How Can Companies Accelerate The Opportunities And Inclusion Of Black, Asian, And Minority Ethnic People?

The pandemic has exacerbated some critical problems - like racial inequality - that have been with us for a long time, and it has exposed some vulnerabilities that have not been taken seriously enough.

Sandra Kerr pointed to data in the United Kingdom showing that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact in terms of contagion and deaths among BAME communities. As the pandemic developed and the murder of George Floyd in the United States highlighted the systemic nature of racism, this has shone a spotlight on what businesses should do. Landiwe Mahlangu argued that “we need to ensure that businesses do more than just statements and commitments. Many can tick boxes nicely, but cannot show where they have involved black businesses in a meaningful way.”

A basic characteristic of inclusive societies is that anyone can pursue any professional career they want. On the other hand, in unequal countries, it is common that some social groups are overrepresented in top level positions or in high-skilled jobs. This situation propagates inequality into the future and makes structural change harder to achieve. For instance, Romeo Effs told us that it is much harder for black people to reach senior positions or become Board members compared to white people, even in developed countries. Companies are still slow in improving the representation of ethnic minority groups inside their operations. As more members of the BAME community reach top positions in their organizations, they not only become a positive example for youth, but they also offer alternative points of view and make known their unique personal stories.

Many companies have been taking steps to tackle the gender pay gap. The same action should be taken to reduce the ethnicity pay gap. As poverty and inequality are disproportionately higher among black and ethnic minorities, companies can make a significant contribution by advancing equal pay. Likewise, acting against economic inequality must also involve inclusive recruitment processes and supporting small businesses that are owned by BAME members. “Companies have to create an environment of inclusion and belonging to attract and retain ethnically minority talent”, argues Romeo.

Any type of business organization has employees, consumers, and is part of a community. In this sense, large enterprises should pay more attention to their community, especially to minority groups, beyond market research and consider their stakeholders as drivers of innovative ideas. For Dazon Dixon Diallo, businesses must always remember their activities will be linked to either a positive or a negative effect on liberation and social justice.

They just need to work towards inclusivity to ensure they have a positive impact. By acknowledging that opportunities are not equal for everyone, companies take the first step in the direction of improving the representation of BAME members among their employees, executives, and board members. They also need to tackle the wider industry- and society-level obstacles facing BAME communities. Antony Karanja added a stark example: “90% of the total venture capital fund that came from abroad (into the African continent) went to white-run startups. We become a minority in our own setting because we do not have that access to funding.”

In conclusion, Antony who represented The Youth Cafe in the panel pointed out, “In business, human capital development can never go in line with us looking at the colour. We look at the capacity building of a person. We look at the ability of how one is able to deliver on certain projects, what they can do for the company, their effectiveness on a couple of things. And for you to entrust them with that management, it means that they don’t have to go through this ordeal of scrutiny and bias based on colour.

Economic inclusion should be the pedestal upon which this reality is brought to life. And we need to understand that that means we’ve got to build robust economic infrastructures which will ensure that there is equal access to economic opportunities to everyone regardless of their ethnicity, regardless of where they come from and their geographical positioning.”

The views and opinions expressed here belong to the author or interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of The Youth Cafe.