A group of Black executives have a message for business leaders: Take a public stance against systemic racism, commit to developing a strategic plan and “encourage, sustain and reward mindset and behavior change” – because the very lives of Black employees hang in the balance.
The more than two dozen Diversity & Inclusion executives, joined by 120+ signatories across business, media and the arts, penned an open letter to express their disappointment in progress after decades of talks on diversity and racial equality.
Addressing the waves of hardship of the pandemic, economic devastation and social unrest, they noted, “We must share our consternation that it took thousands of protests, sparked by unconscionable incidents of racial animus to garner the attention of many of Corporate America's leaders.”
“Clearly, denying, minimizing or ignoring racism is no longer an option and we are hearing a resounding message from the many voices that are speaking out globally —from your C-suite to the entry levels of your organization. The message? The daily racism your Black employees live with is killing them — literally and figuratively.”
More on the initiative, and other signatories, here.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
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