The more my world is shaped by my focus on decoloniality and deconstructing the conditioning society forced on me, the more I have learned about nervous system regulation, identity exploration, and self-expression. I no longer seek to be good, to be perfect, to be right. I seek to be authentic and principled and committed to doing the work needed for liberation of all people.
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When someone can’t recognize the humanity of every person, it illuminates so much. Peace and justice aren’t complex or contentious – what is, at times, is our ability to consider the lived experiences of those we may be less familiar with, or those who’ve been consistently marginalized and therefore unable to garner broader media or social attention. So, who will commit to setting the record straight, taking the time to learn, unlearn and/or relearn to be able to offer a new or different perspective?
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DEI in a corporate setting can be defined by two different “workstreams.” One type focuses on the internal wellness and belonging of employees, while the other works on the external facing, often through the lens of the products and services that organizations provide.
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Inclusion is about the collective. Inclusion involves creating a culture that recognizes, values, and embraces differences, and incorporates varying perspectives into the work environment. It is an active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity. As organizations are putting their efforts into ensuring representation, it is the culture of belonging that ultimately allows each employee to realize their full potential, leverage skills, and share ideas openly.
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What saddens me is that this experience will be engrained in these little girls’ memories forever. When asked, what was your first experience with race? Their answer may very well be, “when Rosita would not high-five or hug me at Sesame Place in Philadelphia when I was 6.” Every Black person remembers their first encounter with racism.
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The overall goal of this process is not to feel pressured into turning every circle on the diagram green. It simply isn’t possible to feel a sense of belonging all of the time. The goal is to ensure that you are consciously choosing what’s right for you and staying curious about what’s possible. The path to belonging is just that: It is a path, and not a moment.
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When we think about inclusion, there seems to be an important piece that we overlook: What exactly are we fighting to be included in? We have made strides in increasing the physical diversity of people within workspaces, but when we consider the complexities of our humanity and our whole, authentic selves, how “diverse” are things, really? How do our beliefs and actions toward those different from us affect the experiences of people who are considered different in our environments?
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Dear Leaders: the only thing worse than taking no action to address your DEI culture is being strictly performative. What does being performative look like? Developing a DEIB council, initiative, or program without any input at all from the underrepresented individuals within your organization. Think of it like going to a doctor. If you’re having a medical problem and you go see someone who makes a diagnosis and comes up with a treatment without discussing the specifics of your symptoms and medical history with you, how much faith do you have in their plan?
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Is anyone else unimpressed by this new wave of companies focusing on DEIBJ, or is that just me? Don’t get me wrong, I have noticed a shift of sorts, but I am not a fan of patting these companies on the back for starting to do what they should’ve been doing all along. There are definitely companies creating new roles in the DEIBJ space, which is good, sure. However, the vast majority of these departments are underfunded, under resourced, unappreciated and nestled underneath HR (instead of alongside that function).
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Not many studies of well-being make the connection between D&I and employee health. And a lot of D&I work fails to make the connection to well-being. This is a shame given that a primary way marginalized groups experience bias and exclusionary policies in the workplace is through their physical and mental well-being. Who is likely to feel most isolated, alone, and experience the stress and anxiety of navigating exclusionary cultures than the most marginalized workers in organizations?
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Is belonging only another buzzword, or does it have more staying power? The idea of belonging is not new to diversity and inclusion. In fact, belonging is very integral to inclusion—in order to help an individual feel included, you first must find ways to help them feel like they belong. Early literature and studies on inclusion offered differing opinions on how inclusion should truly be defined. True inclusion cannot exist if individuals feel that they do not belong. Inclusion is an action; belonging is a feeling.
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I am New Jersey. I am Philadelphia. I am Howard County. I am Elkridge. I am Baltimore. I am North East. These are the communities that raised me, welcomed me, and are personal to me. Communities where I am among friends, family, teachers, mentors, and mentees. This journey of where I have been plus where I am going is ultimately where I belong.
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