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Workplace ‘Inclusion’ is Not Enough to Help Women of Color Feel Supported: Harvard Study

WASHINGTON INFORMER — The Harvard Business Review (HBR) conducted a study that found even seemingly “inclusive” workplaces still leave women of color in interdependent work environments feeling isolated. The idea from the study, HBR said, came out of an episode of HBR’s “Women at Work” podcast, which discussed forging “sisterhood” relationships at work among women of different ethnicities. High-quality connections — relationships where people feel safe to display emotions — have an important role in the workplace. They benefit workers because they encourage respect and engagement, which, in turn, empowers employees, affirms their identities and affirms their competence, according to the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Published

5 years ago

September 26, 2019

Oakland Post

Photo by: pexels.com

By Olivia Riggio

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) conducted a study that found even seemingly “inclusive” workplaces still leave women of color in interdependent work environments feeling isolated.

The idea from the study, HBR said, came out of an episode of HBR’s “Women at Work” podcast, which discussed forging “sisterhood” relationships at work among women of different ethnicities. High-quality connections — relationships where people feel safe to display emotions — have an important role in the workplace. They benefit workers because they encourage respect and engagement, which, in turn, empowers employees, affirms their identities and affirms their competence, according to the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

The HBR study, however, found that a commitment to diversity and inclusion does not necessarily allow women of color to be emotionally vulnerable. Black and Hispanic women whose jobs required more interaction with their colleagues reported being less emotionally vulnerable at work, which suggests they may not be fostering supportive relationships with their coworkers.

In other accounts of interpersonal workplace relationships, women of color reported not being invited to social events or being “accidentally” left out of information-sharing. This exclusion, whether intentional or not, made many women of color mistrust their colleagues, respondents said.

Additionally, it could impact their careers beyond relationships and support. Social exclusion opens up the possibility of women of color being left out of more important workplace activities that could impact their careers, HBR suggested.

For their study, HBR asked 778 women from across the country, and many internationally, questions about inclusivity and interdependence in their workplace. The average age of respondents was 42, but ages ranged from 19–71. Within the U.S. sample, respondents were 76% white, about 5% Black, 5% Hispanic, 4% Asian and 3% multiple races. Eighty-three percent worked between 31 and 50 hours per week and 79% had been in their field for more than five years.

Breaking down the results based on race and ethnicity, HBR found that for Black and Hispanic women in interdependent jobs, inclusive climates actually led to lower levels of emotional vulnerability. This data suggests that though inclusivity benefits women overall, the more interdependent a Black woman’s job is, the less emotionally vulnerable she is willing to be. Black women with independent jobs that did not require as much interaction with others reported feeling more supported in these inclusive environments.

Therefore, an inclusive work climate alone may not be enough to support women of color.

In addition to these questions, the study asked respondents to share anecdotes about times they felt unsupported. Many Black women recounted feeling that even though their company practiced diversity and inclusion, they still struggled to feel a sense of belonging.

“I have never felt included in my organization. And I have worked there for 10 years,” a 41-year-old Black woman said.

“I searched for who would be the ones that I could trust,” a 45-year-old mixed-race woman said, recounting a time when she felt left out by a group she was working with at a seemingly “inclusive” company.

Other respondents of color noted a fear of speaking up and sharing information.

The study draws attention to opportunities for future research on the benefits of shared sisterhood and what impacts it has on productivity, innovation, commitment and job retention.

DiversityInc’s Oct. 2 Women of Color and their Allies event will focus on issues like these that affect women of color in the workplace, including the themes of code-switching and intersectionality.

This post originally appeared in The Washington Informer.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.