The Black Lives Matter movement that gained momentum after the death of George Floyd was built on a foundation of speaking up against inequalities, advocating for justice, and shining a light on the structural inequalities that have plagued our institutions for hundreds of years.
One of the most basic questions that get asked by well-meaning individuals trying to be better workplace allies is: “How do I get comfortable talking about the language surrounding race and ethnicity so that I can better advocate for my black and ethnic minority colleagues?”
Language can act as a barometer of society, and this means that the language you use within your organization speaks volumes. It can be a tricky area to navigate, but here are a few pointers to get you started:
What You Can Do
- Familiarize yourself with the key terms
It can be difficult to keep up with the ever-evolving space of inclusive language. Educating yourself on a few key terms is a great way to get started. Below are listed some key terms, but this list is most definitely not exhaustive – do further research to uncover more.
Race and ethnicity – although these two terms are often conflated and can overlap, they are in fact two separate entities. Whilst race is a construct that historically had its origins in biology (although we now know that genetic differences within ethnic groups are actually greater than the genetic differences between different ethnic groups), ethnicity also considers culture. In basic terms, race describes physical traits, and ethnicity includes cultural identification.
Institutional racism – racial discrimination that has become ‘the norm’ within a society or organization, and is embedded through procedures and processes.
Covering – when a person has to hide or suppress elements of their identity in order to ‘fit in’ with a dominant group/culture. Research by HBR has found that 79 percent of black people cover in the workplace. Covering can be detrimental to mental health, wellbeing, and workplace productivity.
BAME – this stands for black, Asian, and minority ethnic. It is used as a catch-all term to describe anyone from an ethnic minority background. However, this term has been criticized as it is very broad and does not accurately capture the difference and nuances that exist within this grouping.
Person of color – this is another broad term that is used as a catch-all term to describe anybody from an ethnic minority background. However, it should be recognized that this has faced similar criticism to the term BAME. Additionally, some have argued that it positions ‘whiteness’ as neutral.
The key thing to remember here is that you should never assume what labels individuals personally identify with. For example, you should never assume that somebody identifies as a ‘person of color’ just because they are not white.
- Use your voice
You don’t need to directly call people out across a busy office, but pulling someone to one side and exploring the biases that lie behind the words they are using can go a long way. If you are an ally, then you can remove the burden from minority groups by having these conversations yourself.
- Be aware of microaggressions and stereotypes
Research shows that black women are significantly more likely to be labeled as ‘aggressive’ than their white counterparts. This label is a microaggression and a stereotype that stems from bias. If you see this phrase being used towards women of color, then you can ‘use your voice’.
Another microaggression that is used frequently is asking someone: “But where are you really from?” Asking this question blunders into the intricate topic of race and identity in an incredibly insensitive way. This question prioritizes your curiosity of how you perceive someone’s identity over their boundaries and how they choose to self-identify.
These are just two examples of microaggressions – again, do some research into microaggressions and stereotypes, so that you can spot them and ‘use your voice’ if you do.
- Accept you will make mistakes
We are all human, and if you go on a journey to being an anti-racist ally, you will probably get it wrong sometimes. However, this isn’t a reason to stay silent. By constantly reading up on the topics affecting minority groups, you will be in a good position to have tricky conversations around race and ethnicity.
The Impact
Although the topic of inclusive language is a difficult one, its impact can be enormous. Using inclusive language within your organization can create an inclusive culture where fewer people need to cover, and everyone can be authentic.
Not only is this the right thing to do for employees’ wellbeing, but you will see it affecting your bottom line. It has been found that, within diverse and inclusive organizations, employees are more likely to drive innovation by 83 percent (Kornferry).
Make a commitment to use inclusive language in your workplace and beyond. Hold yourself accountable for your own learning, and use your voice to support your colleagues from an ethnic minority background.
