Member-only story
Social Justice Theater: What It Is, and How to Do Better
Beware of committees and ‘baby steps’ — empty promises further traumatize Black employees
Consider some of the things that have been done in response to the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department:
- Destruction of confederate statues and monuments
- Renaming and rebranding our favorite sports teams and products
- Painting streets to honor Black Lives Matter
To be clear, these are all positive moves. But they’re symbolic. Symbols are powerful and significant, but the danger is when they take the place of real change and give a false impression that real change is being enacted. They can remove the pressure on leaders while doing little for the affected groups.
Further, symbolic gestures may not reflect the severity of the oppression around us and the invisible systems that enable it. Eventually, these gestures can become an end unto themselves — mere social justice theater. When this happens, organizations need to remember who they’re making change for and why change is needed in the first place. To realize the equitable future our organizations and communities deserve, we must focus on restorative justice, which entails accountability for past…
