Reimagining America: How to Be A Strong Ally
EVP and Chief Experience Culture Officer Malia Lazu of Berkshire Bank brought together a few of the best and brightest leaders — economists to entrepreneurs — to discuss how white allies can help build an equitable and inclusive economy, where all communities can thrive.
Co-hosted by Berkshire Bank and Reevx Labs, the virtual town hall participants included Ben Cohen, philanthropist, activist, and co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s, Barbara Clarke, economist and investor, Jonathan Metzl, author of Dying of Whiteness and Pete Dominick, comedian and host of Stand Up with Pete Podcast.
Malia kicked-off the conversation by asking Barbara to share her thoughts on the topic and when she realized white allyship was important. As the co-founder of The Impact Seat, Barbara said she regularly evaluates the value that companies contribute to the economy. Since her entry into angel investing in 2012, Barbara set her intention on investing in women of color to overcome early-stage entrepreneurship bias that has the tendency to favor privileged white women.
“When I say women, it has to mean all women,” said Barbara. Of the first three companies she invested in, two were led by women of color.
When asked how Barbara ties diversity to different investments, she debunked the perception that women-of-color-led companies don’t exist, or they lack quality in comparison to other women-led businesses. She also said her bias is towards taking action and that she surrounds herself with like-minded people who are activists and believes in ‘diverse teams make you more successful” -and wants to make that a reality.
In addition, here are some key actions proposed by participants:
* According to Ben: You cannot not be a racist. You are either a racist or an anti-racist. When you are not actively being a non-racist, then you are a racist. You are allowing the status quo to continue.
* Ben said he moved his personal account to a Black-owned bank — something everyone can do. Ben and Jerry’s has taken a prominent, public stance on various social issues, including addressing overt racism through its messaging and advertising spend.
* Ben also stated it’s important to tie KPIs, timelines, and capitalism to diversity to see tangible outcomes.
* Jonathan suggested that we must acknowledge that subtle views of racism are oftentimes linked to voting and taxation patterns and have real-world implications. As a society we must help people at risk and get them out of bad situations.
* Pete added that it is not the responsibility of those who have been oppressed to fight the system that oppresses them, and that it’s up to each one of us to understand and create sustainable change.
That’s my recap of the session. You can watch the entire conversation here.
Originally published at https://www.impactseat.com on July 20, 2020.
