Diversity in the New World Part II - Learning to talk about Race.

Following on from Part I of this two part blog based off my Human Learning Systems Event, ‘Diversity in the New World’, we move onto learning in complex environments, which depends on having honest and trusting conversations. My research shows that people don’t feel comfortable to have honest conversations about race inequity and racism. So how do we create a positive error culture which is so core to HLS, where people can make mistakes and fail - but also people feel safe and don’t have to keep suffering the same failures in the system? 

If an HLS approach means responding and taking into account the context of people’s unique lives and the ever-changing world we all live in, then we must have open and safe spaces environments to really tackle the issues our society faces at its heart. However, we have created a culture where speaking on the issue of ‘race’ has become taboo, even as someone who is affected by it, lives in it day-to-day, has studied it relentlessly, and even qualified to argue it in a Court of Law, it still terrifies me, because who gets to give legitimacy and authority on these issues? There’s no Archbishop or Chief Imam of the Race Council. 

The previous section I spoke about ‘race’ as a system understood through predominantly black authors, and as a brown man, even that felt uneasy, scary almost. But that fear shouldn’t stop me from trying if I believe in it? It shouldn’t prevent us from effectively engaging and learning about racism, because without getting to the heart of the issue, we are merely allowing it to evolve. 

And part of this fear is underpinned by a lack of understanding about the engagement with the realities of racism and diversity. ACEVO’s online survey showed that only 20 percent of charity sector leaders are willing to talk openly and honestly about race equity and racism.  Discussions I had for my impact research with senior charity CEO’s and trustees, people I thought had all the answers, but even they had fear of speaking about the reality of the issue, in fear of reprisal, in fear of getting things wrong, and without a focus on systemic, structural and institutional racism. 

And personally, an HLS approach to learning has the right idea, if we focus on the learning, and have a deliberate and conscious investment in the quality of relationships we have with one another will underpin a ‘positive error culture’ – one in which talking about mistakes, and the uncertainties that people feel about their practice, is viewed positively. But that’s easier said than done, especially when talking about ‘race’. 

But if we ever want to get anywhere, and if a focus on learning does lead to organisational improvement, those working in complex systems must have spaces in which we can talk about mistakes and uncertainty without fear of consequence, and it’s hard to get that balance right, where we can make mistakes and get things wrong, but also feel safe in finding our way along the journey, and not only our own safety but those already perpetuated by the system today.