The 2014 shooting death of Black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, was an early event that propelled the Black Lives Matter movement to national prominence and elevated discussions of race and policing in the United States. In the summer of 2020, the murder of George Floyd sparked a racial reckoning in the U.S. and around the world that further magnified calls for police reform. Consequently, police departments around the country have begun to adopt anti-racist organizational policies, like offering diversity training and increasing recruitment of officers who are members of racial minority groups.
How Black Police Officers Combat Systemic Racism at Work
New research shows how employees in any industry can make an impact through everyday anti-racist actions.
September 08, 2023
HBR Staff/Darrin Klimek/Getty Images
Summary.
If you’re a member of an historically marginalized group, enacting change in an organization can be challenging. This is likely even more difficult if your organization is known for bias and even violence against your own group. This is the position many Black police officers are in, and researchers wanted to better understand the strategies they use to advocate for anti-racism despite the numerous roadblocks. This article looks at why Black police officers choose the job, how they challenge racism, and how they sustain their efforts. It also offers suggestions for employees in other fields can continue to fight for change in their own companies.