Millions of people worldwide are demanding reform, and business leaders are facing unprecedented questions from both their employees and their customers as to how their company will address systemic racism. Over the last several weeks, Dr. Randal Pinkett, the Chairman, and CEO of BCT Partners and the co-author of the book, Black Faces in White Places, and the forthcoming Black Faces in High Places, has conducted a series of town halls and spoken with thousands of business leaders. He has offered them his insights, recommendations, and concrete plans for action. His conversations have uncovered seven common myths about racial equity that Dr. Pinkett feels compelled to address.
Having founded BCT Partners with the mission of providing insights about diverse people that lead to equity, Dr. Pinkett is uniquely qualified to dispel these myths and help business leaders determine “where to go from here.” He believes that now is the time for leaders to “find their voice and educate themselves on the basic language of racial equity and create tangible plans for change.”
In addition to the video created by Dr. Pinkett, BCT Partners, will be hosting a series of webinars titled: “CEO 2 CEO” A Path Forward: If not now, then, when does race matter?” The first webinar will take place on August 18, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (CST). BCT is extending an exclusive invite to CEOs who are ready to engage in a genuine and transparent conversation about racial inequities and systemic racism. The series will create a platform for the often-uncomfortable discussions necessary to bring about real change. As Dr. King once said, “We will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Business leaders have the unique opportunity to dismantle all four dimensions of racism: personal– beliefs, interpersonal– behaviors, institutional– organizational culture, and structural– our society. As Dr. Pinkett says, “If leaders really want to transform their organization, it has to begin with them. So, let’s transform this moment into a movement, so we are never in this moment again.”
