Now is when we talk about racism at work

When former officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, something shifted for all of us at ion. While our mission, values and genesis story are for equity and inclusion, we weren’t actively flexing the muscles of collective liberation. In our programs, we did not draw attention to the systemic causes of the continuous unjust killings happening today – white supremacy, fragility, racism, and economic oppression. That changed after watching the last 8 minutes and 46 seconds of George Floyd’s life. 

In May, we shared our 10-step Guide, to help leaders guide their teams and companies to have conversations about racism and inclusion.

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We then developed a 3-part live webinar series called Activated Allyship which addresses how to drive systemic change in corporate cultures by educating employees, empowering leaders, and enlisting teams to become allies and agents of change. Dr. Paul Minifee and myself help guide teams to: 

 

*Discover the root causes of systemic racism and the critical and historical roles of allies in social justice movements. 

*Develop skills on how to have courageous conversations about racial injustice and advocate for inclusive business practices. 

I am in awe by the impact this series is having. Last week, a participant wept as he told the whole company that he has been waiting 52 years to have this conversation. These critical conversations continue to open our hearts and minds, reminding us that our work is never done. 

We know you’re ready to empower an even more inclusive workplace and I look forward to helping you do so with your people. Let’s talk [schedule 15-minute discussion

 

Originally written on LinkedIn.