How You, Your Business and Science Can Truly Help Black Lives Matter

Background and Aim

Two recent campaigns have sparked more true allyship to combat racism than any in my lifetime. Before I show you how you, your business and science can combat racism, this article will tell you why:

1. Blackout Tuesday is bigger than one day, or one black box, to me.
2. #TheShowMustBePaused is bigger than one day of friends, family and businesses not posting on social media, to me.

The intention of this article is to provide an opportunity for:

1. The majority to learn how to make a fairer society
2. The reality of the lives of the minority to be heard

The Continued Impact of Racism on my Family and Community

Throughout the football career of my father, George Parris, in the 1980s and 1990s, bananas, monkey chants and racism were unsurprising. During primary school in the 1990s and 2000s, I was shunned for being black and called a ******, by “friends”, no less.

The only time I have ever cried, with joy, is when Barrack Obama was elected as the first African-American President, of the United States, in 2008.

By the time I found out that, for a laugh, my “friends” at the time had called my 15-year old sister a ******, I’d already lost hope that real change was coming.

Considering the racial profiling I received in Brighton, as is typical (Welch, 2007), I am lucky not to have a criminal record. Racial stereotyping impacts how I think about myself, daily.

As a teenager, before I learned a better way, I responded to racial aggravation and injustice with violence. In response to my friend Connor Saunders being unjustly killed by a punch, I’ve learned to channel my anger.

To me, the anger, pain and strength I feel along with my ancestors for centuries, embodies a clenched fist - the symbol of Black Lives Matter.

Every day, at the foot of my bed, I wake up to Wandsworth Jarrell’s AfriCOBRA painting of Malcolm X, his fist and his famous words.

They inspire me to help The Global Goals by any means necessary.

My sisters and brothers, Black Lives Matter and now’s the time to fight for them, together.

The Impact of Colour Blindness

The day after Blackout Tuesday, I woke up feeling grateful for the personal responses and commitments of my family and friends to solidarity. To show their empathy, a loved one started by saying:

“I still find it completely unfathomable that racism ever started, let alone it still exists...”

Easy to agree, right? How often have you thought, said or heard this?

It is common and it is an example of colour blindness, as termed by Layla Saad (Me and White Supremacy, 2020). To varying extents, we all know why racism started and why it still exists. So, in short, while it is admirable, it serves to support the white supremacist system because it does not reflect reality.

Why Racism Started and Why It Still Exists

Racism is institutional, structural, interpersonal and internalised. It is complex. Everyone has different skills, expertise and connections to use to help Black Lives Matter.

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world"

Archimedes, 3rd Century BC

We have the momentum to change the world, right now. Only you can know where it is best to focus your efforts to help Black Lives Matter - if you truly care and you take the time to, now.

Based on my Bachelor and Master's degree in Natural Sciences (specifically by my major focus of Genetics, Evolution & Environment) from University College London (UCL), I can offer my perspective on these two questions and I challenge you to do the same.

Cultural Evolution and White Privilege

Racist behaviour, in Darwinian terms but not via natural selection, will be positively selected for in competitive, capitalist societies (Shahrier et al. 2016). The more racists there are with desirable traits (e.g. knowledge, influence, money and power) the more likely racism will be prevalent in that society, because of social learning (Creanze et a. 2017; Giraldeau, 1994). Adolf Hitler and the Nazi society is an obvious example. Donald Trump is on the spectrum, but the problem is bigger than one person. The recent murder of George Floyd highlighted this, again.

While George Floyd has got justice, this is rare. Black people are most likely to be killed by police, unarmed and 99% of killings by police have not been considered a crime. The problem is bigger than one police force, political party, nation or their legal system. The problem is bigger than one media organisation spreading misinformation. It's bigger than one advertisement organisation benefiting from the media's misinformation.

Third-party punishment (Fehr and Fischbacher, 2004), also called altruistic punishment, was a vital step in human evolution for us to maintain such large social groups (Boyd et al, 2003). In all species it exists, even social insects, like colonies of ants and hives of bees, it functions for The Selfish Gene (Dawkins, 1976). Genes and social behaviours function for the principle of utilitarianism - the greatest amount of good for the greatest number - a principle of UCL's founder Jeremy Bentham, which I hold close to my heart.

Egalitarianism is the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. While this is clearer today, many of the systems and policies that still heavily influence us were in existence long before the abolition of slavery. This is important because perceived similarity substantially increases altruistic punishment, a key mechanism underlying human cooperation (Mussweiler & Ockenfels, 2013). Therefore, differences in the magnitude of third-party punishment in our systems, for different groups, are reflective of progress and prejudice.

Today, we live in an interconnected, unfair, capitalist society built on colonialism, imperialism and slave trading. Only 5 years ago, Britain was still compensating the descendants of slave owners, who made an agreement in 1835 to be compensated for their loss. Not one penny went to the slaves, my ancestors, or their descendants. Structural and institutional racism is embedded in our systems, which is why it still exists today, as White Privilege (Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, 2017).

Racism in Healthcare and COVID-19

In an increasingly data-driven society, decisions will not be reflective of groups for whom data is not being collected, so innovations will continue to be designed for white people and issues will continue to be solved unfairly. Healthcare is more focused on saving white lives (Joe Feagin & Zinnobia Bennefi, 2014). The impact of this on healthcare and policy can be seen clearly in the COVID-19 crisis. In the UK, a higher death rate of Black ethnic groups compared to White ethnic groups (Public Health England, 2020). Age and sex are other key risk factors.

Elderly people are less able to access and use TrackTogether, a non-profit I volunteer for, so they are under-represented in our dataset. By contributing COVID-19 symptomatic data with other symptom trackers, we decrease this limitation as part of Project OASIS. The NHS uses the data to understand the spread of COVID-19, so the limited amount of life-saving resources available in the UK are used more effectively.

TrackTogether is exploring scaling Project OASIS internationally. While our technology alone will help improve the representation of Black, Asian and Minority-Ethnic (BAME) groups in healthcare data, working together with local trackers will help transfer technology, alignment and have a greater impact on local issues. Another exciting initiative in ideation is adapting our survey questions to drive more of The Global Goals; for example, peace in Ghana; whom last year commemorated 400 years since slavery began.

White Fragility

One of the key reasons racism still exists, which is the easiest to change, is White Fragility (DiAnegelo, 2011). Racist assumptions and behaviour patterns are not challenged because they are confronted with highly emotional responses. Question how you respond in discussions involving marginalised groups and be accountable for your actions.

Education and justice are vital to directing our cultural evolution until racism no longer exists.

It will take courage to challenge racism from people you love and you should expect a highly emotional response. You might not think they are racist and they might not think they are racist. It is by challenging assumptions that science and society have progressed. Ultimately, beliefs or statements that are false, are fragile, so they will not stand the test of time.

It will take more courage to challenge racism to your business leaders. Those are the people whose decisions will have a direct impact on an unfair, capitalist system. If the temporary social distancing measures have shown us anything, it is that the world can significantly change for the greater good.

True Allyship & The Environment

When coronavirus started impacting the world’s most elite, rich, powerful, and – let’s be honest – disproportionately white people, we dealt with the global threat at a rate I have not yet seen in my lifetime.

If climate change was impacting white people disproportionally, would companies like BP still be dealing with this existential threat at a snail’s pace? I think not. 

It’s not just BP. All companies and governments, which have been stalling on climate solutions for decades, have also clearly demonstrated that the lives of those who will suffer do not matter to them. 

Do Black Lives Matter to you?

How You And Your Business Can Truly Help Black Lives Matter

On Blackout Tuesday the music industry showed they care and #TheShowMustBePaused

The whole music industry paused for 1-day - why isn't your business? On Friday 5th June, Havas Group, a multinational advertising and public relations agency, are going to honour a day dedicated to reflection and solidarity.

In the words of their CEO, Yannick Bolloré:

"The purpose of this day is to contemplate our roles in improving racial justice and diversity in and outside of our business, to take personal action or to do whatever you feel best serves you, your personal journey, your loved ones and your communities. For those of you who are impacted directly, this day may be used to mourn and heal."

If your employer did not give you time on Blackout Tuesday to learn and exact justice, now is the time to make them commit to next Tuesday. Thinking back to the quote from Archimedes, now is the time - to find your fulcrum, to focus - and act as best you can.

Ask Your Business Leader: Further to Blackout Tuesday, companies around the world are honouring a day dedicated to reflection and solidarity. Why isn't our business?

No response? Spread awareness on social media; in my case, I'll ask Elsevier in the comments below. On Instagram, I'll tag my colleagues and ask Elsevier.

Share On Social Media: #blacktuesday #whyareyounot @Elsevier ?

When you succeed, let your customer know why you are less responsive.

Email Auto-Reply: Further to Blackout Tuesday, we are one of many companies around the world honouring a day dedicated to reflection and solidarity. What is your business doing?

When you succeed, hold your finger down on the Like button and change to Celebrate with us. I will continue this - as long as it gets results - in the words of Malcolm X.

Measuring Our Impact

1. Love this article once you have discussed this with a business leader (or Shared if you are self-employed)
2. Celebrate if your business has given you time and Comment on the commitment your business has made (we can all leverage this).
3. If anything is Insightful, please let us know and Comment.
4. If anything I've written is inaccurate, please Comment so we can correct it.
5. If anything I've written resonates, please Share this article and why you are.

When justice for racism is put above money and the perception of power, it will be no more

Justice for Racism Resources

Here are links you too can use to help the Black Lives Matter movement.

If you'd like to discuss anything in relation to your own initiatives, please (considerately) ask.

I'd recommend Blinkest for ~15-minute audiobooks to help you make time to learn further on this subject (and many others, e.g. sexism and the environmental crisis). You can get it for free for 7-days.

Affiliations

I work for Elsevier and volunteer for TrackTogether to empower knowledge and drive open-access data for The Global Goals. I donate to Black Lives Matter and Green Peace. I have no affiliation to any other organisations used as references.

Measuring My Impact

Further to my measure of impact, I can now Celebrate as my business has given me time and a commitment (which you can leverage).

Transcript from Elsevier CEO, Kumsal Bayazit, in a video to all (~8000) employees, on the 4th June 2020.

Hello everybody,

I hope you and your loved ones are all doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances. I know that it has been a very challenging couple of weeks.

We just wrapped up our annual strategy review. I had planned to use this message to update you on the good progress we are making and to thank everyone for the huge amount of work which has gone into it. I will do that next time as, today, it does not feel appropriate to talk about that.

Instead, I want to recognise the shocking and tragic events in the US that have brought deep sadness, grief and anger to communities that are already impacted by the global pandemic. We all watched in horror the brutality that led to the death of George Floyd and the escalating social tensions in the last 10 days.

I sent a note earlier in the week to our US colleagues and have been overwhelmed by their replies and thoughtful suggestions. They feel sad, angry, disappointed, embarrassed, outraged, weary about the lack of progress in eradicating racism. They shared how they are trying to help their children process what is happening. I received generous and frank accounts by African American colleagues of how it feels to be in their shoes. I received beautiful artwork of George Floyd done by children of our colleagues. My team and I also received several similar notes from colleagues outside the US, reminding us that we are one community, feeling the pain and outrage. I am truly grateful that you have shared how you are feeling.

There was also hope, a sense of solidarity, a sense of resolute commitment to do more, to take individual ownership to stamp out racism, grateful nods to colleagues who have been supportive, ideas on what more we can do to drive change.

I am resolved to redouble our efforts to ensure discrimination of any kind has no place at Elsevier. It’s crystal clear that we need to do more individually and as a company.

To continue this important dialogue, our leadership team and HR colleagues will organise ‘listening conversations’. These will begin in the US next week and depending on how they go and whether you find them useful, we would want to replicate in other geographies thereafter.

We want to hear how you’re feeling, what we can do differently or better on our journey to make inclusion and diversity an immovable part of Elsevier. How we can support our communities in the fight against systemic racism. We want to act, act based on our collective best thinking on how we can move the needle in the most effective way.

We welcome your ideas on recruitment policies, creating opportunities for young black people to gain experience, continuing with unconscious bias and psychological safety training, looking at how race and ethnicity are reflected at Elsevier, in the world of research, in our editorial stance, working with champions internally as well as with organisations externally that fight racism and promote inclusion and diversity. We want to shape action plans stemming from your ideas. I want everyone to feel ownership, empowerment and accountability.

In these testing times, it is inevitable that we are all feeling fatigued – I am feeling it too. Fatigue with fear, fatigue with uncertainty, fatigue of intense emotions, fatigue of exhaustion, fatigue with juggling priorities, with trying to make plans when you don’t know what is going to happen. There is a lot for everyone to take in and I have seen many exhausted faces in my Zoom meetings this week. It is hard to see the silver linings. I appreciate it is hard for me or for anyone to get what needs to be said right, emotions are justifiably raw, I have tried, and I know it is not close to getting it right.

But I know collectively as a group of people we will get there.

I read something by Larry Bacow, the Dean of Harvard University, this week where he said: 'I believe in the power of knowledge and ideas to change the world, of science and medicine to defeat disease, of the arts and humanities to illuminate the human condition.’

And so do I. And I believe that we, at Elsevier, have an important contribution to make to society’s progress, that we are a force for good. The tremendous support we have mobilised in the fight against COVID-19 has shown what our collective power can achieve when united around a purpose. I know from the notes we received from colleagues in the US and all over the globe that we are also united in our determination to stamp out racism and prejudice in all its forms in our communities. I am confident that we will use our force for good to contribute to lasting change.

We will do more, we will do better and we will do it together.

Please take care of yourselves and each other. Thank you.

Thank you Kumsal for this example.