Uncoddling DEI: Hard Conversations About the Future of Inclusion
Uncoddling DEI: Hard Conversations About the Future of Inclusion
What are your thoughts on the current state and future of DEI work? How do you navigate these challenges in your own organizations or communities?
I recently co-hosted a viewing and discussion of the documentary "The Coddling of the American Mind" at the home of Jared Karol (much appreciated, Jared!) with a group of fellow DEI practitioners and supporters (in person) from the San Francisco Bay area.
The film, directed by Ted Balaker based on the book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, the Coddling of the American Mind, explores issues around free speech, mental health, and social justice movements on college campuses. Our subsequent conversation revealed some important insights about the state of DEI work today and prompted deep reflection on where we've been and are headed.
The Power of Diverse Perspectives
One of our discussion's most striking but unsurprising aspects was the range of viewpoints expressed. This diversity of opinion among DEI practitioners highlights the complexity of these issues and the importance of fostering open dialogue.
Several participants strongly criticized the film's framing and lack of representation, particularly of Black American voices. One attendee pointed out, "I find it very telling that that was their way of explaining these things, talking about the coddling of the American mind. They bring in a mindset that does not [fully] understand America yet." They underscored the importance of centering lived experiences in discussions about diversity and inclusion.
Others found value in the film's examination of unintended consequences from [seemingly] well-intentioned efforts. As one participant noted, "I think what they're trying to say, which I kind of agree with, is yes to all that (i.e., there are places the DEI field needs to shift and evolve), and what do we do if we want to change?" This perspective highlights the need to critically examine our approaches and their impacts, even when it's uncomfortable.
The generational divide was also apparent, with younger practitioners and people like my niece Jazmine, who lived with me for four years while in high school, bringing fresh perspectives on how social media and technology have shaped their experiences of identity and inclusion.
One participant, a practitioner in their mid-20s, shared, "I'm exactly the age of these kids. So I also started middle school the year Instagram came out. I also started college in fall 2016." This firsthand insight into the Gen Z/iGen experience added valuable context to our discussion of campus culture and mental health.
Jazmine shared her perspective, which aligned with that of the local practitioner. “I think they were trying to show how America [culturally and relationally] affects people [especially when they are young]. So, the woman didn’t have the same experience in Kenya, and the man from Nigeria said, “Everyone is Black”. They didn’t experience the same stuff in their country and never had the thinking they had once they came to the U.S. But being Black and the way many people were thinking about social justice issues on their campuses led them to think these things were true. And. the film is about what they experienced as negative after noticing how it affected them and others in unhelpful ways.”
From Jazmine’s perspective, the film wasn’t an attempt to negate the experiences of African-Americans and other ethnic minorities but rather to show that these young people experienced adverse consequences of coddling that their American-born peers likely experienced in ways they didn’t growing up in other countries.
The Evolution of DEI: From Diversity Management to Social Justice
Several participants with long careers reflected on how DEI work has changed over time. There was a sense that earlier diversity efforts focused more on organizational effectiveness and inclusion for all rather than calling out specific groups.
One seasoned practitioner shared, "When diversity first started with Price Cobbs and Roosevelt Thomas many doing the work today don't know that history, you gotta know history." This comment sparked a discussion about the origins of DEI as a field, with participants citing influential figures like Roosevelt Thomas and Mary-Frances Winters, Ted Childs, and Price Cobbs who shaped early approaches to diversity management in the 1980s and 1990s.
The shift towards a more explicit focus on social justice and anti-racism in recent years was a point of contention. Some felt this evolution was necessary to address deep-rooted systemic issues, while others worried it had made DEI work more divisive and less effective in creating broad organizational change.
One participant argued, "The whole idea that it's all about getting people to see themselves as victims. This work is not [about victims]. Oftentimes it's for the people who need to change their actions." This comment highlights the ongoing debate about whether DEI efforts should focus more on empowering marginalized groups, educating the behaviors of dominant groups, or creating the conditions for everyone to thrive and for the business to create extraordinary value.
The Challenges of Implementing Lasting Change
A recurring theme was the difficulty of creating sustained, meaningful change within organizations. Many shared experiences of leadership treating DEI as a box to check rather than a core business imperative.
One HR professional shared, "In my experience, the CEOs I work with don't care about DEI. And it's all performative. And I've seen that throughout my entire career." This sobering observation led to a discussion about the need to better articulate the business case for diversity and inclusion, while also acknowledging the limitations of purely profit-driven motivations for this work.
Another participant with a business background pointed out the challenge of aligning DEI goals with short-term business incentives: "We're talking about things that need to happen over three, five, 10, 20 years in order to see the true impact of systemic change that we're working with or trying to aspire to. But a lot of these executives are just like, well, what are you going to do for me over the next three months so that I can go to my shareholders?"
This tension between short-term metrics and long-term cultural change is a persistent challenge in DEI work. As practitioners, we need to find ways to demonstrate immediate impact while also staying committed to the deeper, slower work of organizational transformation.
Balancing Individual Healing and Systemic Change
An insightful point raised was the tension between addressing personal trauma/healing and driving broader systemic changes. While both are important, DEI efforts sometimes struggle to effectively balance these different needs and timelines.
One participant shared a powerful personal reflection: "I coddled a white mind in my marriage. And when Trump was elected, I could no longer be in that coddling." This comment sparked a discussion about the emotional labor involved in DEI work, both professionally and personally, and the importance of practitioners doing their own healing work.
Personally, it occurs to me that many people who were involved in anti-racism efforts hadn’t done their own processing of things that happened as racist and were harmful to them in the past. They tend to want justice for others as a proxy for themselves.
The problem is that they often fail to separate organization needs from their personal preferences. And, they find themselves as a solution, looking for a problem. When you set out intentionally looking for signs of racism–the likelihood that you will find it is high.
Another attendee emphasized the need for DEI efforts to center the most marginalized: "If it fails to center the people, I don't care who you are. I don't care about the color of your skin. If you're not centering the people you're fighting for, it's [unhelpful]." I agree, to an extent. And, when many say “most marginalized,” the tendency is to reduce it to the historical group identities (e.g., Black people who are descendants of slavery).
Resistance to DEI
The Role of History and Context in DEI Work
Several participants emphasized the importance of understanding the historical context behind DEI work. There was concern that many current practitioners suffer from a lack of awareness about the field's origins and evolution, leading to reinvention of the wheel or misguided approaches.
One attendee shared, "I don't feel like it's actually documented in a way... at least it's being shared intergenerationally." This observation highlights the need for better knowledge sharing and mentorship within the DEI field, to ensure that newer practitioners understand the historical foundations of this work.
Another participant pointed out the importance of understanding the specific American context of racial dynamics: "A Nigerian or a Ghanaian that's come to the country does not have the same DNA that I have inside of me that feels oppression on a day-to-day basis."
This comment underscores two things: 1) that the speaker knows very little about how DNA works, even epigenetically, and the distinction between socialization and what they framed as genetic inevitability due to being a descendant of slavery; 2) the complexity of identity and experience, even within broad racial categories, and the need for nuanced approaches to inclusion.
The Impact of Social Media and Technology on DEI Discourse
The role of social media and technology in shaping conversations around diversity and inclusion was a significant point of discussion, as it was discussed extensively in Haidt and Lukianoff’s book. Participants reflected on how these platforms have amplified certain voices and perspectives, sometimes at the expense of nuance and complexity.
One attendee noted, "I think our industry like had a... I don't know. I feel like we became an industry then and I'm not sure we actually are an industry. There's no way to just enter into an industry [like many did after Floyd without any qualifications beyond their lived experiences and passion]." This comment speaks to the rapid proliferation of DEI initiatives and consultancies in recent years, particularly in response to high-profile incidents of racial injustice.
Our discussion revealed the double-edged nature of social media. While these platforms have provided unprecedented opportunities for so-called] marginalized voices to be heard and for rapid mobilization around social justice issues, they have also contributed to what some see as an oversimplification of complex topics and a tendency towards performative allyship.
Rethinking Training and Education Approaches
The effectiveness of current DEI training methods was a hot topic of debate. Many participants expressed frustration with the limitations of one-off workshops or unconscious bias training that fails to create lasting change.
One attendee referenced a Harvard Business Review article, stating, "It has informed the work, the DEI work I've done and the approach that I've taken like the past two going on three years now. And the point was not that those trainings shouldn't exist. It was that they don't work in a vacuum, that training is not systemic change."
This comment sparked a discussion about more holistic approaches to DEI education that integrate ongoing learning opportunities, accountability measures, and organizational structural changes. There was general agreement that while training can be a valuable component of DEI efforts, it must be part of a broader, more comprehensive strategy to be truly effective.
The Intersection of Mental Health and Inclusion
The documentary's focus on mental health issues among college students led to a rich discussion about the relationship between individual well-being and inclusive environments. Some participants challenged the film's framing of this issue, arguing that it overlooked broader systemic factors contributing to mental health challenges.
One attendee pointed out, "I thought his framing of the Gen Z mental health crisis being due to social justice movements on college campuses is really interesting. While they (the filmmakers acknowledge how technology has shaped this, not just cell phones. I think that there's a lot of different factors that this movie kind of slightly touched on, but [cut short]."
This comment highlights what some participants felt was a need for a more nuanced understanding of the multiple factors influencing mental health and well-being, particularly for young people and marginalized communities.
For me, it is clear that film directors and producers can only include so much in a film. The content very accurately reflects what is in the book. If more nuance is desired, just like when watching any other film based on a book, one must read the book.
Moving Forward: Reimagining DEI for the Future
As our discussion wound down, we turned our attention to the future of DEI work. Despite the challenges and critiques raised, there was a shared commitment to continuing this important work and finding more effective ways to create lasting change.
Several key themes emerged as we considered the path forward:
Grounding in History While Evolving: There was a clear call for DEI practitioners to better understand and honor the history of this work while also adapting approaches for contemporary challenges. This might involve creating more robust professional development pathways that include deeper learning alongside skills training.
Focusing on Measurable Impact: Empirically measuring culture change is not an easy lift. Many participants emphasized the need to move beyond feel-good initiatives to drive real, measurable change within organizations. This could involve developing more sophisticated metrics for assessing inclusion and equity, as well as tying DEI goals with the mission and desired culture.
Balancing Individual and Systemic Approaches: Finding ways to address both personal experiences of marginalization and broader structural inequities remains a key challenge. Part of the individual need revolves around a key element of the book and the film: Antifragility. Addressing unfair treatment doesn’t have to rely on people embodying victimhood. Approaches that combine individual support and education with structural and process changes are essential.
Embracing Complexity and Nuance: There was a shared recognition that DEI issues in organizations are often more contextually dependent than public discourse allows. As practitioners, we need to find ways to honor this complexity while still building the work on clear principles and actions that create the conditions for everyone to thrive and for organizational generativity (i.e., impact beyond profit alone).
Prioritizing Practitioner Well-being: The emotional toll of DEI work was a recurring theme. Moving forward, we need to create better support systems for practitioners themselves, recognizing that this work can be personally challenging and that our own healing and growth is integral to our effectiveness. This is not the role of our clients. It is for us as a community of practitioners to find some semblance of solidarity (similar to what we seek to create inside of firms) to address wellness needs together, while avoiding the traps of coddling.
Leveraging Technology Thoughtfully: While social media and digital platforms present challenges, they also offer powerful tools for connection, education, and mobilization. Finding ways to harness these technologies while mitigating their potential downsides will be crucial.
Building Stronger Coalitions: There was recognition that DEI work cannot happen in isolation. Building stronger partnerships across sectors, disciplines, and identity groups will be essential for creating broader societal change.
The Ongoing Journey of Inclusion
Our discussion of "The Coddling of the American Mind" and its implications for DEI work was both challenging and energizing. It reinforced for me that advanced visibility is grounds for scrutiny and that we still have much work to do in refining our approaches and deepening our impact.
What's clear is that the conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion is more crucial than ever. As our societies become increasingly diverse and entangled, the ability to create truly inclusive environments where all people can thrive goes beyond moral imperative. It’s a practical necessity for our collective flourishing.
As DEI practitioners, we must be willing to engage in difficult dialogues about the efficacy and unintended impacts of our work. We must remain open to critique, committed to continuous learning, and grounded in the ultimate goal of creating a more just and equitable world.
I'm deeply grateful to all who participated in this thought-provoking dialogue. It's through these kinds of honest, nuanced conversations that we can hope to evolve our practices and create the lasting, positive change we seek.
And, a lot of the sentiments in our dialogue about the film, I hear from DEI supporters and practitioners on social media. It is full of logical fallacies and ultimately unhelpful to the evolution of DEI as a field.
As we move forward, I invite all of us – DEI practitioners, organizational leaders, and individuals committed to social justice – to continue reflecting on these issues. How can we balance urgency and patience in this work? How do we honor the pain of marginalized experiences while building coalitions across difference? How can we create change within existing systems while also imagining radically new possibilities?
These are not easy questions, but they are essential ones. It's in wrestling with these complexities, in remaining both critical and hopeful, that we can continue to push the field of DEI forward and work towards a world of true belonging for all.
What are your thoughts on the current state and future of DEI work? How do you navigate these challenges in your own organizations or communities? I welcome your perspectives and experiences in the comments below. Let's continue this important conversation and support each other in this ongoing journey towards greater inclusion and equity.
I encourage you to read the book The Coddling of the American Mind and watch this excellent film which can only be found on Substack.
I hope this was helpful. . . Make it a great day! ✌🏿
In this episode of the ‘Reconstructing Inclusion’ podcast, I chat with Dr. Darryl Stickel, a leading expert on trust. Dr. Stickel discusses how modern relationships have become shallow due to social media, emphasizing the importance of building deeper connections. He explores trust in organizational contexts, highlighting the role of vulnerability in leadership and team dynamics.