How to Be an Anti-racist Business
All of us have been impacted by Black Lives Matter. We might have resistance to it, or be in support of it and wondering if it will blow over, or maybe we’ve been waiting our whole lives for this moment. If you’ve been following me on social media for the last few years, you know I’m in the latter category. I believe it is critical that business owners lead with their hearts and values. Doing so will empower us to remain active and not fall back ‘asleep’ when it comes to social justice.
It is time to be an Anti-racist business.
As I have been supporting my business and leadership coaching clients, I’ve seen a common concern: “Should I mix my personal stance on racial justice with my career and if so, how? “
Many clients want to voice their support of Black Lives Matter and racial equity, but question whether or not it is “good business” to voice their personal beliefs on their professional social media or make a statement to their clients. When I dive deeper there is generally a fear of upsetting their customers for being ‘political’ and risk losing business.
For a long time we may have heard things like “It’s business, it’s not personal.” or “Don’t mix politics and business” and I feel strongly that this created a culture in business that distanced us from our own humanity. Besides, let’s be real: all large corporations have their hands in politics (and not in a necessarily positive way) so clearly that rule was intended to be broken. For too long, we have been trying to separate the individual from the collective, but you can’t separate yourself from your business. You ARE your business. You ARE your brand. Furthermore, your brand IS your promise for the world you stand for. When your business doesn’t represent who you authentically are, that dissonance can hurt you in the long run.
Budding entrepreneurs come to me because they want to create a life on their own terms. They want a career that represents their values and that plays by the rules of their choosing. I watch them work tirelessly through the ups and downs in pursuit of this vision. Their business is a tool for self-expression. So I ask you…
Why go through all the hard work of building a business, and not use it to take a stand?
One of the reasons I chose to start my own business is because I believe business owners have a unique capacity for wide-spread positive impact. My clients know that I don’t coach anyone in business if they don’t have a bigger “WHY”. Entrepreneurs need to ask themselves, which side of history do they want to be on? All shifts toward positive and inclusive change happen when influential allies and companies lead (Ad Age, 2020).
Frankly, the world is watching. People are noticing which companies are pro-actively doing something toward equity and those who are not. 90% of consumers would rather buy from a company whose products are doing good in the world, and 60% of them would pay more for it (Global Industry Analysts, Neilson Studies 2014).
It is time that businesses stop being afraid of losing money when the cost of losing our conscience and integrity is so much greater.
Often our brain, built to reduce risk of harm, will have us worry about the negative consequences first, rather than appreciate the possibility for the abundance made available when we align strongly to our values. I’m assuming of course that your values represent inclusion and equal rights, which I believe is at the heart of the majority of humans on this earth. When you align your business with these values, you gain peace of mind, more customers, and more positive influence.
If you lose customers because you are a stand for racial equity and social justice, are those really the customers you want anyway?
The hard truth is money you make from customers who are bigoted or not standing with you for human rights is dirty money. Each time you bypass your values to make a buck, it erodes at your self-confidence and self-worth. Each time you step outside of the integrity of who you are, you like yourself a little less. That short term benefit of making money from these customers adds up to a larger cost down the line.
HOW you show up right now matters.
There is a difference between putting out a blanket cookie-cutter “we support Black Lives Matter” statement, because everyone else is doing it and really owning your responsibility in current events and holding yourself accountable.
These statements, although honorable and brave, don’t matter long term if you aren’t coupling it with a diversity and inclusion action plan. It is a band-aid on the gaping wound of our country if you don’t acknowledge and admit how you have been complicit in systemic racism and sharing specific changes you are making to dismantle it. Otherwise, it is just lip service.
How are you going to ensure that as our social media feed becomes cluttered with other current events, that you haven’t forgotten the black lives that are oppressed and murdered every day? How are you going to shift the culture in your company and hold our government accountable to its unrealized dream of “pursuit of happiness, life and liberty” for all?
I would like to share with you a shining example of what it can look like to vulnerably and courageously put out a statement as a company that shows true authenticity and accountability. As some of you know, I am also a contracted leadership coach for Torch, and was very impressed with their statement last month (Read it here).
Here are the two things that make this an incredible statement that I believe is a powerful example to follow:
- The owners share their personal stories vulnerably and take responsibility for their role in systemic racism. We can not begin to heal the wounds of this nation without first owning our participation in cutting that wound. A sincere and effective apology includes calling ourselves out truthfully. We have been socially conditioned to associate vulnerability with weakness, yet, just ask Brene Brown and her researchers: it is our greatest asset as human beings and leaders.
- The owners don’t just say they support ending racial injustice, but clearly name what they are committed to doing to change this. They list out several action items, invite support to complete these items, and even give ‘by when’ dates to hold themselves accountable. This specificity they will follow through and make the impact. They shared this publicly and with the coaches, inviting us to support them in keeping their promise.
I believe that this is what distinguishes a business that is serious about ending racial injustice versus one that is doing it to look good. It is inauthentic to put out a business statement or a “Black Lives Matter” sign in your store front or on social media if you do not have a solid DEI plan to back it up. It lacks integrity if you march in a protest but then go back to business practices that oppress people of color. To be an anti-racist business means to actively commit every single day to take different actions and make difficult decisions for the sake of the collective, instead of yourself as an individual.
We ARE in the largest civil rights movement in human history. This is an opportunity to step up bravely and use your influence as an entrepreneur to lead this movement.
The power is in numbers. You do not have to do it alone and this is where I invite you to not only commit to being an anti-racist (see Ibram X Kendi’s book “How to Be an Antiracist”) but also engage with a group doing anti-racist work like your local SURJ chapter. Use this support to have courageous conversations with your clients, employees, suppliers and investors about their experience of, and response to, George Floyd’s murder, Black Lives Matter, and racial injustice. We don’t call it a movement because we do one thing and then stand still…it is the small consistent actions you take every day that creates the change you stand for. If we do nothing, we affirm and stand for injustice. If we don’t do something different, we keep systemic racism alive and flourishing.
You can’t take a stand and be comfortable at the same time.
Showing up and fighting for racial justice or human rights is not convenient. Neither is owning a business. So I speak to you – strong, brave you – who has always been inspired to choose the more difficult path for the larger good: No one has been better suited to lead the way, than you!
