Speak Up, Speak Out (HBR Women at Work Series)

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How to Call Out Racial Injustice at Work

by James R. Detert and Laura Morgan Roberts

In this time of intense pain, anger, and collective attention, many people—African Americans especially—are seizing the moment to speak truth to power at work. They are holding senior leaders accountable for their commitments to increased diversity; confronting colleagues or clients who make insensitive or ignorant comments; and calling out those who mock the Black Lives Matter movement or dismiss calls for justice and human rights.

Speaking up in this way is risky, but studies beyond the realm of conversations about race have shown that it is also vitally important. It’s key to our individual and collective well-being, learning, and ultimately organizational ...