On Jan. 26, President Joe Biden issued four executive orders that sought to end systemic racism. He cited George Floyd's 2020 death as an example of institutional racism and called for the U.S. government to take action.
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We hosted a panel on this topic shortly after the protests started last year. The webinar was held on Juneteenth and featured four Black women, including one who shared her own experiences with racial prejudice in job interviews, shopping for clothes, and even working alongside their peers.
We received a lot of questions from predominantly white audiences, including "How can I be an alligator?". This is a common question that was asked by people who are not African Americans.
We were business scholars who are interested in diversity and one black, so we set out to answer these questions about how white people can support Black colleagues. We interviewed five Black professionals, and their mostly white colleagues to find out if there was an antidote for racial bias at work.
These ongoing studies revealed three themes that we intend to submit to peer review.
Systemic bias
Racism is often woven into the everyday life of Black people. It's not only being treated differently by police that prompted the 2020 protests.
Black people can also experience bias from teachers, classmates, managers, and neighbors who are well-intentioned. Even small acts of reckless disregard can lead to wide racial disparities.
We sought to understand how small acts of resolve connection could help shift the tide towards greater justice and equity.
We used our networks to reach out to five Black professionals working in various industries, including sports management, financial services, packaged food, and packaged foods. They were all in senior positions within their respective organizations. We asked them to name the people who helped them succeed and to describe the support they provided to manage implicit or explicit discrimination. Then, we interviewed eight of their allies, seven black and one white.
The key patterns revealed by these 13 interviews about simple ways to combat racial bias were not found in conventional wisdom. A qualitative approach, unlike research that relies solely on representative viewpoints, allowed us to gain a deeper, more complete understanding of the variables and factors that make these relationships powerful.
Black Lives Matter protests were directed at systemic racism. AP Photo/Frank Augstein
Reciprocal relationships
We found that social exchange theory supports the idea of partnerships and mutual benefit in these relationships.
People of color stated that they don't want to be treated with pity by others. The question "What can I do?" implies that someone in power is reaching out to help someone in need.
People of color who we spoke with found that they received the most support from their friends when they recognized their talent and encouraged them to use it more effectively at work. This support was more genuine and trustworthy when both sides benefitted from the relationship and learned from one another.
Interviewed Black professionals stated that they were already at the top of their game and were trying to prove themselves to be valuable. Managers and colleagues who had benefited from their efforts sought to promote them within the company. Allies also said that they support Black workers because of their talent.
One ally said that the dominant white culture within his company did not value his Black colleagues' talent and was hindering her success. He actively recruited his wife when he found a job in a new company. He convinced her she could handle the new position, which was much more challenging than her previous ones.
We were told by her that she was encouraged to succeed by his support. Both parties were able to benefit from the relationship that was based on talent and not pity.
Dont avoid uncomfortable conversations
These relationships weren't shady or guarded, they were honest and straightforward.
Research has shown that black supervisors are more likely to avoid giving feedback to Black peers and subordinates out of fear of being seen as biased. It can also be more biased to not say anything. Young professionals can be hindered by having to have difficult conversations.
People of color require advice from experienced people on how to navigate the racism traps in the workplace. Sometimes they don't realize that certain actions or approaches can be perceived negatively at work. These conversations can help strengthen relationships.
An ally noted that even though it was hard, she saw it as a managerial responsibility for her to tell her Black colleague that her expectations were not being met. Another ally explained to a junior Black colleague how proving your superiority to another supervisor can be detrimental to your long-term career prospects.
These honest, but difficult conversations helped to shape the personality of the person of color and set the foundation for trusting relationships throughout life.
Connect outside of work
It was a huge difference for the people of color that we interviewed, when an ally tried getting to know them as a person and not just in terms of their work.
It is easier to be productive at work if colleagues are open to seeing them as individuals with different passions, talents, and interests than those who stereotypize or pigeonhole them because of their race or gender. It is also easier to advocate for someone you are familiar with.
Black professionals report feeling anxious when they are involved in work-related social events. This is partly due to the fact that they don't understand the rules. Black professionals are more likely to be involved in social activities outside of work than white professionals.
Interviewees stated that a key way to combat this was for allies to make an effort to get to know each other outside of work. These social interactions, whether over a cup or a meal at home, allowed for relationships to thrive and stereotypes to be dispelled.
One of our white allies shared that she had often invited white colleagues to her house for dinner, but never had a Black colleague. When she was discussing vacation plans for a seven-day charter Alaskan fishing trip with a Black woman working in the same office as her, she realized her husband enjoyed fishing and invited them along. They became close friends and bonded.
This doesn't mean you have to become friends. This is a way to close the psychological divide that exists between people based on their race at work.
Kamala Harris was the first Black U.S. vice-president. Greg Nash/Pool Photo via AP
A simple antidote
The U.S. presents a world where black Americans feel both vulnerable and empowered. This jarring story is summed up in two recent scenes at the U.S. Capitol.
Kamala Harris, the first Black vice president, took the oath on Jan. 20 and was then sworn in as the first Black senator for Georgia. Compare that to images taken exactly two weeks prior of white supremacists storming the same building.
Americans face many challenges in achieving a more inclusive society. It is true that institutional racism must be addressed by systematic intervention by companies and significant policy changes by government. Our research shows that they could also benefit from genuine relationships with their managers, colleagues and other people in their lives.
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This article was republished by The Conversation, a non-profit news site that shares ideas from academic experts. It was written by Jennifer R. Joe, University of Delaware, and Wendy K. Smith University of Delaware.
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The authors are not affiliated with any company or organization that could benefit from this article. They have not disclosed any relevant affiliations.
