Equity is Doable, Part 3: Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable – A Blog Series by Ryan Adcock

At Cradle Cincinnati, we believe that if Cincinnati’s employers and service providers are more equitable, our birth outcomes will be more equitable too. Conversations about racial equity are often filled with academic jargon and can feel more philosophical than practical. This is the third in a series of posts where we will outline real life decisions we are making in an attempt to grow into a more equitable organization. 

In the past few months, I’ve grown accustomed to a common sight: powerful White men, many of whom are usually quite well-spoken, stumbling over their words and shifting in their seats as they try to navigate answers to tough questions around race. Quite frankly, I’ve been one of them at times. Conversations around race can be hard. Especially for people like me who simply were never taught the skills to have conversations about race. One of the many privileges I had in my early life was the privilege to not have to think much about race. Now, more than ever before, White people are being asked to have these conversations at work, at home and with friends. Here’s the good news: talking about – and acting on – racial equity is just like any other skill. At, first you will be bad at it and it will not be comfortable, and then, with time, you will be better at it. People around you need you to grow in this skill. Don’t stop because it’s hard. 

Step 1: Learn 

Maya Angelou put it succinctly: “Know better, do better.” So, what does knowing better around race look like? It starts with being able to take a new perspective – recognizing that these issues look fundamentally different if you are someone who has been oppressed. Seek first to understand. At Cradle Cincinnati, we brought in professionals – Avant Consulting Group – to help us know better. I’ve also done my own work personally. A tool I’m currently digging into is the excellent Seeing White podcast. Recognize as you start that, as is true with all learning, you will never be finished. 

Step 2: Support existing voices on your team 

When you don’t know what to say, a great starting point can be to echo and support the Black voices on your team. Or, even better, give them opportunities to speak in place of you. Too often, even in subtle ways, the voices of minorities on professional teams can be stifled – be intentional about changing that. 

At Cradle Cincinnati, we trained multiple members of our team in media relations with the intention of publicly diversifying the face of our work. That means that, when we released our most recent annual report, it was Black voices that were taking the lead on sharing their perspective on what the news meant. It also meant that my voice was quieter.   

I’m also intentional about developing space for conversations to happen without me in the room. We are currently planning our goals around equity for the coming year. While I’ve been an active participant in that process, I’ll also be setting aside at least one planning session where the team can strategize without the inherent power dynamics present when I’m in the room.  

Step 3: Learn More 

Here’s the thing, fellow White folks: if you are successful at honoring the Black voices on your team, you are likely to hear at least a few things that you don’t agree with. Not only is that okay…that’s kind of the whole point. When you hear those things, I’d encourage you to pause and think through how and why you might be disagreeing. On more than one occasion, I’ve realized that the instincts of the Black members of my team may have been different from mine – but they were just as valuable as mine. Bring enough humility to recognize where you might simply not have the life experience to see the whole picture. 

Step 4: Use your own voice. 

White people have a role in the fight for racial justice. In fact, we have quite a big role. One Black colleague put it this way: “Look, at the end of the day, racism is caused by White people. You are the ones who can most easily fix it.” Our society has grown so accustomed to the model of hiring one Black person to solve an organization’s diversity issues, that we forget that it is behavior change in White people that we are usually seeking.  

When I talk about racism, I speak to my own experience, not the experience of all White people. I try very hard not to talk about the racism of other folks, but instead to lead with vulnerability by talking about ways that racism has lived in my own heart and actions. Accusation is a powerful force here. Folks are more likely to engage if they don’t feel attacked.  

Step 5: Learn More Still. 

I don’t like talking about racism. I’m not sure I know a White person who does. Guess what? That doesn’t matter. It’s my job. And, it’s yours too. So, I now include a discussion of racism in essentially every presentation I give. We issued an entire report on the ways that racism is impacting birth outcomes. And, I’m using this very blog series to try to share what I’m learning. All of this is awkward for me. I’m certain I get it wrong frequently. And, I believe, it is utterly necessary for White folks to lean in here.  

I personally sat on the sidelines for too long, more comfortable talking around the edges of these issues. The biggest factor in changing that was fostering multiple trusted relationships with Black people who can speak truth to me in love. As one small example, before publishing this, I shared it with Black members of my team for their feedback and edits. I work hard to foster a culture of trust where they feel like their feedback can be honest. 

This is a journey. It will get less uncomfortable as you hone the skill of talking about race – but only once you face that discomfort head on. In the meantime, we need to stop worrying about looking bad or misspeaking. People are literally dying. I wake up every day and say the same thing to myself: get brave or get out of the way.