June 3, 2020

Jackie Ross
Jun 3, 2020
3 min read

Hey Gang,

On Monday evening, I posted an article shared by a friend – the headline is, Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not. OMG… that LinkedIn post has received over 20,000 views in just two days. TWENTY-THOUSAND VIEWS! And that’s just MY post… that doesn’t include the thousands who read it elsewhere. Yesterday, I invited you to join the Black Leaders in Biotech LinkedIn Group and talked about the mission of that community and our prior gatherings. I also touched on how to approach conversations about race, particularly in the wake of such infuriating events. I’d like to share a personal experience with you as it relates to all of this… perhaps it will be helpful.

When we organized the first Black Leaders in Biotech event, I worried about all the things you worry about when you host a party: What if no one comes? What if people have a bad time? What if people can’t find the venue or don’t like it… maybe it’s too loud or too hot or too casual or too big or too small… All of the things. But more than anything, I worried that whoever showed up would be shocked to see me and wonder why the heck I’m the one hosting the event. (If we haven’t met, news flash: I’m not black. Although when I pointed that out to the group in my opening remarks, they said, “There’s still time!”)

I imagine there are a lot of people out there like me who worry we’re not the right people, or at least not the best people, to facilitate a dialogue about an issue we haven’t faced ourselves. Maybe that’s based on the fear of being considered an intruder… or just a spectator that hasn’t lived with the challenges of the group. Maybe it’s a fear of saying the wrong thing. Of not knowing what to say. Of not knowing how to relate. Or the fear of discovering that we have contributed to the problem. And the shame of hearing about how our group treated another group.

I’ve learned it’s those fears that keep us separate. I’ve learned we will NEVER relate if we let those fears stand between us. So if you are not black. If you are not LGBT. If you are not a woman. If you do not like Tiger King… it’s OK. Speak up. Ask questions. Start a conversation.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” -President Barack Obama

News & Resources

Facilitating Difficult Race Discussions – examples of successful strategies and unsuccessful strategies (No. 1 is “Do Nothing”)
Being A Black Police Officer Is 'Hard As Hell,' Retired Chief Says – worthwhile interview on NPR in which he also talks about the importance of how officers are recruited and trained
Biopharma CEOs call for action on systemic racism—across America and in their own ranks
HBR: U.S. Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism

From the Community

The Scientist: The Infant Gut Microbiome and Probiotics that Work – congrats on the amazing coverage, Tim Brown and team!
Webinar: On June 8, WIB-National will host a discussion on “Leading during the Pandemic” facilitated by Shehnaaz Suliman (EWIB co-chair) with panelists Jung Choi, Natalie Holles, and Elena Ridloff. Feel free to share and register here.
Fireside Chat: On June 9, Laurie Glimcher, Hal Barron, Mathai Mammen, Andrew Plump, and David Reese discuss how they've reorganized global teams, tapped new programs as a priority to fight Covid-19 and plan for the future after the pandemic has passed. You can register here.

Food Fight – send me yours!

Today we are featuring a decadent dish from two-time winner Julie Anne Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of E-Scape!

Chef’s comments: “This recipe yields an unexpected combination of heat and sweet creaminess from the coconut milk. You've got to try this one!” [BTW, the Vital Signs Cookbook is officially underway thanks to my new intern (more to come on her)! Stay tuned for this recipe and more.]