10 Actions to Support Women of Color:
It's Time to for Advocates to Step Up

Are you an ally for women of color at work? I think most of us want to say yes, and in fact, in the recent McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org Women in the Workplace 2020 report, 61 percent of men and 65 percent of women say they are. However, when you dig down into what actions we take, the results are underwhelming. This speaks to me about the difference between allies and advocates. 

My colleague, Dr. Sheila Robinson, Publisher & CEO, Diversity Woman Media, puts it this way: "While Women of Color are grateful to our male allies who have raised their hands to support, in order for your support to truly make a difference, you have to be actively engaged as an advocate."

If advocates are not visibly and vocally committing to individual actions, then how can we expect the rest of the organization to do so?

While I firmly believe progressive companies are making headway, slowly, the challenge remains that most companies and employees don't know how to start. Most companies lack truly integrated strategies to advance all women, let alone women of color specifically. If you consider yourself to be an advocate for women of color in the workplace, but you're not sure where to begin, I'm releasing new tools this month to address the issue, including a white paper and an Advocating for Women of Color pledge that outlines 10 actions you can take.

Read my LinkedIn article, 10 Actions to Support Women of Color - It’s Time for Advocates to Step Up," and discuss with your team using the prompts below. As advocates, we must focus on taking ACTION! Let's use Black History Month as a springboard to identify actionable ways in which our organizations can make a difference in creating inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Jeffery