By Jennifer R. Joe and Wendy K. Smith, Yes!, February 5, 2021
President Joe Biden committed the U.S. government to racial equity by issuing four executive orders on Jan. 26 that seek to curb systemic racism. In the orders, he cited the killing of George Floyd in 2020, which sparked months of protests and prompted many U.S. companies to likewise commit themselves—and hundreds of billions of dollars—to helping Black Americans overcome institutional discrimination.
Shortly after the protests began last year, we hosted a panel that addressed this topic. Held on Juneteenth, the webinar featured four Black women—including one of us—who poignantly shared their own frequent encounters with racial bias in job interviews, shopping for clothes, and even working with their peers.
A common question we got from the predominantly White audience was some variation on “How can I be an ally?” That is, a lot of people wanted to know what they can do as friends, colleagues, and managers to support African Americans in overcoming ongoing discrimination and bias and achieving success.
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