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A How-To Guide:
Having Difficult Conversations about Race BY: Kwame Christian So when it comes to difficult conversations about race, these are tough --- and they're tough for everybody. There are three main reasons why: (1) We have a fear of political reprisal. Within our organization, there is a social hierarchy and we don't want to lose our place by making a mistake in a difficult conversation about race. Similarly, (2) there's social reprisal. We don't just go to work to make money. We also have friends there. We have relationships. We care about our colleagues, and we don't want to risk offending somebody. And lastly, (3) while the risks are very clear, the payoffs often aren't.
We're entering a time where race is at the height of human consciousness. And this is a great opportunity for us to start to make strides towards equity and inclusion. My motto is that the best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations. Now, as it relates to difficult conversations about race, if we want to create a more inclusive environment and move towards equity, we're going to have to have these tough conversations.
And so we say, “listen, it's not worth the risk.” “Why should I have this conversation? There's so much to
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