Black Lives Matter: DEI Beyond the Brand
Now is the time for credit unions to put action, strategy and resources behind their statements of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
After the death of George Floyd, I went on a downward spiral.
It was not dissimilar from the emotional downward spiral I experience every time an unarmed Black person is killed in our country by those who are called to protect and serve. At the “end” of these downward spirals, I’m generally left with several fundamental questions: Does my Black life matter? When will Black lives actually matter in this country? What will it take for people to see that we too are human – and that we are connected in this shared journey of life?
This time, however, the familiar process has been different. I started to see glimmers of hope.
Since the filmed killings of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, the country has been thrust into a necessary civil rights movement. A movement that is centering and calling for valuing Black lives.
And, because our credit union movement is so deeply invested in the value of people helping people, we are now seeing many credit unions and system partners publicly committing themselves to doing better. Many organizations are making public statements affirming that Black lives matter and emphasizing the need for diversity, equity and inclusion work.
That’s good news, and those statements are important.
But those statements alone are not enough. And this is the trap that too many can easily fall into – when we let this work become only a branding effort. When we work hard to ensure we say the right words, but we stop there.
If we stand by our Black Lives Matter statements, it must go beyond the brand. It needs to be doing the actual work of listening to, acknowledging and centering Black lives. If our statements regarding Black lives and diversity, equity and inclusion are merely brand statements, they will be justifiably seen as hollow at best and manipulative at worst.
So where do we go from here?
As we near strategic planning season, now is the time to put action, strategy and resources behind the statements. Now is the time to make those statements come to life.
There are things you can do at your organization to make sure you are actively doing the work to support Black lives in your workforce, your membership and your community. Here are a few things to consider:
- Workforce: What do your workforce demographics look like? Does the diversity of your workforce accurately reflect your membership and the broader community you are serving? It is currently projected the country will be much more racially diverse by the year 2040 – what are you doing to ensure your workforce reflects the changing demographic in our country and in your community?
- Members: What have you done to ensure your members have access to a brighter financial future? What have you done to gain a better understanding of the financial needs of your Black members? What are the specific challenges that your Black members are facing during 2020? How are the financial needs of your Black members similar to or different from your white members?
- Community: What are the manifestations of racism and anti-Blackness in your community? How have you and your organization been apathetic to racism? How is your organization working in partnership with other local organizations to create a community where all can live up to their fullest potential?
In her book “Diversity, Inc.”, Pamela Newkirk stated, “In the end, racial diversity will not be ushered in by pledges, slogans or well compensated czars … racial diversity will only be achieved once White America is weaned off a prevailing narrative of racial preeminence – a belief system as intoxicating and addictive, and ultimately destructive, as any opiate … change will require resources and resolve, but no amount of money, no degree of effort, will succeed alongside a willful negation of our shared humanity.”
Doing this work can no doubt seem overwhelming, but we are not on the journey alone. Here are some resources you can use along your journey:
Websites:
Books:
- “Me & White Supremacy” by Layla R. Saad
- “The Little Book of Racial Healing” by Thomas DeWolf and Jodie Geddes
As leaders in the credit union movement, we are at the forefront of making meaningful change. While we are making courageous public statements honoring the fact that Black lives matter, let us also recommit ourselves to taking action to create a place where Black lives actually matter. For it is only in intentionally co-creating spaces where Black lives matter that we can all fully realize and experience the joy and beauty of our shared humanity, and truly live up to our value of people helping people.
Editor’s note: After this piece was submitted to CU Times, Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wis., was shot by police the evening of Sunday, Aug. 23. Mr. Blake is in serious condition.
Angela Russell Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion CUNA Mutual Group