Amplifying Assets: Beyond Deficit Narratives

Earlier this year I was asked to conduct an informal evaluation of a leadership development program for professional barbers. Part of my job was to interview folks who had gone through the program. One of the things that made it such a rewarding job was that I got to spend hours getting to know people and sharing our experiences of being Black in a barber shop or beauty salon.

During one such conversation, I recalled a memory from college: settling into a salon chair, trembling, knowing that my chemical-damaged hair needed a total do-over and would need to be cut short - a deep blow to my 20-year-old ego.

Even though that was hard, I only have warm memories, because the woman cutting my hair comforted me through the whole thing. I remember the feeling of her stroking my neck and shoulders as warm silent tears rolled down my cheeks and onto the plastic cape.

Seemingly every few minutes, in between strokes with the long sharp scissors, she reassured me that it would be okay. And ultimately it was: she did a beautiful cut, and she made me feel safe.

What a combination of skills.

The reality is that barbers, especially in Black communities, are valuable community pillars and resources. Beyond their skilled trade, barbers must have high emotional intelligence to succeed in their roles. By necessity, barbers develop the ability to intently listen, counsel, encourage, mentor, motivate, and empower those who sit in their chairs. Barbers build trust, create safe spaces, share information, and connect folks to opportunities. They bear witness to their customers' personal stories and struggles. In this way, barbering requires the honing of invaluable human skills that extend far beyond cutting hair.

Barbers are community leaders.

Despite this superhero quality, assumptions often exist in our culture that barbering is a job unworthy of professional recognition. This is due, in part, to the fact that skilled labor in the United States, particularly among Black people, has historically been regarded as “less than” other professions. Some people may even automatically categorize barbering as an unskilled trade when it actually requires immense skill, training, and licensing that most people don’t even realize. Grooming and beauty professionals may be labeled as unstably employed without acknowledging that this is a structural problem; too many in our society - retail workers, restaurant workers, childcare workers, etc. - are serving the public in jobs that are essential for a functioning economy without any infrastructure to ensure they have household-sustaining incomes. This reality keeps people, including barbers, from maintaining stable employment despite the immense value they add to their communities because of their labor. 

Here’s something to think about: barbers and salon professionals spend pretty much the entirety of their paid time physically touching their customers, just like a nurse or doctor would; yet, they don’t have the same protections as medical professionals. 

So what are the consequences of this? Salon professionals are seen as more risky and less worthy of investment, meaning their businesses don’t receive loans, grants, and other forms of capital. Therefore, community leaders are not able to do their work from the barber chair, and the community suffers.

Only by seeing and acknowledging this chasm can we begin to talk differently about what these professionals offer to our society, hopefully paving the way for them to thrive in their industries. 

That’s why this project was such a valuable experience. Aside from bringing up some warm and precious memories of my times in Black salons and beauty shops, it really helped me understand more the importance of using asset-based language.

The language we use builds the world we want to live in. Do our words open doors for those we speak about? Or do they keep them locked out?

In any given society, the dominant culture often dictates what is considered good, normal, or worthy. When that cultural belief system translates into the way that we communicate about different people and what they need or what they deserve, we end up categorizing people in really damaging ways: uneducated, disadvantaged, at-risk, etc. Most frustrating for me is the term “racial minority” which not only has negative connotations but also is technically inaccurate in the global context, as people of color are the global majority.

I operate largely in the nonprofit and philanthropic space, an ecosystem that is deeply embedded in white dominant culture. It is therefore very easy for me to see the ways that our sector perpetuates damaging stereotypes simply by talking about the very people it wants to support. 

If you did a quick scan of ten non-profit websites that provide services to populations that have been systemically marginalized or oppressed by society, I can almost guarantee you will find one of these words somewhere - at-risk, vulnerable, underprivileged -  and it will be about the population of people being served.

In recent years I've noticed more of a conscious shift away from this language in the non-profit arena, but it's slow going. This is a hard habit for our sector to break.

Breaking the habit would also force us to confront the systems of oppression that keep people away from resources, that advantage some over others, and that confer privileges based on social identities that not all people share.

That’s why I coach organizations and leaders to use asset-based language. Asset-based language spotlights the inherent strengths, talents, and humanity within all people, regardless of their social identity or circumstances. It flips the script on deficit-based language, which showcases what is lacking, missing, or "wrong." Instead, it focuses on assets, or what is present, valuable, and possible for people.

So what are assets?

Assets are the positive qualities and strengths, resources, wisdom, abilities, gifts, and potentials that each person possesses. Assets might include resilience in the face of adversity, leadership capabilities, technological skills, artistic talents, or perseverance.

An asset-based lens is grounded in the belief that all people have value, no matter their race, economic status, age, gender, or other social identifiers. It does not blame individuals for the systemic barriers and inequities that limit opportunities and access. Rather, it names the structures and policies that benefit some groups at the expense of marginalized communities.

For example, terms like "underserved youth" and "underprivileged neighborhoods" beg the question: underserved and underprivileged by whom and by what?

Asset-based language insists that we name the perpetrators of oppression, rather than just its targets. This prevents further victimization and puts responsibility on society (including the institutions that make up our society, such as nonprofits) to make it right. 

The purpose of asset-based language is to center the person first and emphasize shared humanity. It conveys faith that all individuals have strengths that deserve nurturing. Despite circumstances outside their control, all people are doing their best with the cards they have been dealt. When providing social services, leading community change efforts, or fighting for equity and justice, asset-based language refuses to define people by deficiencies. Instead, it spotlights their promise.

Some examples:

• "Youth who demonstrate artistic promise despite having limited economic resources.”

• "Neighbors coping creatively in an environment without many public amenities.”

• "Parents working for unfair wages, determined to give their children what they need to thrive."

Can you hear how asset-based phrasing centers the person while naming systemic inequities? 

Can you also see how it asks more of our sector than just offering services to people who need them?

Source: Naomi Simone O’Brien - @readlikearockstarteaching

In a time of such rampant income inequality that threatens families and communities, the words we use matter. The ideas we keep alive through those words matter. Organizations committed to equity and justice must pay close attention to words so that we do not inadvertently perpetuate harms that we seek to correct.

It starts with recognizing that the assets that every person has is the stuff that will heal us, the stuff that will free us, the stuff that will save us. The gentle touch and tremendous skill of Black barbers and beauticians has restored my soul time and time again, and because of that, I know these professionals are worthy of deep praise and investment. Innovative programs like the RAZORED Mastermind Program and mental health initiatives like The Confess Project are inspiring because they speak the language that ensures these professionals receive the professional development, financial capital, and recognition they so deserve. 

A final message to my colleagues:

Old habits are hard to change. We can have good intent and still cause harm. What is most important is what we do when we are called on that harm. Do we shut down? Get defensive? Or truly listen and learn so we can incorporate that feedback moving forward. Start practicing and challenge yourself to notice when you and your organization are slipping to a default of deficit-based language. Whether you are in conversation with your stakeholders or preparing written materials, check yourself to ensure that you are leading with asset-based language that puts people first.