitate to get in touch!