I'm the only person of color on our leadership team and when issues around race come up in our organization, everyone looks to me to have the answer or take the lead. My white colleagues think they're being respectful by deferring to me, but it feels like they're just avoiding doing their own work and I'm tired of being the designated spokesperson.
More people experience this than they realize.
Well-intentioned deference becomes a form of burden-shifting that isolates the person it's meant to honor while letting others avoid engagement.
“Where Are You with Indigenous rights and land justice?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.