60 years ago, the United Nations proclaimed the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) in response to the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, when 69 people were killed at a peaceful protest against apartheid’s pass laws in South Africa. This episode marks that anniversary by retracing our steps to see if we’ve experienced the kind of change that moves us forward.
Racism has evolved from overt to systemic, from explicit to performed. And performed progress is one of the most powerful obstacles to real change. Through three grounded case studies; the Sharpeville Massacre, the 2023 Australian Voice referendum and the global rollback of corporate DEI commitments, we look at what this pattern reveals and what it means for those of us building businesses with inclusion at the centre.
We also get into the role of language. Why words like “harmony,” “social cohesion” and “belonging” can be doors toward truth or destinations that replace it and how to tell the difference.
This episode is also personal. The 21st of March is my birthday. Growing up in Kenya, this day carried no particular heaviness for me. Coming to Australia and entering the work of racial equity changed that. This is the story of how proximity changes things and what it means to do this work with love rather than constant correction and calling in rather than calling out.
LINKS:
I’d love to invite you to dive deeper into racial inclusion work by joining the waitlist for my 10 week online program REPRESENTED. Check out all the details and join https://anniegichuru.com/represented
Come say hi on Instagram, let me know where you are tuning in from. I’d love to hear from you 👉🏾 https://www.instagram.com/annie.gichuru
With Love,
Annie
