Why CEO Black Lives Matter Communications Are Critical: A DIBs Leader’s Perspective

Dear Company Leaders,

You might be shocked by what happened to George Floyd and the subsequent protests you’re seeing across the US. I guarantee you not one of your Black employees is surprised. So if you’re moved, angry, or concerned…good. USE THAT. Channel those emotions to propel yourself to action.

Over the past few days, I’ve seen a flurry of corporate activity like tweets and donations to public causes. These external-facing displays of solidarity are great. Please keep them up. Please also know that they’re not sufficient for uplifting your Black employees. While you can’t solve for slavery or racism—and nobody’s asking you to—you can directly impact the extent to which your organization counters historical inequity, inequality & injustice. If you’re fired up this week, there are plenty of active antiracist corporate commitments to consider, starting with communicating directly with your employees.

Upwork’s CEO, Hayden Brown, was quick to take this step. In the spirit of transparency and helping other company leaders learn to uplift and support their Black employees, I am sharing her internal memo, along with my thoughts on why it was so impactful for our Black community.

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Erin L. Thomas, PhD
VP, Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Upwork