Last summer, in response to the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, Vanderbilt University business faculty hosted a series of virtual talks to help the community understand racial discrimination, and biases and learn about ways to mitigate racism in the United States. Tim Vogus Professor of Management at Vanderbilt University, contributed with a talk on biases in the workplace, and remedies for systemic racism. This was done in partnership with students hungering for this content while playing a key role in organizing and catalyzing it.
In describing his talk, He states “systemic racism is about social structures that are embedded in public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms that reinforce and perpetuate racial group inequity. So I want to think more about the cognitive, interpersonal, and the organizational processes that surround that.”
Reginald H. White, HR Director for the Research Division at Cornell University offers a different perspective in his role, managing the delivery of Human Resources services for the division, and the research centers that report to the Office of the Vice Provost for research.
Reginald is a strategic partner to the vice provost, and in that role, he helps to influence the future of research at the University. In addition, he serves as an executive coach to faculty and staff, and conducts presentations across campus on a wide range of topics. Reginald also serves as the chair of the Men of Color Colleague Network Group, and is the newest member of the Cornell University Board of Trustees, and is currently serving a four year term as the employee elected trustee at roughly the same date last summer that Tim delivered his talk at Vanderbilt University.
Reginald led a diversity and inclusion seminar at Cornell University entitled “Born this Way, My Journey of Difference” where he stated “Early in my professional life, I was asked to work on issues of diversity and inclusion. At first, I resisted, feeling ill equipped for the tasks at hand. Later, it seemed imperative. As I have reflected on my life, I realized I was born into this conversation. Today, I am proud to be an agent for change. In this presentation, I will share lessons from the journey and my hope for the future.”
How You Can Fight Systemic Racism in the Workplace
For more information about Race in the Workplace please see our e-guides in the thought leadership section of our site.
