SEASON 1 / Episode 8: The Future Of Racial Discrimination In The Workplace

The Future of Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

In this episode, I talk to Jamillah Jackson. She has a BA in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education degree from UBC. She is a mother, community activist and lightworker.

In 2020 there have been many awakenings, and awareness of essential issues in our society, with the major problem being systemic racism. As a community member, I wanted to learn how to change our unconscious biases and how entrepreneurs can grow their start-up businesses into safe and equal opportunity companies. How can workplaces ensure the working environment they are creating is free of racism? How do we as a society step forward in defeating systemic racism here in Canada while also battling COVID-19?

COVID 19 has brought many changes in our personal lives; it has re-shaped the way people think and how they act. The virus has even changed the way people go to grocery stores, restaurants and movies. Something even more important has taken place during this worldwide pandemic - increasing awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement. Even people in Canada are waking up and realizing we have a significant issue with systemic racism and unconscious bias. As white people, how do we support our community's black members in their careers, businesses, and entrepreneurial ideas? Not to sound cliché, but our community is stronger when we support everyone rather than just helping one cultural group in society succeed.

I know it's not an easy issue to fix. It's not going to happen overnight; we can't change how everybody acts in one day. However, a change is what we need! COVID-19 has taught us that we have to change our lives in many aspects. The way we were all living in the world was not working. Not only reflecting on our own lives during this unprecedented time in 2020, but it is imperative for us to work on how we see POC and how we interact with them as friends as colleagues and business owners.