Thank you Neil for such an insightful article. It's a great example of how style can quickly overcome substance or good governance when people and organizations become more concerned with image over making substantive change.
Over the past couple days, I've spoken to two people about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and what it means to them. L says "the fundamental principles of DEI have been pulverized into particles of divisiveness. DEI is about to DIE ...just saying!" J says "I think leadership has failed here by not implementing proper DEI programs. They treat it as a check box exercise rather than a culture change"
As it happens both these people are Black women.
While I don't particularly care if a person is able to parlay their recent success into more success and opportunities, my concern is about the message. To be clear, however, $43M is an incredibly obscene amount of money and the concern about mismanagement is troubling but that is not the purpose of my comment.
We live in divisive times and all the divisiveness that was being swept under the carpet in the name of multiculturalism and "melting pot-ism" has now bubbled over. This divisivness was designed to play on people's fears. Its message changes according to the racial makeup of the group but it is about fear.
On the face of it, I do not disagree with Kendi on the intractability of racism. It is an insipid form of hate that can negatively affect people's lives. Contrarily, I also recognize that demonizing, downplaying, or devaluing the contribution of people who are not BIPOC is not the way to solve this problem. This is why I particularly like the quote you started this article with. You cannot root out hate by simply applying more hate to the equation.
I have always supported the principles of DEI - indeed they are high minded and worthy of attaining. Furthermore, I have always spoken against simple rubber-stamping or check-boxing DEI principles in the workplace. However, humans, being what we are, cannot seem to get away from "going overboard" especially when it comes to social change. So, the pendulum inevitably swung too far; and now what started out as principles worthy of attaining in our society has become a stick that is wantonly being used to bash the head in of any suggestions that maybe - just maybe - the pendulum has swung too far.
We must have more conversations like these and articles like this one help inspire them. Thank you.
Thank you Neil for such an insightful article. It's a great example of how style can quickly overcome substance or good governance when people and organizations become more concerned with image over making substantive change.
Thanks for this thought-provoking article.
Over the past couple days, I've spoken to two people about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and what it means to them. L says "the fundamental principles of DEI have been pulverized into particles of divisiveness. DEI is about to DIE ...just saying!" J says "I think leadership has failed here by not implementing proper DEI programs. They treat it as a check box exercise rather than a culture change"
As it happens both these people are Black women.
While I don't particularly care if a person is able to parlay their recent success into more success and opportunities, my concern is about the message. To be clear, however, $43M is an incredibly obscene amount of money and the concern about mismanagement is troubling but that is not the purpose of my comment.
We live in divisive times and all the divisiveness that was being swept under the carpet in the name of multiculturalism and "melting pot-ism" has now bubbled over. This divisivness was designed to play on people's fears. Its message changes according to the racial makeup of the group but it is about fear.
On the face of it, I do not disagree with Kendi on the intractability of racism. It is an insipid form of hate that can negatively affect people's lives. Contrarily, I also recognize that demonizing, downplaying, or devaluing the contribution of people who are not BIPOC is not the way to solve this problem. This is why I particularly like the quote you started this article with. You cannot root out hate by simply applying more hate to the equation.
I have always supported the principles of DEI - indeed they are high minded and worthy of attaining. Furthermore, I have always spoken against simple rubber-stamping or check-boxing DEI principles in the workplace. However, humans, being what we are, cannot seem to get away from "going overboard" especially when it comes to social change. So, the pendulum inevitably swung too far; and now what started out as principles worthy of attaining in our society has become a stick that is wantonly being used to bash the head in of any suggestions that maybe - just maybe - the pendulum has swung too far.
We must have more conversations like these and articles like this one help inspire them. Thank you.