The ISMs Project

Racism in the Workplace

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Abstract

Over half a century has passed since the civil rights movement, however, racism is still prevalent in the workplace for many individuals across the United States. This is seen through the high unemployment rates, racial biases, pay gaps, microaggressions, and cultural appropriation that BIPOC experience every day. Our research is focused on the ways in which individuals experience racism in the workplace, and how we can go about reducing the frequency of these negative interactions and ultimately obtain equity and equality within the workforce. Although people of all marginalized groups may experience all of the above, our research found that today Black individuals face the highest unemployment rate compared to individuals of any other race in the United States. This is due to racial discrimination: when employers make decisions either subconsciously or consciously to choose an employee based off his or her skin color instead of his or her qualifications. An analysis of 1.8 million employees displayed that on average Hispanic and black employees made $0.91 and $0.87, respectively, for every dollar a white employee earned. To combat these problems employees should have open and honest discussions with employers and co-workers to create a safe and fair environment for all employees to work. Employers should also increase diversity training that implements being conscious of stereotypes and unlearning them by disassociating race with performance.