Curate Disconfirmation
Curate Disconfirmation
I believe that normalizing disconfirmation is the best way to hold up the mirror to ourselves and train our minds to engage with diverse viewpoints. That means creating the capability to be in mindful dialogue with a range of people including radical leftists to those on the so-called right who think DEI is a bunch of “woke gobblygook” (a newly minted technical term that I am sure some DEI naysayers will appreciate).
Over the past year, I have turned to Substack writers as my preferred source of insights and information.
I have been intentional about reading writers whom I align with politically and socially as well as those I partially agree with; AND, many who I have little affinity or agreement with.
The latter has become most important to me.
As DEI practitioners and those who aspire to be what I call “skilled operators of an inclusion system” in Reconstructing Inclusion, we must be beacons for dissent.
As well to elevate our practice and create the conditions for DEI to be accessible to everyone, unambiguously prioritized, and mission/purpose aligned it is vital that we seek out disconfirmation of the ideas and viewpoints that we find most comfortably fit our personal narratives or brands.
Occasionally, I will share articles and videos from some of the writers and channels I follow and regularly read. My hope is that some of you will share your favorites with me. Particularly those who challenge the perspective you hold and/or ideas you are passionate about.
In Search of Systemic Racism
by David L. Bernstein
Distinguishing and Evaluating Seven Different Senses of the Term
“ONE: The Whiteness Paradigm. Systemic racism is often used to describe the dominant culture in America, one that supposedly favors “white” cultural practices.
TWO: The Disparity Paradigm. Another systemic racism claim is Ibram X. Kendi’s “anti-racism”, in which disparities are prima facie evidence of racism. (Kendi does not use the term “systemic racism” because he views all racism as systemic).
THREE: The Legacy Paradigm. A third way that systemic racism is used is to describe the lingering effects of historical systemic racism, such as the impact of “redlining” on black communities that still live in impoverished, formerly redlined areas.”
And four more. . .
A Political Reawakening?
By Bari Weiss & Oliver Wiseman
A mass emergence from the woke slumber.
“As Konstantin Kisin writes in his powerful essay today in The Free Press: “The events of the last week have shattered the illusion that wokeness is about protecting victims and standing up for persecuted minorities. This ideology is and has always been about the one thing many of us have told you it is about for years: power. And after the last two weeks, there can be no doubt about how these people will use any power they seize: they will seek to destroy, in any way they can, those who disagree.”
What Starts A War?
by Steve QJ
“It’s easy to figure out who started a war. You just pick a point in history, focus on whoever committed the most recent atrocity, and ignore everything that happened before.
This one weird trick allows Palestine to claim that Israel started the conflict, Israel to argue that Palestine is to blame, and thousands of newly minted political experts on Twitter to yell at each other about which side is worse.
Best of all, both sides can use the misdeeds of the other to justify everything they do from now on.
Well, almost everything.”
What Reduces Racial and Political Animosity?
by Todd Kashdan
A Return to Simple, Useful Ideas
“There are data from over 500 studies showing that despite millions of dollars on programs to reduce racism, one of the simplest strategies remains ideal: spend quality time with someone of a different race. Psychologists refer to this as the intergroup contact effect.
It is not a new idea and yet, this is lost in diversity training programs. Just read the latest denouncement on Why DEI Training Doesn't Work—and How to Fix It (by the most famous implicit racism researcher ever).”
John McWhorter & Coleman Hughes – The Colorblindness Controversy and Israel-Hamas
by Glenn Loury
“This week John [McWhorter] and I are joined by Coleman Hughes, podcaster, writer, and now author of the forthcoming book The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America.
Coleman recently gave a TED Talk about the central ideas in his book, but faced pushback from TED employees, who took umbrage at his, to my mind, quite reasonable advocacy for colorblind public policy.
The result was a seemingly interminable back-and-forth between Coleman and TED, which had refused to promote the video of his talk. We have him on to discuss the affair.”
If you are curious as to which of the above I agree with and do not. Here’s the answer: I agree with some of them quite a bit, a little bit. I agree with certain points of them a lot and others not at all.
I would be delighted to be in dialogue with you about any of them.
I hope this was helpful. . . Make it a great day! ✌🏿
In this episode of the ‘Reconstructing Inclusion’ podcast, we explore the current state of DEI, both within the United States and its global impact. While the U.S. has long been a significant influencer in DEI practices, recent developments have sparked debates about the direction and impact of these efforts. Some argue that the U.S. has been influential to a fault, while others believe there is room for more positive change.