Acknowledge the trauma of racial violence

by | Mar 17, 2021 | Best Practice

Report violence against AsianAmericans at stopaapihate.org

While I'm grateful that anti-Asian violence is finally getting covered, I'm gutted by the latest attacks in this ongoing situation. Whether you're a business owner, a team leader or a rank and file employee, if you're non-BIPOC, you have a special responsibility to acknowledge and accommodate the trauma your coworkers, clients and business partners experience in the wake of racial violence.

Kaiser Permanente published a helpful guide last year: The New Business is Trauma Informed. It's a terrific place to start understanding why and how acknowledging traumas of all kinds is good business.

Here are some additional resources

How to respond

I've been curating a collection on Flipboard for the last year that includes several articles that will help you find your way. While many are pegged to Black people, the advice can be adapted to support others. Follow the regularly updated magazine. Meantime, here are 6 particularly timely articles from the collection:

  1. How to Support Asian-Americans Facing Violence Because of COVID-19 Misinformation
  2. Give Black Employees Time to Rest and Recover
  3. HR’s Role in Advancing Equity in Times of Unrest
  4. How Organizations Can Support the Mental Health of Black Employees
  5. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have failed. How about Belonging, Dignity and Justice Instead
  6. How Employee Assistance Programs Can Help Your Whole Company Address Racism at Work

How to show empathy

Helping others deal with upsetting events and ongoing impacts requires empathy. Here are 3 resources for empathy in the office:

  1. Understand the value. Most of us have been conditioned to think that feelings and work don't mix. Wrong. See why in this essay, Empathy - The surprisingly crucial business skill, by Daniel Goleman
  2. Do your homework. Learn about the lived experiences of BIPOC in America. To understand more about Asian Americans, check out this excellent documentary series from PBS. Get more information on racial violence against AAPI people at stopAAPIhate.org.
  3. Think before you act. Take a few minutes to plan before launching a response. The Feelings Before & After Strategy(c) helps us understand where our audience is emotionally before they engage with our content and where we hope to help them to be afterward.

Showing up for Black, Indigenous, Asian and other people of color is a moral and ethical imperative. Use these resources to do what you can. Thanks.