“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

As business leaders or owners, we can no longer remain silent about racism. I’ve avoided talking about it for a long time because it’s uncomfortable. I was scared if I spoke up, I might say the wrong thing or be seen as a racist.

Even now, after the brutal killing of George Floyd, I've been having difficulty finding words to share because I've been struggling with my own thoughts. My life experience hasn't made it easy for me to process what is going on. I am well out of my comfort zone.

Silence is not an option, so I’m starting with an apology.

I apologize for the years I spent sitting on the sidelines. I have chosen to be a bystander when I was uncomfortable or inexperienced. I understand now what I allowed to happen by not taking sides. I am sorry.

I also know that I can’t stop there. And business leaders can’t either.

We will not reach a just and equitable society without acts of courage—not only from others in the streets but from you in your organizations. As we have learned from Brené Brown, vulnerability is courageous. It’s also a trait of strong leaders.

This time calls for our vulnerability and our willingness to have conversations that make us uncomfortable, to risk getting it wrong.

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Laura Morgan Roberts, Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and Ella F. Washington, Professor of Practice at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, provided a framework for connecting to our employees: Acknowledge. Affirm. Act.

This framework was helpful to me and can provide a roadmap to many business leaders struggling to take the first step.

Acknowledge. We must first listen and learn. If you’re not well-versed in the current struggles of Black Americans, find resources to educate yourself (you can start with our list below).

Affirm. We must hold space for the experiences our Black or brown team members and colleagues are having. They may be angry or struggling. Check on them. Tell them your plans to promote racial equity and ask that they let you know if there’s anything else you can do to support them.

Act. We must initiate difficult conversations across the entire team within our companies and pledge to use the power we have to create change. There is no need to wait for the "right" moment. That moment is now, so do it.

Wherever we are on our journey toward anti-racism, we must also look for unconscious biases within ourselves. We all have them. I've seen clients address them in their organizational development and hiring processes. I know it's possible to remove prejudice from ourselves and our organizations. Our job as leaders is to find those biases and create policies that act against them.

The work ahead can feel daunting. This is one of the most challenging times ever to be a leader. We are in the midst of

A global pandemic that created a health crisis that will change how we work forever, and
An unprecedented economic downturn with uncertainty around recovery, and
Social unrest resulting from our society's refusal to deal with systemic racism.

On top of all this, we have increased transparency through the high visibility that comes from instantaneous communications and social networks.

Business owners and leaders--our clients, customers, prospects, partners, affiliates, team members and future hires are all watching us. What we say now and how we behave will determine our future success.

Now is the time we will see which leaders emerge successful. Your past doesn't need to dictate your future. Be vulnerable, and be open to change. Listen and learn.

If you think you're prepared for this, you're not. Be deliberate and thoughtful. Get outside-in perspectives. You don't need to do this alone.

Resources on Racism—Start with Acknowledgement

Here is the article from the Harvard Business Review: U.S. Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism. Laura Morgan Roberts was interviewed by HBR live on LinkedIn yesterday.

In 2018, Lisa Robinson gave the Keynote talk at Trajectify's LIVE conference. She spoke about Overcoming Challenges, which includes her experiencing racism.

Keith Leapheart, Founder of Philanthropi and a Trajectify client, is also a physician and Chair of the Lenfest Foundation, writes “Our society is sick. There is a cure.” in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

I recently had the opportunity to meet Brian Butler, CEO of Vistra Communications in Tampa. I saw an Op Ed from him in the Tampa Bay Times: I'm A CEO, a retired Army officer, and A black man which he followed with his post, I Am Not Okay.

The NY Times shared a letter from Robert Smith, billionaire founder of Vista Equity Partners: A Heartbreaking and Painful Week. Smith is the wealthiest Black man in America.

Trevor Noah of The Daily Show shares his thoughts on the killing of George Floyd, the protests in Minneapolis, the dominos of racial injustice and police brutality, and how the contract between society and black Americans has been broken time and time again.

Kiera Smalls, Executive Director of Philly Startup Leaders and a Trajectify clients, suggests starting with educating oneself on the history of Black people in America, and shares a post written by her colleague, Takia McClendon, “A Brief [and Incomplete] History of African Americans.”

Wil Reynolds, Founder of SEER Interactive, suggests watching these two documentaries: The House I live In (Amazon) and Time | The Kalief Browder Story (Netflix).

Also on Netflix, 13th. The film explores the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States, titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which abolished slavery and ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime.

Brad Feld, along with Techstars, were Executive Producers for Robin Hauser‘s film “bias“. It’s an extremely helpful documentary about understanding unconscious bias.

Adam Grant recommends “How to Be Anti-Racist” by historian Ibram Kendi. The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist.' It is 'anti-racist.' The book explores the difference.