As is true for many others, my past few weeks have been full of introspection, dialogue and learning. Among the moments that stand out most for me:
- I shared with FINRA my shock and grief at the killing of George Floyd, and too many other Black and African-American men and women before him. We discussed our commitment to equal justice under the law, and to an anti-racist workplace free from all forms of prejudice.
- I felt blessed that so many of my colleagues from the Black and African-American communities were willing to share with me insights into what they have been personally experiencing over the last few weeks – including their frustration, anger, and exhaustion – and what they have experienced over the course of their lives.
- I led ongoing conversations with my senior leadership team about how we will work to create meaningful spaces for courageous conversations about racism and generate further ideas for constructive action to ensure a diverse and inclusive environment at FINRA.
- I spent time reflecting with friends on the fundamental principle of the oneness of humanity, on the profound implications of this concept for both our personal behavior and how society is organized, and on the importance of acknowledging the reality that the pernicious effects of our history of racism remain a defining element of our society.
I have found hope and inspiration from the constructive ideas that have emerged from this dialogue. But it also became obvious to me that in the midst of this vital discussion about what our governments should do, about what our organizations should do, about what our teams should do, about what FINRA should do – in other words, about what we should do – I was not spending enough time thinking about what I will do. Individual commitment, initiative and accountability have to matter if we are ultimately to purge our society of the curse of racial prejudice.
So, I have been asking myself: What concrete steps will I personally take? How will I change my behavior? Here are some of the commitments I have come up with so far:
- I will take more time to study and better understand the history of racism in this country, starting with racism against the Black and African-American communities, and how it continues to affect our society today.
- I will take more training on unconscious bias to better understand how it influences the ways in which I interact with others.
- I will engage in meaningful and necessary conversations about racism and racial injustice, even when they are difficult and uncomfortable for me.
- I will listen and learn from the experiences and perspectives of others, including those who think and look differently than me, always with an attitude of inclusiveness, respect and caring for them as human beings.
- I will work with FINRA’s Diversity Leadership Council, the leadership of FINRA’s African American Network, and our other Employee Resource Groups to increase the frequency of our interactions, and I will seek to understand how I can be a strong, proactive ally to these organizations and the individuals they represent.
- I will take the I ACT ON pledge, which is supported by the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity & Inclusion that I have already signed.
- I will participate more in events promoting inter-racial dialogue and celebrating unity in diversity, such as the Race Amity Day virtual celebration on June 14: “Reset to Our Destiny: E Pluribus Unum.”
- I will contribute more financially to organizations that focus on racial and social justice.
- I will ensure my personal mentoring relationships include persons of color.
- I will insist on being presented with more candidates of color when interviewing for positions that report to me.
- I will advocate for having more persons of color on panels on which I am invited to participate as a speaker.
And, finally, I will continue to listen to all of my colleagues, including the voices that have been raised again these past weeks, and work together with them to promote diversity and inclusion within our organization and across the financial services industry.
As noted above, this is a list of actions “I” will take. It is not necessarily the right list for others. It no doubt reflects my own biases and limitations. And it will need to evolve over time as I act, learn, and then try again.
These modest steps will not change the world, and they are not as important as what “we” will do together. But developing action plans for what “we” must do does not absolve each of us of our personal responsibility to change our own behaviors in ways that will help create a world free from racial prejudice and injustice.
What else would you encourage me to do? What will you do?
