I think so. I think there is fear, absolutely. How do you create safe spaces for people who have always been in fear? In our societies, you never know when you’re allowed to speak up and if you speak up how much backlash you’re gonna get. If you have colleagues who are people of color, you should be aware of the kind of reality that they face, outside of work and inside of work, and that often, they have three responses– fight, flight, or freeze, and very often, we will choose the flight or the freeze aspect. It’s important to be sensitive to that silence and not let that silence fester, or assume that the silence is agreement.
I would also say the challenge, in particular, is also this assumption that this is something that has to always be driven by those who are directly concerned. So this idea that it’s up to the victim to somehow solve this problem. It’s unfortunate that, often, the people who are in charge of DE&I programs will always be racialized people who have to do it on their own. They’re often under-resourced, and somehow, a one-person shop is supposed to magically fix this problem for companies, and I think that’s an unfair expectation. So, again, if colleagues see that these programs are under-resourced, speak up about the fact that they’re under-resourced, or at least offer to provide some helping hands. Be so active on this basis. That’s something that can make a difference.
