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BLACK FATIGUE: RACISM, ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE ROLE OF FUTURE LEADERSHIP
Author(s) -
Winters MaryFrances
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
leader to leader
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1531-5355
pISSN - 1087-8149
DOI - 10.1002/ltl.20539
Subject(s) - racism , outrage , criminology , equity (law) , police brutality , sociology , institutional racism , affirmative action , political science , public relations , gender studies , law , politics
Abstract This article examines the effects of racism on individuals, organizations (especially corporations), and society. A central point is the concept of “Black Fatigue”: “Black people have been marching, protesting, resisting, writing, orating, praying, legislating, and commentating for centuries for equity and justice, and—young and old—we are fatigued. It is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining to continue to experience inequities and even atrocities day after day when justice, equity, and fairness are purportedly legislated rights of all citizens of the United States of America.” The article also notes the “fatigue that comes from the pain and anguish of living with racism every single day of your life. It is about being fatigued by those who are surprised and express outrage (with no action) that such inequities still exist. It is about the constant fatigue of not knowing whether you or a loved one will come home alive. It is about enduring the ravages of intergenerational racism.” Companies must get involved in social justice to change systems. This includes supporting efforts for reform of the criminal justice system, reforming police departments, partnering with lower income public schools, and lobbying for need‐based K‐12 school funding.