As I reflected in a recent episode, I've been thinking deeply about how we put ourselves and others into boxes—especially in the context of identity and inclusion.
This is an excellent post. I am a white male who has seen first hand the benefits of diversity within organizations that were historically dominated by white males. Diversity delivers on so many levels, especially when it is combined with a culture that includes everyone and promotes open discussion. DEI training? Not so much. I acknowledge that there is widespread racism and that there are huge advantages in being white. But my experiences with DEI training was that those acknowledgements were not enough: I also had to confess that anything I have ever accomplished was because of white supremacy and white privilege. The current MAGA obsession with DEI is ridiculous, but we need to create a new way forward that is more about recognizing the humanity in other people and less about checking boxes.
Thanks Ishmael. Some things work and some have less than desirable tradeoffs.
The DEI space has had negative tradeoffs, and these adverse events have come to define the field for many.
It’s good to hear you share a balance of what works and hasn’t. Training in any capacity as a one-off doesn’t create meaningful change. DEI folks because they’ve often only had training on specific subjects or identities as their one tool, they go all in like all is a nail to their hammer.
Now, the “I” has to be the focus of companies want to avoid.silliness. It’s evergreen, it works, and people can constantly get better at what it means and more importantly what it does when done moderately well by many in a superset of everyone.
This is an excellent post. I am a white male who has seen first hand the benefits of diversity within organizations that were historically dominated by white males. Diversity delivers on so many levels, especially when it is combined with a culture that includes everyone and promotes open discussion. DEI training? Not so much. I acknowledge that there is widespread racism and that there are huge advantages in being white. But my experiences with DEI training was that those acknowledgements were not enough: I also had to confess that anything I have ever accomplished was because of white supremacy and white privilege. The current MAGA obsession with DEI is ridiculous, but we need to create a new way forward that is more about recognizing the humanity in other people and less about checking boxes.
Thanks Ishmael. Some things work and some have less than desirable tradeoffs.
The DEI space has had negative tradeoffs, and these adverse events have come to define the field for many.
It’s good to hear you share a balance of what works and hasn’t. Training in any capacity as a one-off doesn’t create meaningful change. DEI folks because they’ve often only had training on specific subjects or identities as their one tool, they go all in like all is a nail to their hammer.
Now, the “I” has to be the focus of companies want to avoid.silliness. It’s evergreen, it works, and people can constantly get better at what it means and more importantly what it does when done moderately well by many in a superset of everyone.