ED@WORK: GOOGLE

On December 8th, Out of Hand traveled to the Google office in the heart of Midtown Atlanta to have discussions about racial equity with members from Google’s leadership team as a part of the Equitable Dinners at Work series. Leading the small program was Artistic Director Ariel Fristoe and Lead Facilitator Niya Randall, with assistance from Kamau Bobb, a member of the Out of Hand Advisory Board and part of Google’s leadership team.

The play presented during this event was A Few Honest Moments with Sam by Minka Wiltz, with actress Angela Ray performing. For those unfamiliar, the play follows an African-American therapy patient recounting her experience with microaggressions throughout her life as she processes her diagnosis of depression. 

After the play, guests and facilitators broke out into smaller groups between three to five to discuss themes of the play, reactions to the play, and how members of the Google leadership team will implement changes in the name of racial equity. According to some of the staff, measures have already been implemented to bring more diversity to the staff. 

Furthermore, other measures have been taken to ensure that those who are hired that come from a minority background feel welcome and safe enough to bring any concerns about profiling, microaggressions, and other issues that may occur among colleagues. As a result, the Google office is the most diverse office among the Google offices; however, it is because of this increase in diversity for Google staff that issues regarding race and workplace behavior is a major concern for employees, leading Out of Hand to ask questions about what changes Google could implement and encourage solutions during the dialogue. 

The conversations held during this edition of Equitable Dinners at Work revealed best practices that the Google company is taking steps to create and foster a more welcoming environment for people of color and Out of Hand hopes that these discussions lead to further progress for future Google employees, in workplaces across the country, and beyond.