Talking about race and diversity at work has become a common practice among many organizations as they aim to foster an environment where their employees can be their true selves. But one company in Chicago is doing more than just talking as it has created an installation that lets employees experience the frustrations that black people face in the workplace.
According to CNBC, advertising agency Havas Chicago created a Black at Work obstacle course based on real life experiences that its employees have faced throughout their professional careers. The course was created to honor Black History Month.
Adweek reports that the obstacle course was designed to teach the rest of the agency about what a black man or woman might experience in the workplace while starting a conversation about the lack of diversity in advertising.
The first obstacle is the beam of perception, which is a balance beam that participants have to cross. The word “lazy” is painted on the floor on one side of the beam, while the other side bears the word “angry.” The sign on the first obstacle warns people not to trip, as “one wrong step can change the way your co-workers see you.”
Art director Jason LaFlore said that the beam is meant to showcase the fine line between falling into one or the other stereotype.
“If you’re too nonchalant about your job, you’re automatically seen as lazy,” LaFlore explained. “If you’re too passionate about your job, you might be seen as the angry black man or the angry black woman.”
The second obstacle shows why certain questions or comments can be offensive. The phrases such as “That’s so ghetto,” “Can you teach me how to Dougie?” and “You don’t sound black” are among those on display in the course.
LaFlore said that at company parties, people “expect that the black guys are going to dance.”
“I don’t always know all the dance moves and all the trends that are happening just because I’m a minority in the office,” he added.
Havas’ chief executive officer Jason Peterson said that while they are far from perfect, they want to acknowledge the issue of race in the workplace and that it is something that they take very seriously.
“In my point of view, America is multicultural,” said Peterson. “So if you’re an agency that doesn’t have or isn’t made up of a multicultural point of view, there’s no way you can do your job properly.”
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on simple tips to boost your confidence at work.
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