Racial justice at work begs for me a different question: What about racial justice – period? For whom is racial justice a “nice-to-have” and for whom is it central to the possibility of success and change? Can we move toward activating members of the dominant culture to become aware and committed, and to take actions to disrupt the status quo many of us are drowning in?
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Accessibility is often overlooked or forgotten in the DEI journey. In order for our DEI and social justice journey to create a positive and sustainable impact on historically marginalized communities, it is crucial to disrupt the perpetuation of ableism.
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Throughout the course of U.S. history, any significant movement toward social justice, civil rights, and equality has been met with “backlash,” typically from those in positions of power and privilege who profit the most of maintaining the status quo of conformity, inequality, and oppression. What can we do to counteract this constant backlash to progress? For answers, let’s turn to mechanical engineering.
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From learning about your own identities, to fostering interpersonal inclusion, to interrogating our systems of injustice, there are many powerful ways that we can engage daily in service for justice. We offer you our 21 Day Challenge for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice to take part in to recommit to justice this month. Choose 1 or 2 of the options to engage in each day during this challenge. If you have time, do more. Set aside time to reflect. What did you feel? What did you learn? How has your perspective changed? What does this mean to you?
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The persistent nature of social justice challenges can leave organizations in the precarious position of not doing enough, leaving teams feeling discouraged, frustrated, and overwhelmed. As a clinical psychologist, I have learned the importance of listening to how we share stories. How we share stories in our organizations and teams can either inspire or dampen efforts to support connections and move us toward a collective vision of equity. Stories that center only the challenges can often leave us feeling hopeless about creating change.
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Do you really know what anti-racism education entails? Anti-racism is not necessarily ‘happy’ work — it is truth work. Yes, there will be backlash. Yes, there will be people saying it’s making them uncomfortable. The education is not about making people feel comfortable. It’s about telling the truth and uncovering inequities so that we can make change. We have to stick with it and be steadfast. Be strong, seek support and keep the movement going.
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Social justice is not a framework. It is not a list of actions or behaviors. It is a relational orientation toward humanity and dignity for all. So, how do you operationalize a relational orientation? Ultimately, organizations must examine themselves through a lens of the elements of white supremacy culture and decide for themselves how they will divest from the delusion of domination.
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I’m a white executive team member for a global human resources consulting, technology and administration firm. We have more than 2,000 employees, with a significant presence in the U.S. This is the story of how I became a member of our newly-formed Black Leadership Council, as their executive advocate champion and ally, and what I learned along the way. My hope is that others can benefit from understanding my experience, and the discoveries I’ve made over the past year.
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The much-anticipated Election Day of 2020 has come and gone. For many, the close race led to anxiety as we watched the votes roll in and waited for the results. However, it is quite clear that our work is not done. You may find yourself wondering, “What now? How can I keep this same energy and momentum going?”
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As so many people continue to quarantine and practice safe distancing guidelines, we have to be innovative about the ways we can amplify our voices and participate in activism. If you cannot or do not feel comfortable going in person to knock on doors or volunteer as a poll worker, that’s okay. There are still safe, distanced ways you can get involved in the election and make a final push for voters this year.
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How can we leverage social media as a tool for change amidst the dual health crises we are enduring of COVID-19 and police-involved violence toward Black men, women, boys, and girls? As we pick apart our media feeds and venture on a mission to educate and inspire our followers, I suggest that we Gauge, Research, Act, Share, and Persist.
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Throughout this series, we’ll be offering leaders and practitioners recommendations for actualizing racial justice within their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. Our intent is simple: to support our clients and readers in moving beyond the rhetoric and into sustainable action. This week, I offer our approach to embedding justice, among other social justice principles, to corporate DEI work. This involves a focus on Learning & Education, Internal Policies & Practices, and External Communications & Partnerships.
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