It is said that we spend most of our #adulthood trying to undo the things that happened to us in our #childhood. Only, the majority of adults are oblivious to this and so are not intentional about it. As such, we march on like lemmings over the cliff.
It appears that #princeharry is attempting to undo the #trauma that assailed him in his childhood. It was very #public, ruthlessly at the hands of the #media – and still is… public, so he’s gone public. No excuse. Just the path he’s chosen.
Reading #SPARE makes this clear. At its core, it’s about a #human sitting on the therapy couch trying to reconcile the #trauma of the past and navigate its effects in the present even the horrors of #racism. He’s putting in the work.
In my #DEIB work, I’m having to deal constantly with #peopleofcolour who are tired of their #resilience wearing thin. So, I thought I should share some pointers for dealing with racism in the #workplace. I’m replying to the question: what can we do to be saved?
?? Speak to someone you #trust – This could be a #mentor or #counsellor. Some people say speak to your #GP but it’s hard saying to a GP, “Doctor, doctor, I’m suffering due to racism at work. Is there a pill that deals with that?” I’m not saying “no” to GPs, especially when it comes to #depression, #PTSD, #panicattacks and the like. I’m just saying that for everyday racism they are extremely limited in what they can do. I can help; this is what I do!
?? Learn your #rights on how to report #abuse – the #law is more on your side than you think. In fact, racism in the #workplace holds your #employer largely responsible even if they did not directly perpetrate the racism. I can help; this is what I do!
?? Find support groups# and #communities. Many #organisations are now setting up employee resource groups (ERGs) around #ethnic identities. These are essentially #supportgroups that #equip and #empower you to not merely survive in the #workplace but thrive. I can help; this is what I do!
?? Join a movement to create change – this is not necessarily a call to be a #politicalactivist. It’s simply one to support your #ERGs or #DEI champion at work, for example, to make the positive #changes they are meaning to make. Many of us stay silent when it comes to outing racist behaviour at work until it’s too late. However, you’d be surprised by how empowering #knowledge and a worthy #cause can be. I can help; this is what I do!
?? Remember, it’s not your responsibility to fix racism – Racism is always going to be bigger than yourselves. The best you can do is push back and #creatively thrive. In any case, your #colleagues have their own responsibility towards their own behaviours. I can help; this is what I do!
?? Clean your #socialmedia feed – don’t play into racist discourse, especially by the media. Protect your #mentalhealth. Take a break! I can help; this is what I do!