Welcoming a new Black coworker to the team

Question

I'm excited to welcome a new Black coworker to the team next week and I'm hoping to get some advice on how to navigate our current lack of diversity. While our organization has made concrete next steps public to the company, there's still a long ways to go. I want this coworker to feel respected and supported and know that I'll be an ally. Yet I also don't want to single her out for her race and treat her differently during the onboarding process. How can I acknowledge our company's current pitfalls and provide support without singling her out?

Anonymous · Answer

Do not, I repeat, Do not, address it in any way, it is condescending and inappropriate to even consider bringing it up.  She will notice on her own and come to you if you decide to befriend her.  Treat her like a new colleague, be friendly, be nice, don't worry about it. She will be a pioneer.  No one wants to think they are being brought in, to fill some diversity quota. Treat all people with dignity and respect.

Melinda Colon · Answer

I totally echo “Anonymous” sentiments exactly.  Just treat her the same way you’d like to be treated.

BeaBoss628116 · Answer

I commend you for your proactiveness and good intentions. From one well-intending white professional to another, we can't signal our respect, support, and allyship for our Black colleagues without taking action to demonstrate respect, support, and allyship in our behaviors day in and day out.  A good first step might be to ask your incoming Black coworker (one-on-one) directly what she feels she needs from her colleagues, superiors, and the organization at large in order to feel supported and respected in their work.  After all, you're not onboarding all Black people; you're onboarding one Black professional, whose Blackness may be integral to her identity, but her Blackness isn't her only identity.  In asking for her personal answer, you're treating her like a human being, rather than a token. You'll likely learn really important things about her, and you'll learn how best to support her. You may be able to tailored information to let her know about the less progressive aspects of the organization that she should look out for.

Apart from this, you should *absolutely* educate yourself whenever possible on implicit biases, including  implicit biases we carry as white folk. The best way we can attempt to 'ally' ourselves is by interrogating our own behaviors to make sure that we are not unknowingly making life harder for our colleagues of color. It also allows us to spot the same kinds of biases and microaggressions in our white colleagues--at which point, you need to step up to the plate and educate those white colleagues--DO NOT leave all that labor of teaching to the one Black person in your organization.

I hope this helps! Please feel welcome to follow up with clarifying questions.

Welcoming a new Black coworker to the team

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