Highly publicized, harmful, and often violent events that target marginalized community members — also called mega-threats — occur far too frequently in the United States. In the last few months alone, a shooting occurred at an LGBTQ+ night club in Colorado Springs, two mass shootings took place in California that targeted people of Asian descent, antisemitic rhetoric continued to rise, and a Black man named Tyre Nichols was killed at the hands of Memphis police officers.
How to Be an Ally to Colleagues After Violence Against Their Community
Silence speaks volumes.
February 10, 2023
Summary.
How can you support a colleague after a mega-threat — a highly publicized, harmful, and often violent event outside of work that often targets historically marginalized groups? It can be difficult to know what — if anything — to say; in fact, employees often perceive these conversations as difficult, sensitive, and high-risk. But silence can be riskier, conveying that the threatened aspect of someone’s identity is not valued or important in the workplace. To help guide people who want to speak up but aren’t sure how, research suggests using three pillars of allyship — self-education, social support, and advocacy — to recognize a coworker and offer support.
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New!
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Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.