Engaging in race-conscious research and applying racial equity in human resource development: a collective autoethnography

In an effort to unpack barriers to race-conscious research and practice in the field of human resource development (HRD), we offer our collective auto-ethnography from the viewpoint of Black early career scholars. In virtue of sharing our experience, we illustrate how the marginalization of race can adversely influence our professional identity and career development. We also contribute to racial discourse that acknowledges race as a matter of importance in HRD research and practice. We begin by reviewing forms of resistance and disparaging connotations associated with race. Next, we discuss our findings and argue for the immediate need to move away from the ideology that race-related topics should be addressed exclusively by those who are categorized as racial minorities. Subsequently, we encourage our HRD colleagues in the racial majority to be more open to engaging in racial equity efforts. We expound on these ideas by way of providing recommendations on how the field of HRD can support Black scholars and their scholarship: (1) through the implementation of White ‘anti-racist’ allyship and the discontinuation of ‘Black tax,’ (2) the commitment to ‘democratize’ HRD literature by creating space for counter-narratives, and (3) by recognizing race-evasiveness as a global issue in the HRD community.