85. More Questions Than Answers
Summary
Maybe it’s human nature to want answers to your questions. But maybe, just maybe, it’s a product of white supremacy.
In this episode, Erica shares the most common questions that motivate individuals to engage in DEI work and why they often find themselves asking more questions than getting the answers they came for. Though racism and bigotry can feel all-consuming, Erica leaves listeners with tips on how small business owners can effect change much bigger than themselves.
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Quoted
ERICA COURDAE
“Having a question and expecting an answer is a white supremacy mindset.”
“You are not entitled to getting an answer, particularly when a question hasn’t had a straight and definitive answer to it in generations.”
“You have to first and foremost remember that your responsibility is to fix you.”
“You can change all the rules and regulations you want, but if you have people who aren’t willing to follow those rules nothing will happen.”
“You have to have people willing to stop saying, ‘I don’t want this just for me.’”
“It’s not always about how much you as one person you can do. It’s how much reach you can create.”
Episode Notes
THERE’S A PROBLEM—LET’S FIX IT
When we have a question we’ve been conditioned to expect an answer. In a year like 2020 we’ve had even more of a yearning for answers.
When our eyes are being opened to new issues we ask: Is this new? How do I miss this? How do I fix this?
Even though these are good questions, Erica assures that you aren’t entitled to having an answer to your question immediately. There’s an urge to fix things, but when referencing racism there’s no straight answer. When you’re referencing bigotry, there’s no straight answer. When you’re referencing systemic racism in business and life, there’s no straight answer.
If you are seeking doing better to build bridges where there were none, you have to understand you’re going to leave with more questions you came with. The questions are going to look and feel a little bit different. You’re not going to leave with solutions you came looking for.
When this happens, Erica’s often clients have a feeling of frustration or anxiety associated with the question of: what’s next? There’s a fear of getting it wrong but also assuming there must be a clear and linear solution to figure out the problem. That’s not what happens.
HAVING THE ANSWER DOESN’T GUARANTEE CHANGE
The truth is not everybody wants a solution. Some people believe that solution means something will be taken away from them.
These problems also have a lot of layers, context, and nuance to them.
Take for instance, the problem with how people are given loans. You could say: Let’s fix that! But the solution isn’t so simple. It Impacts education, job security, food deserts, and many other things.
What you don’t want to do is get so stuck in trying to identify the one way to fix something. You have to first and foremost remember that your responsibility is to fix you.
Erica stresses that we must take a top-down, bottom-up approach to DEI. Yes, policy effects change, but you can change all the rules and regulations you want and when you have people who aren’t willing to follow those rules nothing will happen.
A good example is that there are policies against police brutality. But police still murdered George Floyd. What’s a lesser known fact is that taxpayers pay into funds that pay victims and family members who have experienced police brutality.
This isn’t just about following the rules, because there are a lot of rules that shouldn’t exist. You have to have people willing to stop saying, I don’t want this just for me.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF SMALL BUSINESS
At times in our history when Black and white people were allowed to both sit at the lunch counter—that didn’t mean Black people were immediately treated equally.
That’s why it’s important that you take the time to take care of your own implicit bias. Mental, physical, and political structures are where you have an opportunity to break down those things.
As small business owners we have the ability to make an impact because there are more small businesses than large businesses. It’s not always about how much you as one person can do. It’s how much reach you can create through the snowball effect.
There’s a lot of work to be done. You don’t have to do it alone. If you’re searching for the place where you can create the biggest impact, set up a consult at www.ericacourdae.com. It might be making changes in your community. It might be existing in community with others.
What’s most important is that we’re focused on action, not just answers to our most pressing questions.