Pamela McElvane, One of the Nation’s Leading Diversity Experts, Says This Simple Practice Will Save Lives
CHICAGO – Pamela McElvane, the founder and ceo of DiversityMBA Media and one of the nation’s foremost authorities on diversity, equity and inclusion in corporate America and other sectors, issued the following statement today in response to the police shootings across the nation that have claimed the lives of Black and Brown males. McElvane, a mother of two boys, is urging mothers to teach their boys and remind the men in their lives to stay still in the presence of police.
Let’s be clear, I am not suggesting all police officers are a threat, in fact, most are good public servants, unfortunately, too many of them are weaponizing their authority that ends up with devastating consequences. So, I say, “Black and Brown men don’t run. Please don’t run; to save your life, please, please don’t run. I issue this plea for you to stay still in the presence of law enforcement authorities regardless of why you are being stopped. Mothers, we must teach our young boys and remind the older males, that regardless of what they are doing, don’t run. It is no longer safe for them to just lift their hands. That does not signal cooperation. They simply cannot run. Otherwise, they are inviting aggression, which could lead to them losing their lives. Our Black and Brown males cannot give authorities any cause to exert aggressive force.
Now, we see regardless of gender, a female veteran officer has the same mindset about the value of Black and Brown lives and all this latest incident has only solidified the state of the culture within the police departments across the nation. We now know this bias towards people of color is deeply embedded. When you are a professional and you are passionate about your job, you will protect a life regardless of the person’s racial origin. But we continue to experience this aggression, this racial hatred, and this implicit bias being played out before the nation repeatedly. This is linked to what happened in Washington on January 6 when supporters of former President Donald Trump launched an insurrection against Democracy by storming the U.S. Capitol. Our President Joe Biden displayed great leadership. He is in the driver’s seat, but one man cannot bring about the change that is necessary to stop this social unrest that we observed.
This racism is an epidemic. We must be clear about what is happening, and these issues are not new. They are the roots of racism that have now exposed in the form of white supremacy, and the institutional racism is unapologetically surfaced. We must put our greatest minds on the issue, not just the F.B.I. We must establish a national task force, looking at what has happened and what is NEXT. It will include representatives from the grassroots community, the business sector, political leaders as well as people of wealth. They must address the police brutality and racism in a new way. No one should be killed even if they are violating the law. The George Floyds, Adam Toledos and Daunte Wrights will not get a chance to recover from their mistakes, because they are dead. White Americans get a chance to recover. “Do not Run Black and Brown males. Stay Still. Your mothers want to see you again.”
Pamela McElvane is one of the nation’s leading experts on diversity, equity and inclusion and publishing. DiversityMBA magazine is one of the top publications for business professionals, educators and others dedicated to creating a culture in business and all areas of society that provides access and opportunities to all people. For additional information on DiversityMBA and sister companies, visit https://diversitymbamagazine.com & https://diversitybusinessreview.com; To arrange an interview with Pamela McElvane, contact Jerry Thomas at jerry@jerrythomaspr.com, or (312) 414-4016.
