Racism is a huge problem in the United States and the world. More than schools, more than churches, and certainly more than politicians, businesses have the power to end racism through diversity. Janet Stoval’s 2018 TED Talk is about how businesses can get serious about diversity in the workplace.
Diversity is more than offering workplace diversity courses. People spend at least one third of their lives at work.
If people have to work with people who do not look like them, they learn to get along in order to keep a paycheck. Eventually, lessons learned at work about how to get along can translate to people learning how to get along outside of work.
Studies show that customers want to do business with companies that have a diverse workforce. Studies also show that companies serious about diversity perform better. However, there are only five Black CEOs in Fortune 500 companies. Businesses that offer more than minimum wage are still unlikely to hire people of color.
Businesses have to hire people of color. They have to promote people of color who do a good job. They need to fire all employees who show signs of racism, or who refuse to work with people of color. It’s that simple to not only be serious about diversity, but serious about ending racism.