This is a great question! Because systemic racism does not always have an identifiable, individual perpetrator, it lives in an organization in its policies, practices, and procedures that work to keep the status quo and to benefit Whites. Here are some questions you can ask to explore how your organization is addressing and eradicating systemic racism:
Executive Leadership: What is the racial make-up of the senior leadership team and the board of the organization? Are there People of Color, particularly Blacks, in roles outside of Human Resources and the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer?
Culture of Impact vs Culture of Fit: Are the hiring and promotion practices focused on creating a culture of fit designed around who can get along best with the current administration and who fits the existing organizational culture… or do the hiring and promotion practices focus on building a culture of impact by hiring those who are aligned with the organization’s current needs and who can best achieve the mission and meet the business objectives?
Accountability: What measures are in place to ensure that equity goals are being achieved? Are there any consequences for not meeting stated goals?
Transparency: Are policies openly known and understood, visible and communicated to everyone, and consistently applied to every employee?
Responsiveness: When a racially-charged complaint is made, are the investigators knowledgeable and competent in managing racial dynamics? How is their competency determined and evaluated? What are the number of complaints of racism? Are these tracked? How are complainants protected?
Education: Does the organization have specific antiracism training for leadership and training that is available to the entire workforce?
Resources: What financial resources are being devoted to achieving racial equity within the organization and within the communities that the organization serves?
Approach: Are Blacks and other People of Color experienced as the problem or as problem solvers? Are racial differences treated as a threat to be feared, or is everyone engaged with learning how to build the competencies necessary to leverage racial differences to enhance productivity and creativity? Are Whites engaged, supported, and encouraged to do their own racial identity work and explore their race’s impact on their thinking, behavior, decision-making and governance within the organization?
Sustainability: Does the work and investment on racial equity extend beyond a written communication and company statement? Is racial equity specifically named and included in strategic plans? What organizational structures are in place to support sustainability?