"I overhead a racist conversation and was
offended by what was said. First response
of HR: I'm sure they didn't mean any harm." – Charlene, 37
"With microaggressions and microinequities in the workplace, I feel strangled and die a little bit every single day." Overall
insensitivity,
lack
misunderstanding. Being
– JP, 40
of the
understanding, "only
one"
in
and work
environments is a constant reminder of being the "other." There may be cultural or gender norms or customs that the rest of the team does not understand. These will range from project personality stereotypes, comments about and touching hair, or understanding diverse lived experiences.
"A Black man was murdered by the police, and my white peers just moved through life like absolutely nothing happened.
Meanwhile, I'm fighting back tears to move through meetings."
– Qwen, 42
much we try to escape it, we are influenced in one way or another. We are constantly being sold something: images, narratives, and what to feel, all of which affect or guide us in some way or another. And for technology, money, and media to have such an impact on the world, if the hands that construct and run these industries are not diverse, it can have a deleterious effect on society. Technology
Everything from the products to the software that creates the technology can have life or death consequences for people of color. Smartwatches, motion sensors, and autonomous vehicles have been inconsistent in recognizing people with darker skin tones, which can cause a minor annoyance to have deadly consequences in the case of a self-driving car. As the documentary Coded Bias explored, artificial intelligence has an inherent bias issue that has threatened civil liberties and personal freedom. Money
Advertising, over the last several years, large brands such as Gucci, Prada, H&M, and Pepsi have all come under intense fire for racist or racially insensitive advertising. After massive social media backlash, these companies all had to issue public apologies for their insensitivity and missteps, and some companies saw a noticeable
"My first manager said that I was too direct, aggressive, and just scary."
– Charlotte 37
"The stress of being a Black man in
corporate America means we can't have
the full range of emotions. We can only be happy, never angry."
– Bernard, 57
HOW DOES A LACK OF DIVERSITY AFFECT OUR LIVES
Whether we like it or not, we live in a world run by technology, money, and media, and no matter how
98
FREEDOMRIDERS
60 Years
decrease in revenue and brand image. Media
A famous phrase is "representation matters," which matters because how people see themselves on TV or online can impact how they view themselves and what they believe is possible. Sometimes acting as its system of checks and balances, the same social media where problematic statements are made will call out and hold people accountable for those same statements. Social media and independent journalists and bloggers played a significant role in maintaining this ecosystem that evaluates and critiques concepts like cultural appropriation, systemic racism, and privilege, among a myriad of other topics.
