The George Floyd Turning Point
Wake-up calls can become turning points. Turning points can create real transformation and change.
For a lot of Americans, this wake-up call was George Floyd’s murder. For others, it was Rodney King’s beating in 1991 and the subsequent acquittals. In between, there were many alarming events that brought to light issues of racial and minority prejudice and hate. For me, my personal wake-up call came last year, as I was exposed through work to many individuals who have been on the receiving end of similar inhumane treatment.
Prior to this, I had not felt direct exposure to prejudice in or outside of the workplace. As a white male, I was not forced to confront these issues head-on. And while I always felt great sympathy toward these individuals on the news, things never felt personal.
This changed last year, when my startup moved into the diversity and inclusion space. After starting a software business focused on culture and community, I found these things were inextricably linked to inclusion. A positive business culture must be inclusive; a community must have inclusion to succeed. Our platform, we found, could be used to not only manage an organization’s D&I events, but to help run their employee resource groups (ERGs) as well.
The opportunity to aid a company’s D&I quickly put me in direct contact with D&I industry leaders. I spoke with heads of DEI, D&I consultants, ERG leaders, students, and advocates. Their personal stories were shocking – and I had the chance to hear them firsthand. The ability to chat with so many individuals quickly proved a stark reminder that these are universal issues. My sympathy turned to empathy.
These conversations proved a turning point, as my team and I resolved to use our platform to be part of the inclusion movement. In addition to supporting D&I events and ERGs, we are now able to connect minority groups to each other and to everyone else through the power of shared experiences, stories, interests and skills. We’re grateful to have a chance to make a difference in such an important movement.
It all started with listening.
It’s not reading an article; it’s not watching the news; it’s not hearing how the media is responding. It’s hearing a story firsthand. The power of a personal story allows you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and opens you to empathy. This is the critical starting point. Listen with the intent to learn, not respond.
In listening, it felt like pulling back the curtain of society to see what goes on behind the scenes. Listening leads to learning, which leads to action. With the help of our D&I contacts and their stories, my cofounder and I effectively adjusted our product to serve a greater need.
As you think about how you will respond to injustice and prejudice -- how you will support Black Lives Matter -- first consider how you listen.
Let us strive to listen, learn, and act in ways that are meaningful and sustained. Let us unite together and be the generation remembered both for surviving a pandemic and making notable progress on the eradication of inequality.
- Brian Vigeant