This morning I shared on my Just Read It blog a few thoughts I had regarding the protests that have taken place over these past few days.

One of the things I mentioned was about the feeling as a Black person of being stifled, of having to suppress oneself in order to make life more comfortable and palatable for others in the face of white supremacy. For me this really comes to play as a Black woman and as a professional, especially working in comms and marketing where all to often I am the only Black person in the room.

I’ve had times where I’ve had to bite my tongue, I’ve had to let comments and microagressions roll off me, like water off a duck’s back. I’ve had to be silent and/or rely on a white colleague to say what I’ve been thinking as it would be more acceptable coming from them. Because to do otherwise would have got me labelled as aggressive, unhelpful, and not a team player. It was partly these experiences that led me to my becoming self-employed, because then at least then I could choose who I worked with, but the same rules tended to apply.

This week has opened up some really great conversations with clients, friends and family. And I’m really encouraged by the recognition that mere solidarity is not enough and more needs to happen to effect change. From revisiting hiring practices, looking at brand statements and challenging whether they live up to the reality and most importantly listening to Black colleagues and really seeing where they are coming from instead of trying to shut down the conversation because it makes them uncomfortable. There is more to done of course, but here is a good starting point.