From the course: How to Speak Up Against Racism at Work
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Anticipate push-back and defensiveness
From the course: How to Speak Up Against Racism at Work
Anticipate push-back and defensiveness
- Very few topics trigger defensiveness the way discussions of race will. While we've already discussed a few tactics that you can use to proactively minimize defensiveness, the most important element is that you anticipate it. It shouldn't be a shock that they've interpreted your comments as a personal attack and now feel it necessary to rattle off the names of every person of color they befriended, the demographics of their family or other anti-racism credentials. Part of your preparation should involve empathizing with how difficult this conversation might be for someone who's possibly not been questioned or held accountable previously. It's a new experience and a process, and it helps to have realistic expectations. Now, this doesn't mean taking our feet off the gas for real progress, but more so acknowledging that for most race is an issue that's avoided more than confronted, and most people don't have the racial…
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