This March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a date to reflect on the fight against racism in all its forms and reaffirm the global commitment to equality, justice, and human rights.
Beyond what we perceive in daily life, the media, or social networks, prejudices and inequalities continue to exist in a silent and structured way, even in workplaces. Identifying them is just the beginning; real change requires commitment and concrete actions that promote inclusion and equity in the spaces where we coexist.
Origins and History
The date of March 21 recalls the tragic events that occurred in Sharpeville, South Africa, in 1960, when the police opened fire on a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid pass laws, killing 69 people. These laws restricted the mobility of Black, mixed-race, and Indian citizens and limited their access to spaces reserved for white people, prompting peaceful protests across the country.
Six years later, in 1966, the UN General Assembly proclaimed this date as a global day to combat racism, promoting international solidarity and the creation of equality policies. Since then, important progress has been made: apartheid was dismantled, and an international framework against discrimination was established, such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965) and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (2001), which promote laws, action plans, and global initiatives.
Despite all these achievements, racism persists in multiple areas: communities, politics, media, sports, and digital spaces, highlighting the need to maintain an active commitment to building more just and equal societies.
Racism in the Workplace: How to Address It
Inequalities That Go Unnoticed
Racism in the business environment does not always occur in an obvious or intentional way. Often, it manifests through norms, practices, or processes that seem neutral but generate inequality. Various studies show that white people tend to underestimate the frequency of discrimination, while racialized individuals are well aware of these dynamics and, in some cases, adapt their behavior to mitigate their effects.
Selection Processes and Name Bias
One of the clearest examples of workplace discrimination is found in personnel selection. A study conducted by economists Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan revealed that candidates with names that “sound white” (such as Emily Walsh) received 50% more callbacks for interviews than equally qualified candidates with names that “sound Black” (such as Lakisha Washington). According to the research team, simply having a white-sounding name was equivalent to gaining eight additional years of work experience.
Additionally, another study by Sonia Kang and her team in 2016 found that 31% of Black professionals and 40% of Asian professionals admitted to modifying their resumes, either changing their name or removing experiences that could reveal their ethnic origin—to increase their chances of being hired.
These findings highlight the importance of implementing inclusive selection processes, such as anonymous resumes and standardized evaluation criteria.
How to Build a Fair Workplace
To generate lasting change, companies must combine awareness, empathy, and concrete actions. This involves training the entire staff, reviewing norms and policies, ensuring that selection and promotion processes are fair, and continuously monitoring progress. Action requires commitment, resources, and the willingness of the entire organization, not just management.
10 Actions to Reduce Racial Discrimination in the Workplace
According to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), there are concrete measures companies can implement to reduce racial discrimination and foster a fairer, more inclusive workplace. While racism may seem difficult to address, small, well-planned changes can make a big difference:
- Conduct a workforce analysis:
Collect data on employees’ backgrounds, positions, and contract types to detect inequalities. - Eliminate precarious contracts:
Ensure stable and fair working conditions for all employees. - Implement a zero-tolerance policy toward racism:
Establish clear protocols for addressing any case of discrimination. - Provide anti-racism training:
Train all staff, including management, to prevent discriminatory behavior. - Monitor and evaluate progress:
Continuously collect and analyze data to measure progress and identify problems. - Review selection processes:
Apply measures such as anonymous resumes or more inclusive processes to avoid biases. - Invest in professional development:
Guarantee real opportunities for training, promotion, and growth for all employees. - Create representation spaces for racialized employees:
Foster internal groups or networks where they can share experiences and needs. - Move from symbolic gestures to real actions:
Go beyond one-off campaigns and work on anti-racism continuously. - Strengthen organization and workplace participation:
Promote environments where all employees can express themselves, participate, and be heard.
Eradicating racial discrimination in the workplace is not an action to be carried out symbolically on a specific day like March 21, but a continuous process that requires reviewing how decisions are made, how processes are designed, and what culture is promoted in the organization.
Companies that make progress in this area not only reduce inequalities but also build fairer, more innovative, and sustainable workplaces. The first step is recognizing that the problem may exist; the next is taking responsibility for transforming it with concrete, measurable actions over time.
