A DIRC21 Solo Talk
Black Men and Workplace Psychological Safety in the Age of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Dr. Darrell Norman Burrell
Emerging data has revealed that African-American’s makeup 13 percent of the U.S. population but represent 30 percent of the COVID 19 cases in the U.S. For African American males navigating this pandemic has created complex quandaries about wearing a mask to protect themselves from COVID-19. If they do wear a mask, will these individuals be viewed as threatening or perceived criminals? To assimilate into non-African-American majority communities and workplaces, Black men have often had to regulate their dress and appearances in ways that might make them seem non-threatening but wearing a mask at night or in various work environments can create some complexities. As a result, non-African-American workplace managers must develop a level of cultural competence and awareness on a level that creates workplace psychological safety for African-American men.
