As founder and CEO of Women of Color in the Workplace, I knew early on that building a program that addresses the needs of women of color at work would require addressing racism aside from confronting gender-related issues while keeping in mind that racism is a sensitive subject. It is far more socially acceptable to address sexism, but confronting racism is still much of a taboo. This topic makes folks feel uncomfortable and unsafe, even for those who are suffering from this form of discrimination.
Some believe that we live in a post-racial society or think that the perfect vision of our country (a country that is inclusive and fair), is not that far away. This is part of the same demographic that feels that it is dangerous to make waves or speak out against injustices. Assumedly, we will get where we want to go a lot faster by remaining silent. The less people talk about the issues, the sooner we will resolve our problems. This approach does not work. Racism is still pervasive inside our workplaces and other social, economic, and political institutions. Since this is the case, we must not only continue to discourse about racism but also comprehend that it stems from a distorted ideology and belief that there is a genetic difference between races. [Check out the rest of this essay on Medium.]
