For those who are hearing DEI for the first time or who may not know exactly what it is, DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It started as any policy or practice designed to make people of various backgrounds feel welcome and ensure they have support to perform to the fullest of their abilities in the workplace. Diversity refers to the presence of differences within a given setting; in the workplace, that may mean differences in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age and socioeconomic background. Equity is the act of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial, fair and provide equal possible outcomes for every individual. Inclusion is the practice of making people feel a sense of belonging at work. Even though this concept is rooted in the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, we have seen a growing interest in DEI initiatives following the recent civil unrest in America. While some of this interest is a well-intended investment in addressing change, some of that interest is a short investment to stave off costly lawsuits. Either way, I do think that it's important and healthy to even include the words diversity, equity, and inclusion in the public discourse. It has a way of drawing out oppositional viewpoints to put perspectives on a table for dissection and discussion.
Along with DEI there is an entire nomenclature that goes along with its policies and practice. Words like "ally", "anti-racist", "disability", "implicit bias", "neurodiversity", etc. are a part of DEI glossary that folks use to speak the language to others within this field. This is also the buzzword language that grant funders look for, and grant writers use, in order to articulate DEI-centric projects, programs, and initiatives that need to be funded. Since the BLM Protests surrounding police violence against citizens, there has been a lot of money thrown at DEI-centric projects, programs, and initiatives. While some of this has been instrumental in helping to positively transform the culture of workplaces, organizations, and institutions, it has only been a money grab for some. When we have seen instances of misuse/abuse of DEI initiatives, this has been the major issue people use to justify why DEI should not exist. Their legitimate concern is that people should get opportunities based upon merit, which I agree with. So, let's examine that idea of merit-based opportunities within the context of American history (his-story).
None of the modern-day instances considered "DEI misuse/abuse" can compare to America's 248-year history of its federal, state, and local government abuse to systematically secure non-diverse, inequitable, non-inclusive, unmerited privileges, opportunities, advantages, and resources for its dominant white population. Slavery, which was the law of this land from 1776 to 1863, lasted for 87 years. Segregation lasted another 102 years, from 1863 to 1965. This means that for 189 of those 248 years, or 76.5% of the time that America has existed, my ancestors were denied citizenship rights and excluded by the federal, state, and local governments from having equal access to its privileges, opportunities, advantages, and resources that were legally afforded to, and protected by, its dominant white population. To legally maintain this Status Quo for 248 years, do you think that a large number of unqualified, unmerited white people have been consistently put in positions across all sectors of its society, or do you think that the majority of them earned it because they have always been the most intelligent and skilled to be in those positions? This does not only apply to Black folks. Since its inception, America's federal, state, and local governments has also restricted equal access to its citizenry rights and privileges, opportunities, advantages, and resources to Brown people, Indigenous people, women, and etc. This was also done to Irish, Jewish, Italian, etc. immigrants from Europe who came to this country seeking freedom, before they were allowed to quasi-assimilate into American society and be considered honorary white people and counted in its census. While legacy media and new media is being used to propagandize and hyper focus on if a Black person, a Trans person, a Spanish-speaking person, etc. is qualified for a job, the larger issue has always been the qualifications of almost two centuries of America's dominant white population's system of unmerited nepotism and crony capitalism that has enabled America to establish, maintain, and protect a dominant white Status Quo.
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| Introduced in 1973, Nubia [Nu'Bia], was fashioned from Black clay and her twin sister Diana was fashioned from White clay. While Diana was the first to wear the Wonder Woman mantle in publishing history, Nubia preceded her as a Wonder Woman in Amazon history in both canon and the Amazons' newest Black Label universe from DC Comics. |
We cannot effectively do DEI work if it is not genuinely Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive at its core. What we sometimes see in workplaces, organizations, and institutions is DEI window displays with folks installed as mannequins to simulate this work. In other words, it ain't real. Many of the folks installed in these positions have never had real diverse relationships, they never fought for equitable rights/resources for others, and they never put their actual privilege, career, or life on the line to go against the status quo to make sure that others were included in something they have been systematically denied. It takes courage and a deep commitment to what is right and just to successfully do DEI work. It’s a courage and commitment that must transcend the fear of being ostracized, ridiculed, undermined, attacked, or disowned by others, including your family, who really don’t care about anything being diverse, equitable, or inclusive. In fact, many of them have been taught their entire lives, and genuinely believe, that “those people” deserve what little access, opportunities, and resources “they were given.” That's not a walk in the park.
The irony is, this concept of DEI that many folks are just being introduced to is a reality that some of us have learned to navigate since we were born. An "ally" to us is the person invited to the cookout. We usually don't use the word "anti-racist", we just say, "They're not with the sh*ts." As for "neurodiversity", we never needed that fancy word to explain the importance of accepting people for who they uniquely are, we just do. Anyway, none of what I am saying means anything if I don't share with you some ideas and strategies of DEI, whether you are formally working in the field or informally in workplaces, organizations, and institutions that have a DEI policy and practices. Here are some ideas and strategies:
- The highest value lies in our relationships with each other. Going to your favorite Mexican restaurant on Taco Tuesdays and knowing the staff by their first name is not the same as having a relationship with Mexican People or respecting their rich culture. How do you get there? Talk! Develop a serious relationship with people. Invest time together other than on... Taco... Tuesdays. It takes time also, just like it took time to establish all of the homogenous relationships that you already have.
- If you're striving to create a land acknowledgment for Indigenous People that's not your job if you are not Indigenous. You can only help facilitate the time, space, and resources for Indigenous People to create it, if they see fit to do it, and you support them. And if they need to get to know and trust you first, which will take time, but you are on a timeline, then respect that now is not the time to even do it. That relationship is more important than your self-importance.
- People who have been historically denied DEI-centric projects, programs, and initiatives were born into a society DEI conscious. Since childhood we have strived to make sense of a society where people treat us differently, unfairly, and don’t include us because of our skin color, gender, or physical ability. Adults today were those children, and there are children growing up right now dealing with those psychological and socioeconomic impediments. Imagine how that negatively affects someone’s self-esteem and their relationship to the folks denying them. On one end of the psychological and socioeconomic spectrum you have folks who simply say, “F*CK YA'LL!” and on the other end you have folks who do everything in their poor little power to be just like and accepted by others who have denied them, even to the point of being abused [sadomasochism]. Most people are somewhere in the middle and strive to live a balanced life between f*ck it and assimilation. If people trust you enough... they will tell you all about, if you are also willing to genuinely listen.
- It is not about you, or your social media pages. It is about helping make sure that your workplace, organization, and institution is diverse, equitable, and inclusive for the people in those spaces and the people that you serve. That is all. And it is usually a thankless job that doesn’t win awards. This means that others being centered is vitally important.
- "Firsts" in any capacity is equal to the work necessary to change the system or environment. For example, if you are celebrating "The First" disabled person or woman to serve in a certain capacity in your organization, the years that this organization has existed without a person serving in that capacity is evidence of the work that is necessary to truly make systemic and environmental change. In other words, sure we can acknowledge that Barack Obama was "The First" Black President, yet we must equally acknowledge and address that all forty-three Presidents before him, since 1776, were white men, and why. Firsts are like a billboard sign for change that has not historically happened.
- DEI-centric projects, programs, and initiatives should not be designed to last. If you are in a DEI position, it is your job to help create a workplace, organizational, and institutional culture that is sustainable. That is the reason grants are limited. If we are in a workplace, organization, or institution doing DEI work for years, guess what? The DEI ain't DEIing. The goal is to be able to eventually walk away knowing that the culture of that workplace, organization, and institution will be fair without you.
- You need to be alright with upsetting the apple cart. In fact, you are a professional apple cart upsetter when you work in DEI. And that is a nice way of putting it. Change is difficult for us even when we are taking the initiative to change. People are usually more resistant to change when it's not on their terms and they were not prepared for or expecting it. Even if that change is healthier for them, safer for their families, or puts more money in their pockets. Folks are usually more resistant to change they did not initiate. Do you know how many people, of all colors, gender, and abilities told MLK this country wasn't ready for change yet? I wonder what things would look like if he waited or listened. With this being said, DEI work requires a delicate balance of patience and ambition. The ability to know when to sit back and when to push back. My mother used to say, "pick your battles."
- No child is too young to be exposed to DEI. It starts in early childhood based upon what they are exposed to and how you engage them socially and emotionally. Invest in toys that are diverse. Get an equitable amount of reading materials that show our human family. Include diverse music in your playlists that they can hear. Also, have actual relationships with different kinds of families that your children can grow up with and experience their cultural worldview. It may be challenging if you live in the Village of Whitefolks NY, Cisgentown, PA, or Mansworld TX, but if you are truly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion you will find a way to expand you and your family's worldview through genuine connectivity with people outside of your box, I mean, community.
- Whether we are formally or informally aware of DEI, we are all impacted by and responsible for its outcomes. The more that we know, the better equipped we are to help ensure that spaces are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. If that is not important to us, that mentality will eventually become obsolete in America with a growing population that is becoming less white, male, and culturally homogeneous.
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