Since the death of George Floyd, employers have been
“Allyship is not a title you wear, it’s how you live and engage with others,” said Rosanna Durruthy, LinkedIn’s vice president of diversity, inclusion and belonging, in a live virtual discussion about the courses. “It requires ongoing work from all of us.”
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LinkedIn’s allyship and antiracism courses fall under two learning tracks: How to Engage Meaningfully in Antiracism and Allyship (offered free until Oct. 31) and Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging for All (free until March 31, 2021). The courses are taught by a diverse group of professionals who specialize in promoting inclusion. Among them is Netflix’s vice president of inclusion strategy, Vernā Myers. She teaches professionals how to identify their own implicit biases, and how to support diverse colleagues.
“One of the best things that happened in the last few months is ‘racism’ has become part of the regular vocabulary now — let’s not let that go back into the closet,” Myers said in a live LinkedIn discussion. “We need to continue having these discussions in the workplace. That’s the work of an ally, to build relationships and remove barriers to create more equity for everyone.”
In her class, Myers talks about ways to support the professional development of diverse colleagues, and facilitate meaningful conversations about race. Myers said allies don’t always feel that they can contribute to discussions about racism — or are afraid to because of how their colleagues will react — but avoiding those difficult conversations prevents change.
“Learn to apologize, correct and move on,” Myers said. “You can’t be so vested in your personal image that you’re not doing what you need to do to become the person you want to be.”
Check out all the free courses being offered on allyship and antiracism on
