506: How to Support Women of Color, with Minda Harts

Dec 28, 2020

Minda Harts, founder of The Memo and advocate for women of color, dives into the unique challenges women of color face in the workplace. She highlights the importance of allyship and discusses the obstacles that hinder effective support from white leaders. Minda also tackles the cultural biases around professionalism, particularly regarding hair. Through actionable insights, she emphasizes the need for individual advocacy and the critical role of representation in leadership roles for women of color.

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ANECDOTE

Shrinking in the Workplace

Minda Harts shares her personal experience of feeling like she had to shrink her authentic self in corporate America.
This led her to advocate for women of color and write "The Memo."

INSIGHT

Syndemic of Crises

Women of color experience a "syndemic" of health crisis, racial unrest, and political unrest.
This makes authentic expression in the workplace during these times difficult.

INSIGHT

Unexpected Allies

White men are most frequently cited as sponsors and mentors by women of color.
This highlights an unexpected dynamic in workplace allyship.

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Minda Harts: The Memo

Minda Harts is the founder and CEO of The Memo and an advocate for women of color in the workplace. She is a sought-after speaker and thought-leader, frequently speaking on topics of advancing women of color, leadership, diversity, and entrepreneurship. In 2018, Minda was named as one of 25 Emerging Innovators by American Express. Minda has been a featured speaker at TEDx Harlem, Nike, Levi’s, Twitch, Bloomberg, Google, LinkedIn, SXSW, and many other places.

She is an adjunct assistant professor of public service at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She also hosts Secure the Seat, a weekly career podcast for women of color. She’s the author of the bestselling book The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table*.

In this conversation, Minda and I discuss the motivation for her work and the reality that recent events have been for women of color in the workplace. Minda shares some of the common obstacles that, good intentions aside, keep white folks from supporting women of color in their careers. Plus, we highlight some of the key offenses white leaders tend to make and how all of us can do better.

Key Points

While many leaders notice and consider the events of the day, the news often hits in a personal way for women of color.
When asked, women of color tend to report that it’s white men who are showing up as sponsors and mentors.
A key trigger point for women of color is to be described as “articulate.”
The word “women” tends to be used as a one-size-fits-all. Be mindful that women don’t all experience the workplace in the same way.
One key action white leaders can take to be a better success partner is ensuring the voices of women of color show up on diversity panels and as speakers.

Resources Mentioned

The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table* by Minda Harts
Minda’s website

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