Following the death of George Floyd last summer and the protestors demanding justice that flooded that streets in almost every major city, frank conversations about racism began to take place at many corporations. But what is the correct way to approach these issues and how can companies learn to take action to protect, promote and include their BIPOC colleagues and leaders?
Pamela Morris-Thornton, Panera Bread’s vice president of diversity, and Adrienne Trimble, Sysco’s vice president and chief diversity officer took the stage at the Women’s Foodservice Forum on Monday to discuss their professional experience as Black women and what is “At the Intersection of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.”
Here are five key takeaways from that valuable session:
Open up the lines of communication
Create an atmosphere where women and people of color are encouraged to express themselves and where uncomfortable topics are not pushed under the rug.
“Like a lot of companies at this time, we conducted several sessions and opened up the Zoom lines and let people share how they were feeling [after George Floyd’s death],” Morris-Thornton said. “I felt the pain of our associates through their voices, the hurt in their hearts and the agony of yet another name added to this growing list and how we need to address the stress and trauma of our colleagues.”
Understand the importance of diverse mentorship
Both Trimble and Morris-Thornton explained that as they rose the ranks in their careers, more often than not their personal mentors and connections were other Black women, but in their professional life, their mentors were usually older white men.
“There were very few people who looked like me in leadership positions,” Trimble said. “When i was promoted to executive ranks I was the only black female in our entire manufacturing operation. I said, ‘I may be the first but I will certainly not be the last.’ When we get those opportunities to pull up the next generation, we need to do that.”
Be on the lookout for racial microagressions
Unlike macroaggressions — which are usually outright sexist or racist statements — microaggressions can be subtle or passive-aggressive.
“It happens all the time; If you have a great idea and it falls flat but then your white male colleague says the same thing and suddenly everyone is saying it’s a great idea,” Trimble said. “You have to not be afraid to remind people you already had that idea. Say, ‘I’m still speaking’ and remind people you are making contributions.”
Create teachable moments
In one example, Morris-Thornton said that she never understood why when a company introduces new diversity initiatives they have to say “we’re hiring a diverse set of candidates who are qualified” as if the assumption is otherwise.
“I would most certainly call attention to it and say, ‘what did you mean when you said X?’” Morris-Thornton said, calling it a teachable moment. “If you feel icky about it you should feel empowered to speak up because you want to have that person learn and grow with you.”
Colorblindness is not the goal
One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that the goal is to be colorblind and to not see a colleague or subordinate’s race when you hire or work with them.
“My superior [a white male] recently asked me if I ever feel like I was treated differently because of my race and I said no and he said, ‘we never saw your color,’” Morris-Thornton said. “But I said I need you to understand that the way I have to get up in the morning and navigate my life every day is very different than yours or a white woman. It’s very different to be invisible or unheard […] and you need to be aware of that.”
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