On Race and Mentoring

Last month, I asked several women, “Does it make a difference if your mentor is the same race as you?” I was flooded with responses from women from different racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Most reported they would just be glad to have a knowledgeable mentor who cared, and although differences in race may create initial challenges, what mattered most was the quality of the mentoring relationship. Here are a few responses:

“I’m looking to connect with a businesswoman who is successful right now, someone who has arrived where I am trying to get. I seek a mentor who is professional and honest in sharing proven strategies to help me improve my business in marketing and sales with high-end clients, regardless of race.” Teresa

“If I were to be mentored by a white woman, I would want an open line of communication in which she, first and foremost, is comfortable to discuss anything, including race and culture. There are a lot of topics which are often grazed over because of fear of saying something offensive.” Angela

“My experience says that white women can make great mentors. In a study I conducted with women lawyers, it was frequently the white women who reached out to new attorneys, female and minority, to help them with the on-boarding process. We do share some fundamental commonalities, and that helps to build bonds.” Rita

While this seems promising, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that several women often said white women do not fully understand the life and career experiences of women of color. Women of color frequently face issues of racism and sexism in life and at work. It is essential that white women mentoring women of color be willing to take risks, make mistakes, learn from them and become educated on the experiences of the woman they are mentoring.

Eighty percent of the women indicated a preference for having a mentor who is the same race or ethnicity as them. They felt the differences in race or ethnicity would generate a slower initial mentoring pace due to the need to educate each other on the differences and work through the cultural challenges. I was delighted to discover that the rest of them said they would be willing to tackle those challenges in order to have the best mentor possible.

Mentorship is a relationship like any other. You get out of it what you put into it. I believe that most women want to connect with and learn from another woman who is doing what they desire to do. Many of the women I spoke with during my informal research study conclude that they seek a mentor who is knowledgeable, honest, loyal, resourceful and committed to the time it takes to be a good mentor and build a trusting relationship. Despite our differences, there is a great mutual reward when the mentor and the protégé both agree to be committed to the relationship by being willing to tackle potential challenges together.

By Catrice Jackson