Black Men. Wellness. Black Affinity Groups @ Work

Racial Affinity Groups at work…

• Can be an effective means through which people reaffirm and explore aspects of their racial identity, as well as provide each other guidance and support for interacting with those who might not share, understand, or respect that identity.
• Are not intended to generate more separation between racial groups, but to provide members the space to do the work they need to do outside of racially mixed groups such that when they come together, the work is more cohesive and powerful.
• Can help members specifically with navigating aspects of personal racial identity within American social institutions, such as the workplace, where issues of race can be challenging and complex.

With all of these potential benefits, why wouldn’t Black people working within an organization want to get together?

The answer isn’t so simple.

For Black men, systemic racism and discrimination can make it harder for them to advance in their careers, therefore they have learned to prioritize professional growth over building community with other Black people at work.

Some Black men before participating in a Black affinity group at work, ask themselves one or all of the following questions:

• Is this going to help me keep my job?
• Is this going to help me get better at what I do?
• Will this increase my income?

If the leaders of a Black affinity group can’t answer these questions, Black men won’t participate. Not only that, they might express resistance.

I discuss this more and share some advice in the 5 min video below.

Take a look!