Blacklivesmatter versus Alllivesmatter
How to deal with this personally and at work
Protest because of Blacklivesmatter, the reactions with alllivesmatter, the media and how suddenly there was so much to do about this. You will certainly not have missed it. Diversity and inclusivity is a hot topic and everyone has an opinion about it.
A summary of what we have been through so far in 2019, 2020 and 2021: Covid-19/ Corona- Blacklivesmatter and alllivesmatter
Covid-19 is real and it has far-reaching consequences for society. In the workplace, we see that working from home and working digitally are now part of the new way of working heading into the Future of Work. This is accompanied by the necessary questions about working from home, working in the office, or a hybrid form. The overload and undervaluation of healthcare have become painfully clear.
Applauding and expressing gratitude for healthcare workers has become a trend worldwide. People are worried. They have to endure a lot because of Covid-19. Is it still possible to keep it up? Millennials and GenZ are resigning en masse and changing jobs, starting their own businesses, and looking for more diversity, inclusion, equality, and purpose (DIEP). The question is of course whether and where they find this because most organizations are not there yet or do not do too much about it.
Institutional racism and Blacklivesmatter
The theme of (institutional) racism has been given a prominent place in the political discussion. It exists and people express themselves.
“Is institutional racism new? No, of course not. The labor market discrimination report has given the Netherlands insight into the state of affairs and influential people worldwide are speaking out. The list includes the group of influential Millenials and Genz, such as Beyonce with her Superbowl performance and Rihanna with her brand Fenty. Especially Beyonce made a statement on Blacklivesmatter.
Where to start if you are looking for more info to get educated about Blacklivesmatter etc.?
From Ganes Solutions, we say: work with what is already there and start small. That small thing is also in learning from each other and taking steps. Start with the basic knowledge about diversity and inclusion. That’s always a good starting point.
The current debate has previously focused mainly on gender diversity in the form of the women’s quota, ethnicity in recruitment activities in particular, and sexuality. Diversity and inclusivity are more. It is more extensive than is often thought and is divided into three dimensions. If you want to know more, get over to our resources page and check out our Library.
Blacklivesmatter = is ethnic diversity and Alllivesmatter = inclusion
Ethnic diversity is a unique aspect of a person. This is in a wide range of aspects that make the uniqueness of a person. This also applies to gender and sexuality. Ignore this and you ignore the human right to be fully yourself.
Alllivesmatter (human right) only has a right to exist if there is room within it for all unique aspects (Blacklivesmatters). That’s where it starts. It’s not a matter of versus, one simply can’t do without the other.
Other perpectives
The ethnic population is often accused of playing a victim role. Read an interesting article about this here.
Let’s look at it from a different perspective. It is striking how especially Millenials and Generation Z give this another positive twist. What has existed for 500 years cannot be changed just like that. There is now clear communication based upon connection and empathy. The message is clear: it is enough and it must stop.
What does this mean for you and companies?
Making the power of your voice heard and also using it for real actions and development has become clear after Johan Derksen (sports TV commentator in the Netherlands) has expressed himself as racist. With the hashtag #defundracism, a flood of reactions has gone out to the sponsors of the program (and channel) and now several sponsors have decided to withdraw.
Why? Because racism and discrimination are not tolerated and they do not want to identify with it. It is also not good for the wallet, you lose customers with it.
Until this incident, organizations were silent. Why is that? Racism and discrimination are prohibited by law. It should be a small gift to publish a statement about this. And yet this has not been done. Other brands such as Nike have spoken out. Others talk about cancel culture and the dangers of being woke. Then you should first know what both mean and come from.
Nike’s message is clear: zero tolerance for racism and discrimination. Nike’s values stand for getting the best out of yourself and others. By making a statement from Nike the organizational values once again and the values and associated message are shared by all employees and customers. Which has led to more sales and a clear increase in share values. Nike also has a long way to go but is clear in its intentions and steps for sustainable impact.
Incidentally, this brings us to a good question: Has your company/ employer spoken out about racism?
What about you? Are you willing to be uncomfortable?
Yes, we understand that it is uncomfortable. This topic is pretty heavy. Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re reading this and that’s your first step. You are open to developing yourself. Everyone experiences this differently and that is also allowed.
Here are a number of gifts to further develop yourself. You decide: read, watch and/or listen at your pace.
Because we also have many Dutch customers who are specifically looking, we have added a number of gifts. Do you know more? Please let us know. We are building a current media library that we can learn from together.
Go through our library (resources), then you will become familiar with the basics
- Read, watch and/or listen to, Jane Elliot. This is Jane Elliot
- Read: Hello white people from Anousha Nzume
- What role did the Netherlands play in slavery? A nice series about this.
- Read: Interview with the Surinamese-Dutch professor Philomena Essed the book ‘Everyday racism’.
- Watch: On Netflix the series “When they see us”, “Dear white people” and “13th”. “The chair” and “The Good fight” are very good shows to get some more background information and feeling.
Some helpful advice
- Again, start with yourself first and brush up on your knowledge. Knowlegde, feelings, and empowerment. In this order.
- Find out what this does to you, think, and feel. The empathic ability for another and for yourself. Don’t be too harsh for yourself. Dare to enter into an honest dialogue and say you are learning. And always remember: respect yourself and the other person when boundaries are set
- Then take action from a connection. Attend a demonstration, sign a petition, donate, continue with (self)research, enter into dialogue, and don’t look away. In short, develop yourself.
Amrita Joerawan
Owner and Founder of Ganes Solutions
International labor, organisation & management sociologist
Specialist DIEP with + 18 years international people. culture and organisation experience
Get started today!
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