Juneteenth
“Can you be honest enough about racism to address it and take responsibility for it? Because it’s not enough to just stop doing the wrong thing, it is time to start doing the right thing” Ali Muldrow
Let me start by acknowledging I am a white male, and as such, I recognize that I am not best positioned to write a blog post on Juneteenth. However, it is important that we have the courage to have uncomfortable conversations. That we are willing to open our minds to other possibilities, that we educate ourselves from the point of view of others. It is critical that our organizations be inclusive so as to capture every point of view. True innovation requires it, and addressing climate change requires innovation on a huge scale.
During my education, the time period after the civil war was not emphasized, and we were not told of the time it took for emancipation to occur. Our curriculum failed to include details around the struggles of unwinding slavery, and instead, it focused on reconstruction. We certainly were not taught that it took until June 19, 1865, a full two and a half years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation for tens of thousands of African-Americans in Texas to be emancipated. While the failings of our education system are a subject beyond this blog’s focus, the importance of diversity and inclusion is a foundational element of ESG. Therefore, I felt it important to recognize that this weekend is Juneteenth and write a bit about its importance.
Let’s start with why diversity and inclusion are important to organizations. In 2018, research by McKinsey provided evidence that greater diversity in the workforce results in greater profitability and value creation. Diversity, both in terms of ethnic diversity and gender diversity, is critical to driving innovative results (source). The link to climate change is that without accelerating technological innovation and adopting new cleaner technologies, our ability to impact climate change may be greatly reduced. Innovation is key, key to profitability, key to organizational success, and key to successfully addressing the impacts of climate change.
It is really kind of simple; the best decisions tend to come from people with different life experiences. True collaboration is not surrounding yourself with a room full of people who think like you, look like you, have the same education as you, and share the same life experiences as you.
While we may realize the importance of diversity in the workplace to truly have a diverse workplace, we must have an inclusive workplace. This is a bit more difficult. It is easy to hire someone like you who shares your experiences or education. It is more difficult to provide equal access to people who might have different experiences, who might have different ethnic backgrounds, and who are of different genders. To promote inclusiveness, we need to be willing to get out of our comfort zone and engage in difficult conversations. We need to be open-minded that there may be flaws in the system that we didn’t even realize were there. We must be willing to learn from others and believe that we can learn as much from our differences as our similarities.
This is the opportunity that Juneteenth brings to all of us. This begins with acknowledging that while our nation may have been founded on a foundation of religious freedom and the right to life, liberty, and happiness, that that freedom didn’t apply to everyone. The right to life, liberty, and happiness was not equally applied to all who stepped foot in our nation. In fact, the economy that our nation was built on was built with labor stolen from African-Americans. Having an open mind to learn a bit about our history moves us closer to understanding one another. Things that some of us take for granted are struggles for others; it takes compassion and a willingness to accept others where they are to help build a culture of inclusion.
Today 45 states recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or a special day of observation. For many, it is a time for family reunions and gatherings. It is a day to commemorate the struggles that so many experienced during the days of slavery.
It is also a time to think about our own values, examine our own biases, take responsibility for racism, and commit to addressing it. As I started this blog with the quote from Ali Mudrow, we must not just stop doing the wrong thing but start doing the right thing.
An inclusive workplace celebrates the diversity of its members. Recognizing and celebrating days of significance, such as Black History Month, Pride Month, etc., is an important part of that celebration. Many in the workplace carry with them some stigma of belonging to a community that faced some kind of discrimination, whether in the past or in the present. Bringing awareness to that struggle and compassion to those struggling is important, just as it is important to hear the opinions, ideas, beliefs, and experiences of prejudice experienced.
Inclusive workplaces allow employees to be themselves and to do so safely. When allowed to blossom, the employee experience is better for the entire employee base. We grow closer as we better understanding our co-workers and what they are struggling with, and we learn to set aside our biases and instead can be inspired by the talent around us. We may even learn that some of our behaviors may not be viewed by others the way we thought they were viewed.
I want to be clear, Juneteenth is not a new thing; it has been celebrated within the African-American community for decades. But it is not an event that should be celebrated by that community alone. It provides an opportunity for us all to learn a little more about ourselves, our history, and our co-workers.
I encourage you this Juneteenth to pick up one of the following books and take the challenge of learning a little more:
So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo
How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
Check Your Privilege, by Myisha T Hill, Brandy Varnado, and Jennifer Kinney
Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Black Wealth/White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality, by Melvin L. Oliver and Thomas M. Shapiro
This Juneteenth, let’s not be afraid to have courageous conversations. Consider that in the hearts of our friends and co-workers, that they may have deep wounds of racism. Have compassion, and make room for those who may not have had the same opportunity as you. It is time for us to stop being uncomfortable talking about racism and past time to start doing things about racism. Listen to your fellow human beings regardless of their race, religion, or sexual orientation. Spend time with people who are different than you.
You can help reduce the impact of the built environment by sharing this blog with your peers. Together we can impact the 39% of greenhouse gasses attributed to the built environment. It starts with awareness, and we succeed with teamwork.
Stay well!
Chris Laughman is the ThirtyNine Blog author, a blog dedicated to reducing the impact of the built environment. When not blogging, Chris is helping the real estate industry reduce energy and water impact as the Vice President of Sustainability for Conservice, the Utility Experts. Whether Multifamily, Single Family, Student Housing, Commercial, or Military, we simplify utility billing and expense management by doing it for you. Our insight into your utility consumption provides an opportunity to identify risks. Leveraging innovation and experience we ignite solutions with real impacts and track performance to ensure the trendline stays laser-focused on the goal. To get there, we must build relationships within our organizations and outside of our organizations building the critical mass needed to truly make a difference. We have before us a tremendous opportunity. Standing shoulder to shoulder, we will get this done. Contact me at claughman@conservice.com for more information.