Pandemic meets race: An added layer of complexity

ABSTRACT

Race-specific trauma is long established and persistent in the workplace, but its implications are especially important to acknowledge in the context of COVID-19. [...]as I-O psychologists, we have a responsibility to be particularly aware and intentional about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work during this unique period of working during a pandemic, specifically regarding racial dynamics. [...]knowledge is constructed, reconstructed, distributed, and reproduced by Whites, shutting out voices of color (Baffoe etal., 2014). According to 2020 censuses, Fortune 100 C-Suite positions consist of 84% White employees (Larcker & Tayan, 2020), and studies show that women and people of color often get less prestigious work assignments that lack potential for advancement (Williams, & Multhaup, 2018). A reason for this could be SIOP’s requirement of a Ph.D. or master’s degree to be a member or associate. Because doctorate degrees are so normalized in the field, people of color are disadvantaged due to significant racial disparities in higher education.