I have a dear friend who met me for drinks one evening here in Baltimore. I chose the location: a place familiar and comfortable to me. I was a few minutes late and full of apologies. He was right on time and waiting patiently for me. We spent a few hours in animated conversation about all of the things happening in our city.
My friend later shared with me that he had not felt welcome or comfortable in my favorite location until I arrived. He described what he had experienced and felt, and it hurt my heart. And then I did what most well-intentioned white people do: I tried to explain to my amazing, accomplished, impeccably professional friend that he should not have felt uncomfortable, insecure, or “less than.”
Then I realized I should just stop talking because the situation wasn’t about intentional unwelcoming actions or words. It was about an ingrained dynamic, so deep-seated that the perception is absolutely real and absolutely painful for people of color.
Racism, in all its insidious, dehumanizing forms, has been done to us. We each carry it everywhere, and it takes so much away from all of us.
After squashing the impulse to “tell,” I asked instead: What actions and words would have created a sense of welcome? Together, we brainstormed potential answers: developing an awareness of the tone of a situation or setting; recognizing that all people do not feel welcome just because there is a welcome sign on the door; and working to overcome habits and attitudes that lead to exclusion. In other words, the welcome extended to people of color has to be overt, intentional, sincere, and consistent.
As the head of a philanthropic organization and an employer, that encounter with a friend made me understand that simply saying we value and desire diversity is not enough. To realize these goals, we must do more than hang a generic “welcome” sign on our door or say, “We are an equal-opportunity employer.”
We must assess our organizational culture and policies and then make changes that demonstrate our commitment to being a truly inclusive employer. We need more than words. We must take action to become organizations worth the time and talent of our colleagues of color.
At the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers we are continuously assessing our own practices and have taken some steps, including:
- implementing more equitable hiring practices such as emphasizing experience as well as education.
- broadening the networks we use to share job openings.
- offering a salary range upfront in the public posting.
- not asking for past salary history from applicants.
- inserting language in our job postings stating that racial equity is important.
We now include the following language in all job descriptions:
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Required
Understands and values racial equity as an organizational operating principle and is committed to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Recently, we advertised a new position, director of engagement and policy, and included the language above. Five of the top seven candidates mentioned the language as a key factor in their decisions to apply. Many also admitted that they regard the field of philanthropy as inaccessible and unwelcoming to people of color.
Those of us who work at charities and in grant making say we want diversity. It is time to do the work inside our organizations to welcome the talented people we want and need to create transformative change in the communities we serve.
Pamela Shifman, executive director of the NoVo Foundation, in White People in Philanthropy: This Is Our Move, calls on each of us to consider what we will do to upend white supremacy by recognizing and eliminating bias, challenging our own norms and practice, and promoting our organizational well-being. Let’s get to it.
The author is president of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers.