“We create rapport with an increased number of industry leaders and orient them in creating leadership teams that are representative of the multicultural world we live in.”
Hypothesis:
Generally speaking, cycling brands do not purposefully exclude BIPOC folk from key decision making positions within their companies. But because white supremacy is the norm in the way business is done, leaders in the industry suffer from a huge blind spot in the way they operate in regards to communities of color. They need guidance and coaching in empathy by those with a vested interest in these largely ignored communities in order to reap the benefits of long-term expanded markets and sales.
Why?
It is crucial that companies in the cycling and outdoor industries play their role in creating pathways for BIPOC to have increased access to outdoor activities. At boardroom meetings, decision makers set sales goals and map out plans to meet or exceed them each fiscal year. The first blind spot the majority of them suffer from is the unwillingness or inability to set a more creative agenda to access communities of color. Thus, it not only exacerbates exclusion from outdoor spaces, but it costs them millions of potential dollars in the annual profits they seek.
For those familiar with supply and demand, any change in price causes movement along the corresponding supply and demand curves (see link). Companies that take measures to create open, accepting workplaces where BIPOC folks can take on more decision making roles, create conditions that allow for meaningful access to BIPOC communities. As a result, their products’ demand curve can shift to the right, effectively allowing them to operate at a higher level (see graph) and become more competitive.
Jalen & Nikki lookin’ gravel-y great!!
How?
In order for industry leaders to create the type of reality that allows for expanded markets and sales (i.e. a diverse, inclusive, and equitable space for all employees), they will benefit greatly from some self-reflection and some outsourced coaching from the Black Foxes. Below are a handful of items that we can help them reflect on and create an operating model from:
Name and call out white supremacy openly and loudly. White supremacy is defined as a culture that favors ideas and actions of white people and culture as the norm and superior to those of people of color. Open, honest discussions with BIPOC are needed in order to weed out subconscious racist thought patterns that are the roots to self-betterment and, as a result, workplace culture change. “Am I/we complicit in the maintaining of white supremecist norms at home and in the workplace? If so, how may I a perpetuator of this?” The second step in this process is to ask oneself how and why this may be, in order to gain historical, familiar, and social causes and conditions (we will get back to the concept of C & C later). Once the individual or group of decision makers attain this perspective, they can then move forward with a map towards DEI for their brand.
Drawing from examples of exclusion in other realms of daily life are helpful in tackling racial exclusion in the workplace: from gender inequality and physical/ mental “disability” inequality as examples. For instance, a woman who is wheelchair bound has her home set up to attend to her every need perfectly, and so is not “disabled” in that space. It is only when she goes out into most public spaces where she finds herself “disabled”; not because of herself, but because those spaces were not built with people like her in mind. This analogy lines up perfectly with the reality that we BIPOC face on many levels and in many places.
2. DIVERSITY ≠ INCLUSIVITY!! Diversity is strictly about numbers. It focuses only on the number of “others” in relation to white men in the workplace. Unfortunately, many companies lean on being “diverse” as a job done. Diversity does not mean real change. These very companies are in need of an expansion of definitions and in their practice. Inclusivity leads to the breaking down of barriers keeping each and every employee equally participating in the company's goals, which need to be defined and acted upon in an inclusive manner. This may (fortunately) lead to a redefinition of a company’s very business goals, because they will come from a team that is diverse and inclusive by nature.
EQUITY is the third pillar of creating the workspace we dream of. It ensures that everyone’s voices are heard, valued, and recognized accordingly. Salary transparency is one of many examples of equity in the workplace.
Photo by @gargaphoto
3. Avoid tokenism. Tokenism is when a company puts a Latinx or Black person in an ad campaign, mistakenly thinking that this action makes them anti-racist. While having images of cyclists that reflect the racially/ethnically diverse world is important, it is only skin deep. What’s worse, the public takes in these images and mistakenly perceives Company X as being truly vested in the movement towards equal racial/gender representation. The real work lies behind the images that the public sees. Public accountability is more valuable than internal accountability. This calls for being transparent about how your company is making changes and keeping the public updated on the progress, challenges, and status of said changes.
4. Take advantage of the times! 2020 isn’t completely bad. Right now we are witnessing unprecedented sales in cycling and other outdoor equipment due to the COVID19 pandemic. Now is the best time to get anti-racist and get out into communities of color to promote an outdoor lifestyle. The present situation presents the ideal causes and conditions for increased employment opportunities of BIPOC and increased sales in our communities.
To sum up:
Hiring more BIPOC people is a component of the solution, but only that: we need to be taken in as active participants in business decisions. The work is deeper than what the public sees in advertising: it requires a regime of self-reflection and DEI initiatives stemming from the acknowledgement of this fact. DIVERSITY + INCLUSION + EQUITY = an ideal workspace conducive to long standing change. DEI will lead to increased sales and profit margins.
As for the Industry: The Black Foxes are at your side to make this world of cycling and outdoor sport better for more people. The only question remaining is: “Are you really interested in being on the right side of history?”
NOTE: We will employ the Scientific Method in working side by side with leaders in the cycling industry. For thousands of year, science, facts, and observing tangible reality and history are the most effective ways to create a better world. If applied in the context of this article, I suppose that, soon, we will soon be witnessing more colorful pelotons, group rides, and trails.
Sant Esteve d’en Bas, Catalunya, Spain