Black Progress Month: America’s Diversity Performance Review
Khennedi Meeks takes a knee in front of a police during a protest following the death of George Floyd (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
The murder of George Floyd was unsurprising to me. I am a Black man in America. Floyd’s murder was horrifying, but also statistically common. My mother, my church, my school teachers, etc. all had “the talk” with me growing up on how to act and respond to the police. They knew that I would encounter the police at some point, potentially unwarranted … and indeed, it happened numerous times. Countless other unwarranted murders have occurred at the hands of white men who had no right to take the lives of unarmed Black men and women. Despite the many, many examples of officers employing excessive, often lethal force, with outraged witnesses filming them and sharing the brutality with millions across social media, there was rarely, if ever, negative consequences for their actions. Trusted authorities, by and large, continue to look the other way as Black Americans wait for the inevitable next time one of our friends, mothers, or children will be taken from us without warning or reason.
Perhaps what amplified Floyd’s death over others was the shock of it: a murder captured on camera while George Floyd cried out for his mother as several witnesses watched in horror and outrage, powerless to intervene. On May 25, 2020, people suddenly paid attention and realized the long history of injustice against Black Americans didn’t simply end with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Suddenly, politicians, corporate executives, community leaders, and everyday citizens decided to speak up and demand change, sparking massive protests that swept the country and beyond for over a month following Floyd’s death. Finally, taking action to protect the lives of Black people, long considered a “niche” concern by general society, is considered a serious issue, with mainstream support. Consider the following cultural shifts:
- It is now commonplace to “take a knee” of some form during pre-game patriotism displays at professional sporting events.
- The Confederate flag was taken down and banned by NASCAR.
- A collective recognition of the existence of systemic racism, “white privilege,” racial micro-aggressions, and how these concepts undeniably create disadvantages that Black Americans face from the classroom to the boardroom.
- Record sales of literature written by POC and/or about concepts like social justice and equality
- The Black Lives Matter movement surging in popularity and influence, and recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
- Continued demonstrations and protests around the world
- A movement to defund the police, which has already achieved victories in several major US cities, including New York and Los Angeles, who have slashed budgets allocated to law enforcement
And from corporations, we saw:
- Countless diversity dialogues and talk circles
- The opening of pocketbooks for social justice like never before
- Recognition of Juneteenth as a National holiday
- Brands taking a critical eye to problematic product mascots such as Mrs. Butterworth, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, and unveiling new branding in which racist images and logos are absent
- An increased hiring (and in some cases, departmental creation) of professionals to oversee their DEI strategy and initiatives
I know I feel a level of gratitude and hope in watching progress start to take place. I know that. But I admit to also feeling cynical and doubtful that these efforts will be anything more than a passing fad, too short lived to effect any meaningful, permanent change. If I’m being truly honest, my first thought was: Oh, so Black Lives Matter…now?…and for how long?
I’ve been met with similar reactions from my Black friends, cautious to celebrate too early, to put our faith in a society that has spontaneously acquired a fervent, unwavering passion for the movement, yet didn’t feel compelled to say a word on behalf of Eric Garner, or Philando Castile, or Tamir Rice, or anyone else on the long list of Black Americans whose lives were stolen over the past few years. Can we count on these new recruits to the cause to continue to fight just as zealously for the victims that are certain to follow (i.e. Andre’ Hill, Joshua Feast, Casey Goodson, Jr.)? Or is it only a matter of time before a global event, political fiasco, or celebrity scandal captures the nation’s attention, pushing racial equality out of the zeitgeist and into “old news”? Already, many companies that grabbed headlines in 2020 by giving their employees the day off in observance of Juneteenth are questioning if it is worth repeating now that the initial feverish enthusiasm for the movement has somewhat cooled.
My fears, unfortunately, are not unfounded- they are based upon set precedents. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” In today’s world, Ford’s vision of a month long celebration of the nation’s blackest and brightest is uninspiringly characterized by passing mentions in a handful of news outlets and daytime TV programs, and a quick unit in social studies for elementary school children. Children, by the way, that despite the Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education, remain in segregated classrooms.
Six months ago, the moments that stood out most were the conversations held across cultural lines. There was great discomfort. I saw people who felt the need to apologize and even some to take action. I saw many companies decide to invest in unconscious bias training, discussion groups, book clubs and contributions to social justice organizations.
But, while examples like those above bring me a large degree of hope and are deserving of recognition, the likelihood that these conversations herald the dawn of true racial equality is is low. While encouraging empathy and a willingness to learn from one another is invaluable, it still fails to address the root of the issue: the lack of Black Americans in positions of power and influence to make decisions, establish policy and implement real, enduring change. This includes corporations’ owners and investors, elected and appointed political officials, management teams, boards of directors and trustees, etc.
In corporate America, we use annual performance reviews to take stock of our progress and acknowledge the areas where efforts and attention are needed. What if we took this basic model and modified it to qualitatively measure progress made towards racial equality? Our nation’s leaders, across all industries and sectors, would be graded on specific metrics and standards, and following an evaluation of their performance, would be required to make changes specifically designed to address identified pain points.
For the entire month of June, now known as Black Progress Month, we would request all institutions that have identified themselves as allies and supporters of equality, be it through press releases, advertising, social media hashtags, financial contributions, direct participation in protests and rallies, revising their best practices guidelines, etc. to complete a thorough assessment, providing details on the following:
- Demographic data of their hiring, promotion, management and board diversity numbers.
- Spotlights on leaders in the DEI space who are changing workplace culture
- Newly implemented diversity-based efforts and directives and their impact on ROI
- Examples of companies leveraging their influence and power to pressure local and state jurisdictions to be transparent with arrest and shooting records by race to see how policy changes and additional training have affected racial statistics
- Equality-focused programs with proven track records of increasing the number of Black Americans promoted to leadership, ownership and/or decision-making roles
- Corporate initiatives that engaged the greater community across cultural lines and demonstrate advocacy and sponsorship for minority groups and POC
If those in power continue to be allowed to act without accountability, we risk losing progress or becoming complacent or jaded and losing the progress we’ve already worked so hard to achieve. This movement cannot just stand resolutely, demanding justice for those we ‘ve lost, but must also take action to ensure the changes we deserve actually take place. There must be a regular status check, to confirm that the promised improvements in our legal system, police standards and training, and community investment will truly be acted upon.
June 2020 was an extraordinary time of Black progress; we need to continue to highlight and share what took place. That month was not about recognizing a list of prominent names and accomplishments — it was a catalyst for action and progress to make change. In recognition of that call to action, I’m proposing June be declared Black Progress Month, a time for governmental bodies, news agencies, corporations, community organizations, sports leagues, entertainment networks/studios, and small businesses to reassess their racial justice progress made over the previous year; a diversity annual review.
Show that your company wasn’t succumbing to politically correct pressure to make a statement or take small actions without a longer term plan to make change. Let’s support a whole month, dedicated to qualitatively evaluating changes in corporate racial equality over the past year, capitalizing on the momentum of successful metrics and improving upon areas where there is still so much work to do.
*Edited by Mike Tepeli
Do you have other ideas? Please share and let’s start the process to make Black Progress Month more than just a concept!
