I hope that reading Black Fatigue provided some new insights for you about the causes and impacts of racism and what we need to do to dismantle ingrained white supremacist ideology. It may have also raised some new questions that would be beneficial to explore with your professional and/or personal circles.

The discussion prompts are meant to be considered at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

Individual

1. Who am I in the context of a racialized society? To what extent is race a core aspect of my identity? If it is not core, why not?
2. How does my race influence how I see myself and how others see me?
3. What does it mean to be white?
4. What does it mean to be Black or another nonwhite identity?
5. How do my intersecting identities (e.g., race, gender, age, sexual orientation) influence how I see myself and how others see me?
6. What narratives or cultural scripts have I learned about race?
7. What characteristics associated with whiteness have I internalized as the norm?
8. How am I complicit in perpetuating racist systems (e.g., silence, denial, defense)?
9. How can I use my power in my home, in my school, in my place of worship, with friends, with work associates, and in other spheres of influence to foster antiracism?
10. What can I personally do to mitigate Black fatigue (my own or others’)?

Team

1. To what extent is race the “elephant in the room” on your team?
2. To what extent is the team comfortable talking about race?
3. What is the source of your discomfort?
4. If you are the leader, how would you characterize your relationship with your Black employees? Do you conduct regular listening sessions? Do Black employees feel safe speaking up? Do you know the sources of Black fatigue among your team?
5. How do we ensure inclusion and not tokenism of Black members on your team?
6. To what extent is our language and behavior antiracist versus nonracist?
7. To what extent do we intentionally or unintentionally look for “fit” on our team?
8. Has the team environment we have cultivated indirectly encouraged team members to downplay distinguishing factors of their identity to fit in?
9. What explicit efforts do we/can we take to educate ourselves about race and racism?
10. What do microagressions sound like on your team?
11. What team norms can you create to foster ongoing education to ensure that your culture is inclusive?

Organization

1. In what ways does your organization have a white supremacist culture?
2. To what extent have you examined your policies and practices for unintended racism (e.g., hiring barriers, pay inequities, outmoded job requirements)? Do you lump all diversity dimensions together, or do you examine each dimension?
3. Have you surveyed employees to gauge their perceptions about diversity and inclusion in your organization?
4. In what ways is the organization complicit in perpetuating racism (silence, distancing, denying, placating)?
5. Does your representation at all levels mirror the communities that you serve? Are Black people clustered at the lower levels and underrepresented in leadership? Why?
6. How do your diversity, equity, and inclusion programs address systemic racism?
7. What is the history of your organization related to racist practices (e.g., was it involved in slavery, redlining, Jim Crow, employment discrimination)? If there is a history, what restorative measures have you taken?
8. How is the organizational leadership held accountable for fostering antiracism?
9. Is the retention of Black employees a concern? Do you know why Black employees leave? Are the reasons different than for white employees?
10. To what extent are the voices of historically marginalized people an integral part of decision making?