Research

Research, Reading, and Resources for the Antiracist: Ask Catalyst Express

Jan 27, 2021

The devastating effects of Covid-19 on communities of color have been exacerbated and magnified by social inequalities. These inequalities are the result of another insidious virus—systemic racism—that has ravaged communities of color and ensures a continued legacy of discrimination, unfair treatment, and economic and social injustice.

To make constructive change, each of us must do hard work to counter the racism, bias, and unfair treatment that cause us to have very different experiences and opportunities. We must have challenging conversations inside our organizations to understand each other’s experiences and perspectives. We must also understand that this is not just about one biased act or statement—it is about a long history of laws, actions, attitudes, and words that have systematically advantaged one group over others.

There are no easy answers and certainly no simple ones. But people are hurting and dying. And many are finding their own way to speak out and challenge the status quo. It’s up to each of us to engage in constructive dialogue so we can bridge our divides, build a common understanding of equity, and dismantle the structures that prevent us all from truly being free.

Below are resources that can help you lead and connect across differences through these turbulent times.

Catalyst Resources

Learn from Research

So You Want to Learn about Race & Racism: Knowledge Burst New! Supporter Exclusive
Diversity is a reality of our workplaces today. We all bring our life experiences and backgrounds to our organizations, teams, and interpersonal interactions. Managers everywhere are realizing they have knowledge gaps about race and racism and skill gaps in how to connect and collaborate across differences. This introduction to race and racism through quality, curated resources will help managers remedy those gaps.

The Impact of Structural Racism on Black Americans
Many of the disparities between Black and White communities in the United States are an outgrowth of a long history of discriminatory and dehumanizing laws and policies that have created and exacerbated inequality in almost every sphere of life. These laws and policies are built into the fundamental structures of our societies—our systems of labor, housing, education, voting, healthcare, and justice. They are deeply entrenched, intertwined, and insidious, and they form the foundation for structural racism. Understanding how racism is built into various social structures and quantifying its long-term effects is fundamental to the antiracist work of dismantling these barriers.

Emotional Tax
Learn what Emotional Tax is and how it affects both employees of color and organizations. In this Catalyst research series, we uncovered the reality that Asian, Black, Latinx, and multiracial employees pay an Emotional Tax at work when they feel they must be on guard to protect against bias. These harmful experiences occur both inside and outside the workplace and prevent employees from being able to truly thrive at work.
- Featured in the podcast The Fix with Michelle King: Emotional Tax — A Problem Companies Can No Longer Afford to Ignore

Engage in Tough Conversations

Overcoming Conversation Roadblocks
Do you want to talk about gender or racial bias, but fear saying something insensitive or hurtful? Not sure how to respond to coworkers’ insensitive remarks? Here are common roadblocks to communication and how to overcome them.
We Can Talk About Race. And We Don’t Have to Be Perfect.
A couple weeks ago, a colleague asked me to share some thoughts on the topic of racism. My immediate reaction was, “That’s an uncomfortable topic. Not everyone wants to talk about it.” But we need to, if we are going to have a more equitable and inclusive society, or workplace.
Bank of America’s Let’s Get Real…® courageous conversations Supporter Exclusive
Nationwide’s Catalyst for Change Associate Exchanges Supporter Exclusive
Rockwell Automation’s Culture of Inclusion Supporter Exclusive

Take Stock of your Workplace Practices

Vital Signs Supporter Exclusive
This Catalyst tool is a foundational methodology for understanding your workforce representation through a diversity lens. While your company may intend to have an equitable and inclusive workplace, the reality is commonly at odds with those intentions. The Vital Signs tool helps you measure the representation and progression of talent across your organization so you can diagnose hot spots, identify patterns, and take an organizational approach to unpacking sometimes unexamined systems.

Additional Resources

We also encourage you to learn as much as you can about institutional racism, discrimination, bias, as well as the experiences of marginalized groups in countries across the world. Be curious. Be reflective. Share your experiences. There is a great deal out there; here are some starters.