First, here is an article in the CBC entitled “Canadian business leaders launch national initiative to fight anti-Black systemic racism”:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/anti-racism-bay-st-1.5647583
Second, here is the organization mentioned in it:
https://www.blacknorth.ca/Home
The “BlackNorth Initiative”: The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism is inviting senior leaders from the top 250 TSX companies, over 100 of the biggest private businesses in Canada, major banks, insurance companies, international companies who have a significant presence in Canada, and the largest asset managers and institutional investors in the nation, to take part in the inaugural BlackNorth Initiative Summit to be held virtually on July 20, 2020”.
“At the summit, leaders will be asked to sign a CEO Pledge and deliver a statement regarding what their organization will do to combat the issue and to make our society at large free from anti-Black systemic racism.”
Look at the pledge below— Bambi will reply to each point (see the bold lines).
The BlackNorth Initiative CEO Pledge, available online, asks CEOs to commit to seven goals:
1. We will increase our efforts to make our workplaces trusting places to have complex, and sometimes difficult conversations about anti-Black systemic racism and ensure that no barriers exist to prevent Black employees from advancing within the company.
What is this BS? Who invented it and where does it come from? Companies are supposed to be about excellence and productivity, not about ideologies. If a company’s values are based on respect and a commitment to merit, there is no need for this.
Plus, this point seems condescending to the so-called “black employees” (or BIPOC, as they say on their website. As a reminder, BIPOC is a category where Bambi is supposed to fit and, as a deer, she is too free to limit herself to any trendy acronym!).
2. We will implement or expand unconscious bias and anti-racism education.
Again, “unconscious bias”… the same trendy language that Mr. Trudeau, Prince Harry, spouse Megan Markle, and her Hollywood peers use ?. Another word “anti-racism”, wow a new invention of our times. Bambi is writing this and she has in front of her eyes her older guitar, brought from Lebanon whilst escaping… on it there is a large pin “stop racism”. She has it since age 17 (either from Beirut or Montreal, she cannot recall). What does anti-racism education really mean in the workplace? Why are we spending money and time for all this BS in the private sector?! So odd! Had Bambi been running a private company, she would never ever participate in such collective insanity.
3. We will share best—and unsuccessful—practices to ensure all companies have access to the programs and strategies needed to achieve true diversity and inclusion.
? or ☹. “True diversity and inclusion”. Too funny!! Hilarious! Sometimes Bambi feels like sending all these people for training to the Middle East or to former communist countries in order to learn what not do in life with all these trendy causes.
Respect of all human beings should be our value # 1 in any relationship, including working relations. A commitment to respect and merit, period!
4. We will create and share strategic inclusion and diversity plans with our board of directors. We will establish at least one diversity leadership council and make efforts to ensure these groups include diverse representation, including senior Black leaders, within our organization.
Why? It does not make any common sense. Again, commitment must be to excellence, period. Our skin colour or body form or whatever other feature is secondary.
5. We will ensure that Black communities across Canada are aware of opportunities of employment within our organization and that employment opportunities are set aside for Black people, including committing to specific hiring goals of at least 5% within our student workforce from the Black community.
NO and NO! Do not do Lebanon’s tragic sectarian quota mistakes! Again, a commitment to merit only, not even to gender in Bambi’s own company ?.
6. As a numeric goal provides real impetus for change, we have made a goal of, at a minimum, 3.5% of executive and board roles based in Canada being held by Black leaders by 2025.
Ha! Ha! Ha!!!!
7. We will set inclusive talent management goals and include them in senior executives’ annual performance scorecards.
? or ☹.
Companies that sign the pledge will also be expected to track their progress and share their results publicly.
If Canadian companies are as stupid as our current PM, they may sign. Let’s hope they have higher ethical standards though!
