In my 20+ years as a DEIJ trainer and consultant, I have always believed in “the power of one.” As an increasing number of individuals take a stand to foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just workplace, we will also surely witness the transformative impact that the “power of many” can collectively bring about.
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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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Now is not the time to pause or stop racial justice at work. It cannot be a “competing priority” that gets pushed down the list of importance. It is the priority. Your Black employees are hurting. Cutting or postponing efforts toward racial justice and equity in the workplace sends the message that you do not care about them or their well-being.
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One component of the DEIJ alphabet that often gets overlooked is the “A”– Accessibility. Considering accessibility as a standard practice in marketing offers incredible opportunities to build equity, inclusion, and justice. Marketing has one of the most influential and significant impacts on accessibility within an organization.
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Why can’t most white Americans lean in when conversations about race get uncomfortable? I’m not here to answer that question, but what has become increasingly clear to me is the harmful impact this dynamic has on BIPOC, especially from self-proclaimed “white allies.” In my experience, here are the top 5 ways I have witnessed and/or perpetuated, the centering of white comfort.
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The current anti-diversity rhetoric became very loud only after organizations pledged to focus on racial diversity after the murder of George Floyd. Diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts center on many dimensions of identity in addition to race including gender and gender identity, military status, people with disabilities, religion, and generational differences. Diversity objectives are about all employees, not just those who are protected by legislation.
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Make no mistake: Overrepresentation of white people in professional spaces not only has negative consequences on people’s day-to-day understanding of others and current events, but also for the health and long-term sustainability of our organizations. What can organizations do now to be proactive and stay ahead of the consequences of the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action ruling?
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Many years ago, I suffered a heart attack. I have been battling heart disease since then, and I have learned that stress management is my number one task in managing my heart disease. I have found Neurofeedback — a way of monitoring brain waves in real time and building training around desired brain activity — helpful for both my health and for enhancing attributes to address political polarization.
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What is holding so many workplaces in a pattern that lacks direction or purpose? The simplest answer: complacency. In organizations big and small, there is widespread DEIJ overwhelm and disconnect. A general laissez-faire, opt-in engagement approach that yields mediocre outcomes, low accountability, and slow progress.
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By and large, racial diversity efforts under attack because of the recent focus on anti-racism. Diversity and inclusion were okay… as long as we did not call out racism. We as a nation are still not willing to address our sordid history with racism, in particular anti-Black racism.
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When the impact of our sharing is not fully taken in because we’ve opted to jump immediately towards solutioning, fixing, or rushing, we actually don’t get to the roots of the problems that we intend to solve. We get half solutions based on partial truths.
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After over 20 years of work in different industries, one commonality has been present. It is the fact that my tears are seen as an inability to do my job, my passion seen as aggression, my questioning seen as insubordination. There is a clear line between the way BIPOC are allowed to express themselves. It is time for a mindset shift. Here are a few things to remember as we do the work to create more inclusive spaces for our BIPOC employees.
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