White Supremacy at the (Repro) Office
Dena Robinson (she/hers) is a queer, Jewish, first-generation Black woman. She is an organizer, civil rights attorney, educator, Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Consultant and Facilitator, and the co-founder of Radical Roots Consulting. Dena serves on the advisory board of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and was previously the chair of If/When/How's Board of Directors.
Because of Coronavirus, it feels like we are in an unprecedented moment in modern history — we’re being forced to be highly adaptive, reframe what productivity means, and *hopefully* slow down, at least at work. Despite the havoc this virus is wrecking all over the world, I’m trying to be grateful for the opportunity to pause a bit as someone who wears multiple hats — as a civil rights attorney, a media arts educator, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator.
This moment is also exacerbating one of the main contributors to toxic work environments: white supremacy culture. You know what I’m talking about - the work environment with unhappy and overworked employees who constantly feel micromanaged. Yes, that’s white supremacy. But first:
What Is White Supremacy?
During the period of worldwide colonial expansion, Europeans sought to “civilize” other cultures with their Eurocentric values, implying that other cultures are less than, uncivilized, even “savage.” White supremacy culture stems from colonialism and is the idea that whiteness and white people are superior to people of color. We have internalized this narrative through religion, education, the media, and western science. White supremacy is the water we swim in and it’s hurting us all. White supremacy culture prevents us from developing deep, authentic, and honest relationships with ourselves and each other, which is what we all truly crave.
White supremacy and racism are systems of design, but can be undesigned. It may seem impossible, but it is critical that we, as folx doing intersectional movement work, practice recognizing and disrupting white supremacy culture. Luckily, Tema Okun gifted us with these fifteen characteristics of White Supremacy Culture. Here are five of the most common ones that show up in individuals and organizations, and how you can disrupt them:
Perfectionism
Under white supremacy culture, whiteness is beautiful, holy, and valued. We’ve learned this through religion, academia, and the media. For many people of color, perfectionism and “professionalism” go hand in hand. However, as perfect as people of color try to be, it is a sham.
Perfectionism in individuals looks like imposter syndrome, low self-worth, deep self-criticism (like me overthinking this entire blog post), and people-pleasing. This can also look like an inability to see your gifts or those of others. For perfectionists, YOU are your mistake.
Perfectionism in organizations looks like micromanaging employees and not allowing them to make mistakes. Mistakes are failures, not opportunities to learn. At repro rights organizations, I’ve seen this manifest as the work of the staff of color constantly being checked for “doneness,” or supervisors constantly shifting deadlines, goals, and responsibilities.
Disrupt this habit:
Have a virtual or IRL brag wall at your work. Appreciate and own your wins in all their imperfection!
If you’re giving someone feedback, tell them at least one thing they’re doing well. Better yet, tell them three things they’re doing well for every one thing they need feedback on.
Adopt Rihanna’s personal mantra: “never a failure, always a lesson.”
Urgency Culture
What does productivity mean in a country born from slavery? We are not machines, but colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacy teach us that our value lies in our output. This has deep roots: enslaved Africans’ value was literally tied to how much cotton they picked. Some people stay busy and prioritize everything as urgent to avoid feeling their feelings, others use urgency as a crutch to avoid evaluating the impact they’re having on those around them.
Urgency in individuals looks like that boss who is always rushing and breathing down people’s necks. Or the coworker who sends an email saying something needs to be done “immediately” when in reality, it can wait a few minutes or even a day. Someone steeped in urgency culture might also quickly respond to every email, text, or Slack message and expect the same from colleagues.
Urgency at organizations looks like avoiding check-ins at staff meetings because it takes time away from “business.” Disciplining an employee for not sticking to an uncommunicated rigid deadline. Expecting employees to become even busier or more productive during a pandemic. At reproductive health or rights organizations, this may look like employees being rewarded for “doing so much with so little time” or foregoing relationship building and collaboration when the latest legislative assault on abortion access happens.
Disrupt this habit:
Practice boundary setting with the Pomodoro technique and the urgent/important matrix.
Follow the Nap Ministry and use rest as a form of resistance.
Believe that there is always time for “the work.”
Develop realistic work plans and contingency plans that provide breathing room.
Defensiveness
White supremacy culture is obsessed with consolidating and maintaining power for white folx. The best way to maintain power is to deny that it exists.
Defensiveness in individuals looks like a colleague (or boss) refusing to accept responsibility for the harm they’ve done, invalidating harm they have caused, or refusing to accept feedback. It can also look like white tears.
Defensiveness in organizations looks like leaders and managers invalidating that their “good intentions” may harm marginalized communities or communities of color. In these organizations, employees who tell the truth are pushed out and villainized. At repro organizations, I’ve seen this manifest as employees who call out white supremacy culture being punished for being an “instigator” or fired from their job.
Disrupt this habit:
Stop giving folks feedback or having serious conversations via email. Have them in a video chat (we communicate not just with our voices alone, but also body language). Video chat isn’t as great as in-person communication but is helpful during COVID.
Have protocols in place for having honest and hard conversations. This can be helpful in practicing how your organization will handle breaches of trust.
Have protected spaces for workers of color to gather, share their experiences, and connect with each other (on issues unrelated to race, too!) without white coworkers infiltrating.
Worship of the Written Word
Under white supremacy, the OG written word was the Bible. When colonizers began their journey, anything that was not Christian was devalued. We value written and oral communication by white folx over others. Think about it: how many works written by Black authors did you read in your K-12 education (that wasn’t about slavery)?
Worship of the written word in individuals looks like only valuing one mode of communication and language while devaluing others. For instance, policing Black folxs’ use of African-American Vernacular English or mispronunciations. It can also look like disbelieving the experiences of people of color and other marginalized groups unless there is data to back it up.
Worship of the written word in organizations looks like only giving and receiving information in one way (email blasts instead of face-to-face communication). Organizations may also hold staff of color to the letter of a policy, but may bend the rules for white staff. At repro organizations, this might look like employment applications to the organization being screened for buzzwords like “equity,” “diversity,” “inclusion,” “reproductive justice” and “intersectionality,” when the organization does not live out those values. It might also look like an organizational leaders needing to read extensive reports or research (typically written by white people) before they believe the lived experience of people of color.
Disrupt this habit:
Make information in your organization accessible (not just to folx on staff, but also to the communities you serve). That might mean taking out all the jargon, making it available in multiple languages, and making sure your website is disability-friendly.
Question whether your organization polices the language and expression of others (are you often corrected for your grammar, does your organization only value folx who read and write “well”?).
Consider what “expertise” means for the issues you work on. Is it the person who conducted the research? Reported the story? Lived the experience?
Question whether your organization only relies on written policies or practices when solving a problem (often, organizations will use a written policy to uphold the status quo).
Power Hoarding and Paternalism
Paternalism has been used to justify everything from slavery to separating Native American children from their families. Rarely if ever do we hear from those most impacted, from the most marginalized in society. We hear from those with power. Why?
Power hoarding in individuals looks like taking credit for another person’s ideas, withholding information from other colleagues to seek favor with a supervisor, or giving a supervisee assignments that cannot be done successfully, essentially setting them up to fail. Paternalism in individuals looks like claiming to speak for a group, but not giving that group a seat and a mic at the table.
Power hoarding in organizations looks like excluding staff from giving input on the organization’s mission, vision, or strategic plan (or including them for show). This can also look like refusing to give staff all the information needed to make an informed decision. Paternalism in organizations looks like being client-centered or community-centered without ever engaging the community around its wants, needs, or vision. At repro organizations, this may look like an organization that is snow-capped (white-led with a smattering of BIPOC at the bottom in positions with less power). It may also look like a repro organization refusing to divert resources (meeting rooms, work opportunities, and grants) to BIPOC-led reproductive rights and justice organizations.
Disrupt this habit:
Add power disbursement to your organization’s shared mission and values.
Discuss how power is distributed, shared, and hoarded at your organization.
Question the hierarchical structure at your organization (I’m actually doing this now!) and investigate other models.
Include staff members and community (especially those most impacted) in setting your organization’s strategic plan, mission, and vision.
Have continuous feedback loops where those most impacted can define whether your organization has been successful.
Give the communities you serve a seat at the table to tell you whether the action your organization is taking is the one you want.
Reflection
How is this information sitting with you?
What characteristics do you feel most “at home” with? Which makes you uncomfortable?
What’s one tiny action you can take tomorrow to disrupt what you notice in yourself?
