The Key Learning Points:

1. The power of the collective and providing a safe space to underrepresented groups

2. One year on from George Floyd’s murder, what’s been achieved and what work do we still need to do

3. The need to move beyond optical allyship and implement practical steps that will improve the lives of employees

On this week's remote Risky Mix podcast, we're joined by Teniola Tijani, associate underwriter at Travelers and founder of Ladies That Lunch, a network that supports ladies in navigating work-life and dealing with the tensions that come with being underrepresented. Teni is here to chat to us today about her work creating Ladies That Lunch and, on the anniversary week of George Floyd’s murder, we’re going to reflect on what has changed and the importance of keeping the race discussion on the table.

Teni tells us how she entered the world of insurance, initially taking a summer placement with a Lloyd’s syndicate, and returning to the industry after completing her economics degree. Teni quickly realised: “There aren’t many people who look like me” and her “passion for people” lead her to launch Ladies that Lunch. “I remember the Lloyd’s environment feeling very lonely and me standing out like a sore thumb.” After an event, where Teni met other Black women in the industry, the first Ladies That Lunch event was put in the diary. “If I’m feeling all of these feelings then I’m sure another Black woman in another insurance organisation is feeling similarly, so how can we provide a place of refuge or comfort? Which is what Ladies That Lunch was intended to be.”

We ask Teni about some of the common themes or topics discussed within the collective and she explains that members often mention things like appearance, workplace promotion, acceptance, actually feeling included at work and the microaggressions they face: “These are things that people have lived through. Imagine working day in and day out, not being able to express yourself, and constantly going home with that weight” 

One year on and the conversation moves onto the George Floyd murder. We’re keen to hear Teni’s thoughts on how far she thinks we’ve come, and the work still needed. “It’s still very fresh for me - the murder of George Floyd changed my life!” Teni explains that this event lit a spark and motivated her to become bold and unapologetic in sharing her experiences. She adds that company responses to Black Lives Matter sat on a scale – from those simply putting out statements to those who took the time to listen, understand employee pain points and respond in a meaningful manner: “We had some companies who put out statements and thought that was enough. I saw how that felt for my members. I saw how disappointed people were.” 

Considering where we are today, Teni adds: “I think there is more of a consciousness, but when the verdict was read out, from a personal standpoint, it didn’t feel like a moment of elation because when I think about where the world still is, we still have a lot of work to do.” Teni believes one of the challenges we now face is fatigue: “My call to companies would be to not get tired because whether it’s a small part of your population, it’s an important part of your population, and there are still those tensions and feelings.” It’s because of this fatigue amongst Black people that the support of allies is needed more than ever: “We need our allies to stand up the most and stand in for us and make sure the agenda is still on the table even if we can’t be the face of it”. Teni explains that allies are needed to represent us, especially those in senior positions. Her hope is that companies continue to engage and are bold in the steps they make. She wants us to move beyond optical allyship and implement practical steps that will improve the lives of employees.