[Issue 109] I'm done pretending I'm okay when I'm not.
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Issue #109 • June 18, 2020
I still remember the morning I watched white supremacist Dylann Roof stand in a courtroom emotionless after shooting 9 black men and women during their bible study.
I was dressed and ready to give a speech in front of 500 MBAs, CEOs and my family. I slid my feet into my heels and put a smile on over my pain - something you become particularly good at when you spend so much of your life as the only black person in the room.
No one knew it, but just an hour before I stepped on stage I was in my hotel room sobbing.
A few weeks ago I found myself consumed by that heaviness yet again, combined with a sense of hopelessness and deep exhaustion. But instead of putting on my usual mask to show up to work, I decided to ask for what I needed. I stepped away from work so I could process my pain.
What often gets lost in the commentary about the Black Lives Matter movement is the fact that the trauma doesn’t go away when the protests end and the news cycle dies down. It’s constant.
We don’t just hurt when a particular video goes viral. We live these experiences everyday.
Add this to the backdrop of a global pandemic, when the news about people in our community dying doesn't seem to end. It’s enough to lose your mind.
So I’m done pretending I’m okay when I’m not. Because it doesn't serve me, and it definitely doesn't facilitate change.
And while it's long overdue for companies to speak the fuck up about racial injustice, let's be clear: It is not enough.
Throwing money at nonprofits is not enough. Bias trainings and hiring D&I staff is not enough. Apologizing for the wrongs you've done because they have now made headlines is not enough.
My original intention with this issue of the newsletter when I started writing it on June 4th (but too emotionally exhausted to finish) was to break down the ways I thought companies were joining this conversation wrong. But, since then, so many people have covered it better than I could have.
Instead below I share a few articles, posts and quotes that have resonated with me.
There is just one thing I'll add to the conversation: THIS is the moment for companies to truly commit to social justice.
Part of my self-care through all this pain is cultivating joy in any way I can, and engaging with this community is a part of that for me. Thank you for being here. I'm so glad to be back in your inboxes.
And while I may not always show up weekly, you can find my signature snark on Instagram where I share my discoveries and thoughts: @AbovetheBottomLine.
Until next time,
Nikita T. Mitchell
Saturday June 20, 2020
June Virtual Book Club
Sam Hartsock of qb. Consulting and I are hosting a discussion of Rebecca Henderson's Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire. We've already hit capacity but you can join the waitlist!
⌚ 5pm EDT / 2pm PDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS / THE ATLANTIC
Over the past few weeks there has been an onslaught of company statements in response to Black Lives Matter protests around the world.
Here's what most of them looked like...
It's a joke that I doubt requires an explanation for this audience. However, I think it's important for us to think critically about the impact of these statements.
This quote from The Atlantic says it perfectly (emphasis mine):
Many large companies in the U.S. might feel comfortable invoking the Black Lives Matter movement when there’s little else appropriate for them to say, or acknowledging that racism exists when it’s all anyone’s talking about. But in describing those things as mysterious, intractable phenomena, they pull a neat little sleight of hand. These brands set themselves outside the systems they serve, marveling at the country’s racism as though it’s an invisible pathogen for which no one is responsible, and therefore one that no one can meaningfully address. If they caught a little bit of it themselves, it’s through no obvious fault of their own. They’re just trying to listen to their communities, as long as those communities don’t hold up a mirror right back at them.
As I continue to process my own perspective on all of this I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences from the last month.
How has your organization handled the conversation? What do you want to see happen next?
Hit reply and let me know!
Worth your time:
These posts and articles capture so much of what I've been thinking and provide useful advice (especially for leaders).
