I am hurting. Watching the news makes me sad and appalled. I cannot fathom that we are living in 2020 in the United States of America, and we are surrounded by ignorance, injustice and intolerance. Racism is alive and well.

I have always stayed away from raising my political voice, concerned that it would be perceived as divisive and perhaps inflammatory, but now is the time to speak up. To use Albert Einstein’s words: “If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”

Growing up in Germany, the topic of the Third Reich was covered in my history classes between middle and high school a total of five times, to make sure we never forgot the harm the German nation caused during the holocaust.

In the United States the history of slavery and the reality of racism seems to be taught as a bygone era. Now we are hearing an uproar of those voices that have been suppressed for decades.

In Corporate America, being a minority has created the need for an entire function within HR at many big corporations called “Diversity and Inclusion.” The objective is to increase the representation of minorities—ensuring that they are treated equally within the corporate structure.

As a people manager and leader, I have always hired for diverse teams: Diversity in ethnics, gender, background and perspective. I truly believe what makes us different, makes us valuable. Some of us have it easier than others to get to the top, but it is not always talent and contributions getting us there. This is unjust and should not be tolerated.

In most parts of Europe it is still customary to include a photograph with your application, inclusive of your marital status, number of children and religion. While that is being considered discriminatory in the U.S., hiring managers are utilizing names, schools and other clues to determine racial backgrounds.

My challenge to all of the hiring managers out there – Unite, don’t divide! Go beyond the obvious when looking at resumes. Have the courage to hire for diversity; otherwise you might be cheating yourselves and your teams from significant contributions that candidates from all walks of life can bring to the table. Your team will be much stronger for it.

To all of my previous co-workers, protégées and friends of color or any other minority group – You are being heard! I stand beside you and hope that you achieve success in your life and career. If there is anything I can do to elevate you, please reach out.

If you feel that your voice is currently not heard, because you are part of a minority, please reach out to me and explore if you could benefit from coaching.