“Safe Spaces” Don’t Always Stay Safe

Unpacking an experience of racism in the workplace

Hello friends,

As a Black woman, one thing I’ve learned is that so-called "safe spaces” don’t always remain safe. I’m sure many deliberately disadvantaged folx could say the same.

Whether safe spaces do remain safe often depends on who’s creating the safety and how committed others are to maintaining that safety. And as always, there can be a big difference between words and action. Plus, unless the whole leadership team is equally committed, just one person can undermine the safety of a space. Here’s an example…

I once worked somewhere which appeared to have all the right things in place: strong anti-racism and anti-discrimination policies, processes for dealing with the reporting of issues, internal education, and a leader for whom anti-racism was a personal mission. With consistent discussion and action, it felt like a safe space. And it was, for a while, until it wasn’t.

As it turned out, a key member of leadership was less committed than they seemed. That leader appeared to be saying and doing the right things, but kept messing up. They kept apologising and going through remediation processes, but they kept messing up. They said they were truly committed but, you guessed it, they kept messing up. And one day they messed up to the point where the space became a LOT less safe.

It was the kind of thing you’d see in many workplaces - a nasty communication from a boss to an employee. Passive aggressive, or simply aggressive, calling that employee's performance into question. It was public. And it was between a white-presenting boss and a Black employee.

You’d have to know the usual communication style in the workplace to spot the signs of racism but it was definitely there. Many people noticed and questioned it, which was at least something. It was evident in the assertion of white dominance and power, and the immediate assumption that the Black employee had got it wrong and and was less than competent, neither of which was the case.

The result of that, as far as the employee was concerned, was going back to square one in terms of safety, because if that could happen in that way in a place like that, then how could the workplace be safe? And since the issue involved a senior leader who had to stay at the company despite acknowledging the racism, that leader’s continued presence made the workplace feel less safe, despite the staunch support of the truly committed leader.

This was not a unique event. Many Black, Global Majority and deliberately disadvantaged employees go through similar experiences (and worse). Many of them don’t settle enough to feel safe in the first place.

They know that they will be under extra scrutiny and will have to go above and beyond to enjoy anywhere near the same level of trust and support as the most mediocre white employee. Even then, it may never happen.

They know that if they mention racism, they may be seen as the problem, or it will get laughed off or minimised.

And they know they may have to change jobs and uproot their lives to get the promotions or recognition they deserve.

Worst of all, they know there’s little risk for their white colleagues, even those that are racist. That’s just how the world works, and it doesn’t feel very safe.

So, what can you do as a would-be ally? Learn to spot, counter, and eliminate racism where you are. Create opportunities and spaces for your Black and Global Majority colleagues. Sponsor, mentor and advocate for them. And don’t take it amiss if they take a while to trust that you mean it. Because the world has taught them that many workplaces are not safe for them at all.

Thanks for reading

Sharon

P.S. That employee was me.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2023. All Rights Reserved.

I am an anti-racism writer, educator and activist, Co-Founder of Mission Equality the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast.