Projecting injustice

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Projecting injustice

With Customer, Now, we try to shed light on the human truths emerging from the constraints of COVID-19. As we focus on “now”, we can’t ignore the moment of intersection between racial injustice and COVID-19 and the forces of change they represent. Our hope is to use the platform of Customer, Now to make the effort to understand. To inspire business and people to act from a place of greater empathy…

Earlier this week, we asked people from the US, UK, Germany, China, Japan and India to “post a secret” as a kind of online confessional to reflect on their own realizations about race. It’s clear from people’s responses that racial injustice is not a condition exclusive to the United States. The murder of George Floyd has intensified the symptoms in the US, yet the condition is one of the human race.

What is most striking from all the contributions is just how different people’s experiences, thoughts and beliefs are about race. There is no singular experience or conviction to racial injustice. People – in their multifaceted and messy lives – are responding based on what they’ve learned over time from those who came before them. What they’ve seen, what they’ve felt. What they believe to be true. Not judged as right or wrong, but true to them.

When we analyzed people’s responses, the word “I” registered 550 times – out-word-counting the second-most commonly used word, “people” – at a ratio of 5-to-1. When combined, this phrasing indicates projection: “I think Black people…”; “I think white people…”; “I think all people…”, etc. [see word cloud] Me projecting onto others. Projecting my assumptions, opinions and beliefs onto other people.

In those projections, we make racial injustice the problem of other people. Afterall, I believe I’m a good person (at least not as bad as everyone else), so the problem must reside with “you”. E.g., “you should…”; “they should…”, etc. The more progressive responses suggested what “we” should do. E.g., “we need to…”; “we must…”; “we can’t…”. Very few of the responses reflected on the problem being mine to do something about, i.e., what “I” need to do to change. Even as people were asked to reflect on THEIR realizations, people projected what others should be doing.

You/we/I. “I” is the only place of change. “You” and “they” places blame on others. People can hide behind statements of “we” without taking accountability. When people realize what “I” do makes a difference, change happens.

With COVID-19, we are seeing an interesting human truth emerge: Of how fast change can occur when my self-interest – my survival – is at stake [see Episode 3: “Survival of the simplest”]. When I realize my actions, contribute to the safety of myself and others…change happens. Curves flatten. Recovery starts. When I wear a mask. When I keep social distance. When I keep you safe and you keep me safe. We realize our interdependence; our common human condition, at an individual level of responsibility, on a global scale.

Now is a moment of issues coming together that affect our very humanity and force change. Imagine if we approached racial injustice with the same urgency of a global pandemic. If we saw our own self-interest at stake, at an individual level of responsibility, on a global scale. To understand all we can. To listen to others who know more about the subject than we do. To hold ourselves accountable for creating change. To create a positive difference for ourselves and for others.

For COVID-19 the condition threatens human survival. So it is with racial injustice.