How to Talk About Anti-Racism Without Getting into Politics

For many, talking about racism, along with politics and religion, has been an area particularly tricky to negotiate in the workplace. Many companies have unspoken rules about topics like these being off-limits for their management and employees. While, at first, this may seem like a safe play for everyone involved, over time, company culture may suffer with these policies or unspoken rules in place in an increasingly diverse workplace corresponding with often increasing societal tensions.

According to a recent report from the Society for Human Resource Management, the leading association for human resource professionals in the United States, there are disparities in how safe workers feel about discussing race in their offices, warehouses, and manufacturing floor environments. Almost half of Black professionals think that race is an unsafe topic at work, while only a little over a quarter of White professionals express a similar concern.