Operationalizing Justice: A Radical Shift

So, you want to be an “antiracist organization.”  

You’ve hosted listening sessions and trainings, distributed statements to employees and clients, and closed out 2020 feeling like you’ve done something. Then came 2021 and, with it, an insurrection against the U.S. government by a mob largely composed of white supremacists.  

In stark contrast to the recent violent suppression of peaceful protests by Black activists and allies, this event was met with a striking lack of resistance from law enforcement. These events together have illustrated in no uncertain terms the ways that racism continues to undergird our nation’s history, present, politics and institutions. While it is important to condemn the insurrection and associated extremism, that is just one small step, and an external one at that. It is easy to denounce injustices we are against… and much harder to prove through action what we are for. The real work comes when we focus our attention inward – to ask ourselves honestly where white supremacy is maintained in ourselves and our organizations, and to take action to genuinely disrupt it.  

Affirmative action. Representative leadership. Redistributing resources. Compensation transparency. Collective bargaining. Reparations. Some of these terms may send a shiver down the spines of organizational leaders – and it is no wonder, given that several have become demonized in American consciousness to the point that we have deeply negative connotations with them and believe them antithetical to running a successful business. Make no mistake: this is due to our conditioning in a deeply capitalist, white supremacist culture to which these concepts pose a threat. Realizing just and antiracist organizations will require divesting from these assumptions – and contrary to popular belief, it is within reach.

Not only are 'radical' shifts possible in organizations, they are requisite to realizing antiracism and to the future thriving of our organizations. Share on X 

At The Winters Group we are here to affirm that not only are “radical” shifts possible in organizations, they are requisite to realizing antiracism and to the future thriving of our organizations. Consider:  

• Organizations are finding themselves unable to brush off racist incidents in today’s climate, as millennials and Gen Z consumers commit to holding them accountable via social media and purchase power. Organizations that fail to retain BIPOC employees develop reputations as hostile work environments. 
• 2 out of 3 job seekers indicate that diversity metrics are an important consideration for them when evaluating job offers; this number rises to 89% among Black respondents. 
• 96% of job seekers value organizational transparency; millennials in particular – who will represent 75% of the workforce by 2030 – value trust and transparency more than any previous generation and are 22 times more likely to stay long term in high-trust organizations. 

These facts provide a small snapshot of the many ways that “business as usual” is already proving unsustainable and will only become increasingly so as the demographics of our workforce evolve and conversations about justice continue to make strides in public consciousness. 

As we embark on this feature series, each week we will explore tangible action steps that organizations and leaders can take – beyond issuing statements and hosting trainings – to demonstrate genuine commitment to advancing justice internally. These will likely not be easy shifts or come without pushback – but they will be worth it, and can benefit everyone. Furthermore, in the spirit of turning our attention inward, The Winters Group team commits to reflecting on how each of these topics shows up in our own organization and continually asking ourselves: where can we do better?  

We encourage you to make this commitment with us! Throughout this series, we invite you to reach out to us on social media to share about changes your organization has made, connections these posts spark for you and commitments you will make going forward.