Anti-Racism Is a Daily Practice, Not a Single Event

Learning about racism and being actively anti-racist are two different things. Education is a necessary first step, but without application, it doesn't move the needle. Following the murder of George Floyd, many companies held educational events and listening sessions. Cloudflare's first "Day On," held June 18, was one such effort, dedicated to learning about bias, the history and psychological effects of racism, and how racism can become embedded in algorithms.

As the company gathered feedback from that event, a common suggestion emerged: increase diversity recruiting. While important, recruiting diverse candidates only solves part of the problem. Two significant hurdles remain: employees need to feel a sense of belonging, and they need equal opportunity for career advancement.

Beyond the Numbers Game

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are valuable for fostering community and belonging, but they cannot ensure equitable advancement across a company. This is often where organizations fall short, leading to public criticism of management teams and boards of directors on social media. Companies may tout percentages of underrepresented employees, but those figures can be misleading. More telling questions are rarely answered publicly: How many of these employees are thriving and getting promoted at the same pace as their peers? Are they compensated at the same rate?

Meaningful change requires everyone to commit to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). It's not something people can opt into or out of. Even full buy-in isn't sufficient; real progress only comes when DEI is a daily, lived practice.

Putting DEI Into Practice Every Day

Committing to DEI daily means taking small, consistent actions that build the habit. Practical examples include:

  • Mentoring someone from an underrepresented group, or asking them to mentor you.
  • Scheduling a coffee meeting with colleagues from underrepresented groups to learn how you can amplify their voices.
  • Offering candid, timely coaching to help underrepresented employees grow in their roles.
  • Actively valuing the different approaches and styles that underrepresented people bring to the workplace.
  • Hosting team-wide listening circles to discuss what a just and equitable workplace looks like.
  • Requesting educational opportunities like implicit bias or allyship workshops for your team or company, and asking if leadership has attended similar sessions.
  • Asking your manager how you can help increase your team's diversity.
  • Suggesting ways to build a more inclusive culture, such as ensuring equal speaking time in meetings, keeping events within working hours, and holding regular conversations about inclusivity.
  • Asking someone from an underrepresented group for their opinion on decisions, especially since they are often not in the room when critical choices are made.

Why Daily Commitment Matters

Doing nothing is easy. Maintaining the status quo is comfortable, while changing the system is hard work. A company full of underrepresented people who don't feel heard, seen, or promoted won't achieve the desired outcomes. Subtle discrimination is easy to spot by those who experience it, and it quickly becomes clear when people aren't valued. As Maya Angelou said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

DEI is best viewed as a journey, not a destination with a finish line. It is a continuous process with milestones worth celebrating along the way. Daily practice, with public sharing and personal challenges to grow, is the path forward for companies, the tech industry, and society.

This post is dedicated to the memory of the late Congressman John Lewis, a great civil rights leader who challenged us all to make noise and get into "good trouble" for justice and equality.