We need to talk about racism
Yes, even in micromobility
Dear readers,
This one goes out to the white folks. May marks the one year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. Though we feel relief at the conviction of Derek Chauvin, the police office who killed Floyd, our hearts are still heavy and we recognize that this is not justice - white folks aren’t any closer to holding ourselves accountable for the systemic racism we are a part of.
For many of us in positions of privilege, April 2020 was the calm before the storm, before protestors captured the global stage, before, perhaps, some of us truly understood the urgent call that Black Lives Matter. Did anything change?
Yes, but it’s not nearly enough. There were many more white people on the streets following Floyd’s murder than ever before in anti-police brutality protests. And in March of this year, the EU held its first ever anti-racism summit, “finally acknowledging the existence of institutional and structural racism and expressing a sense of commitment to addressing it” (Politico). (But wait a minute, this isn’t the US, our European readers might say. It’s not, but Europe must wake up to racism, too.)
Despite these steps in the right direction, disappointing news came out of the UK earlier this month: authors of a government-commissioned report say the results of their investigation into race and ethnic disparities were whitewashed to downplay institutional racism. This is bad. In order to change systemic and institutional racism, we need to see it, point it out, and talk about it. But not at my job…right? Not right. It’s everywhere. As soon as you start to look, you’ll see it. Yes, even in transport and mobility. So let’s dive into that, shall we?
Micromobility: Have we started the conversation?
Let’s hear it from an expert. “We have failed to engage in the conversation about racism - but it’s not too late to start,” says Georgia Yexley, Head of Cities for UK and Ireland at TIER and former Head of Growth at Beryl, in her article for BikeBiz last year. In a recent panel on diversity in transport (it’s amazing, listen to it!), Georgia pointed out the stark contrast between micromobility’s response to the COVID pandemic - free rides and more access for essential workers - and their lack of response to BLM protests in the wake of Floyd’s murder.
One of the problems is that we don’t have data broken down by race in Europe - for both transport users as well as transport employees. But we can see some of the problems without even having this breakdown. Research from the US shows that 20% of Black households do not have access to a car (the highest among all racial groups). Enter: shared mobility services, you might think. But there’s a major barrier: 25% of Black households don’t have a smartphone. We have no doubt that there are parallels in Europe.
So we started the conversation with Georgia and we invite you to join in. We talk about what inspired her to make Black Lives Matter a priority in the micromobility industry and what has changed a year later.
Georgia Yexley: “We still have a long ride ahead”
Tell us about the Black Lives Matter poster in the background of your home office.
I picked up the placard at one of the larger BLM protests in London last year. I have various posters and certificates up on the wall that serve to outline my approach, and I knew I wanted to speak more openly about systemic racism in my professional setting. Framing the placard in a visible space seemed an appropriate encouragement to myself and others to open up about the topic.
Like many others, my experience of and response to systemic racism was amplified by George Floyd’s murder. It suddenly went from a conversation that was had at home or with other people of colour, to a conversation en masse happening across the globe. Everyone was faced with the question of if and how they would engage. For me it meant getting vocal and raising the volume on these conversations whenever and wherever I could.
So how did you go about changing the status quo?
By being brutally honest. At first it was cathartic to get it out - to start talking to people and writing down thoughts and experiences. On sharing those publicly, I quickly found myself in conversations with a lot of people that I wouldn't have anticipated. Because I had been particularly vocal, people were comfortable coming to me with questions and suggestions. We all need to have a level of honesty in approaching these topics - not only as someone sharing their experience and calling out inequity, but as people seeking the knowledge and asking the questions why and how?
Do you see progress in the mobility sector being more inclusive towards the BIPOC community one year later?
Big question. I would first want to acknowledge that we have a seriously long way to go. Many people will feel fatigued to still be reading about this today, which is a good moment to reflect on the fatigue in the [BIPOC] communities affected over generations. Just as with the Chauvin trial, we are seeing some accountability. The industry has begun looking inwards at how representative we are, how we might uphold white supremacy in our ranks, as well as looking outwardly, to the access Black and ethnic minority people have to our services and the barriers they face. Just recently Lyft have shared data on the inflated risk of being stopped by Police for perceived rule breaking on a shared vehicle, if Black.
We're seeing improved community engagement alongside improved data collection. Where these were once highlighted as differentiators they are now becoming regulatory requirements. I think there's been some progress [in the UK] because demographic data collection and analysis play a key role in the current Department for Transport led e-scooter trials nationwide. Importantly we need to recognise that we're just scratching the surface, so let's make the year ahead about following through and really evidence the work.
What do you wish for the future?
I hope we look back a year from now and have the data, the impact, and the inclusion to show we really did the right thing. I'm sure the our Research and Insights team will back me up that it’s not just about the cold hard data, but lived experience too. The key marker for success in my view is when white people are also (en masse) able to engage in the discussion without defensiveness or framing around the individual, and when they become more proactive in the work to dismantle the systemic racism underpinned by white supremacy.
Take action for racial justice
As Georgia reminds us, it’s never too late to engage. It is all of our responsibility (especially the white community’s) to change the status quo. Here are some suggestions and resources - by no means exhaustive, but they could move us a step closer to the lofty ideals of equality and inclusivity. Feel free to add your own thoughts and ideas in the comments section!
Get ready to be uncomfortable. Denying that discomfort is even more awkward. White folks, this is not a conversation about what others are doing wrong. It has to start with the ways we, yes you, benefit from and uphold racist systems in our industry, our job, our day-to-day.
Understand that it’s not the responsibility of POC (People of Color) to “fix” things or to educate us white folks. We look around and wonder why so many D&I initiatives are organized by minority groups. Even though starting an initiative or demanding change makes people feel like they stand out even more than they already do, minorities are still often the ones who put in the work voluntarily. You don’t need to be a POC to contribute to a D&I initiative or to start one if there isn’t one in your company. Chances are, someone will have the same frustration as you and will be glad to jump on board and help. If you don’t know where to start, do your research and talk to your white friends. Or talk to us.
We must make data collection a priority so we have visibility into inequity. Despite the lack of data, we all know what it would look like. We just want to see how bad it is. Start conversations in your company, your industry, and advocate for it at the policy level. Unawareness is not fairness.
Companies need to step up their diversity games. The excuse that it’s hard to find diverse talent in any sector or level sounds like a broken record. A study from seven years ago shows that minorities who study computer science and computer engineering graduate at twice the rate that leading technology companies hire them. Many companies have also praised mediocrity, putting out press releases, changing LinkedIn banners, posting black squares on Instagram to show solidarity only when it’s the trend. They have been complicit, doing little to address the emotional toll of being a racial minority and little to dig deeper into racial discrimination, bias, and inequality in the workplace.
Find out how to support the Black Lives Matter organization in your area (e.g. UK). Learn about racial justice issues that affect communities in your area (e.g. Germany) and figure out how to get involved.
When it comes to creating change, we are reluctant and often wait for someone else to take the first step. Stop waiting.
Calling you to action,
and always open to talk more,