Navigating the Backlash: Keeping Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Alive

April 2024

By Kim Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting

www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

As a child, I often heard the saying, “One step forward, two steps back.” It encapsulated the ebb and flow of progress—a seesaw effect that resonates even today in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives. Let’s delve into this complex landscape.

 

The Surge of Interest

In my March 2023 blog post, I highlighted the surge of interest in DEI. Suddenly, organizations were eager to engage in conversations about diversity, dismantle biases, and create more inclusive workplaces. As someone who founded a DEI business back in 2014, I witnessed firsthand the transformation. But then came 2020—a year of dual crises: the global pandemic and a racial awakening in the United States.

 

The Swift Backlash

The newfound interest in DEI in 2020 was swiftly met with resistance. Some Americans recoiled from shining a spotlight on societal inequities rooted in systemic racism. These inequities manifested across various domains: income, homeownership, education, access to healthcare, and even within the criminal justice system. Black and Brown communities faced disproportionate challenges, and the data from studies at institutions like the U.C. Berkeley Othering & Belonging Institute underscored these disparities in their reporting here.

 

The Battle for Acknowledgment

As the backlash intensified, federal and state legislatures entered the fray. Their aim? To ban DEI programs and training—precisely the kind of work undertaken by organizations like Distinctive Voice Consulting. But why this pushback? The answer lies in the heart of DEI’s mission: to educate people to correct inequities within institutions and society. We cannot address societal disparities without first acknowledging their existence.

 

The Executive Order and Critical Race Theory

At the federal level, the former Trump Administration issued an “Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping” in 2020. This directive curtailed and defunded training on diversity, equity, and inclusivity within federal agencies. Even critical race theory—an analytical framework that examines systemic racism—became a contentious topic. The order aimed to silence these conversations, but it also ignited debates about the very essence of DEI. Fortunately, the current Biden Administration rescinded the Order.

 

Currently, individual states are jumping into the fray by introducing anti-DEI bills. To date, Republican law makers have introduced or passed more than 100 bills to regulate DEI initiatives. Here is a map showing the states that have enacted, passed and introduced anti-DEI bills here. Not only are some states banning DEI education, some college universities are following suit. Most recently, in March of 2024, the University of Florida announced the elimination of its chief diversity office position and eliminated all associated jobs because of a law passed by Governor Ron DeSantis. And more college campuses are following suit.

 

 

Moving Forward

At Distinctive Voice Consulting, I continue to champion these conversations with workshops and discussions about systemic inequality. I do so in a non-shaming, educational, and gracious way that encourages everyone to be advocates for equity and inclusivity. My latest workshop, “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Unpacking Systems and Fostering Understanding,” is a great introductory workshop for anyone who wishes to initiate or continue their equity, diversity, and inclusivity learning journey. More information on this workshop can be found on the DVC website here: https://www.distinctivevoiceconsulting.com/workshops

 

Remember, DEI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a catalyst for meaningful change. Let’s continue the dialogue, even when faced with headwinds. To learn more about Distinctive Voice Consulting’s training and consulting visit: www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

 

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Changing Etiquette in the Workplace

 

March 2024

By Kim Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting

www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

  

Los Angeles based band The Byrds had a famous song called, “Turn, Turn, Turn,” which told the story of the changes in life. This song comes to mind as I think of the fluctuations of life in the work place, post Covid, and recent reports on how GenZ is blending into the fold of the workforce. For the first time in modern history, there are five generations in the workforce: The Traditionalists, also known as the Veterans, the Silent Generation and the Greatest Generation were born between 1922 and 1945, Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, and Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012.

 

With these five generations comes a clash of culture in dress, communication, and manners. Generations of the past leaned towards formality like dressing up to have dinner at home, with younger folks addressing their elders as Mister and Mrs. or Sir or Ma’am, and using full words in oral and written communications such as grocery store instead of “grosh” for short, or merchandise instead of “merch.” We are most definitely less formal today than our grandparents. Add to the multiple generations in the workplace, the coming of age of Gen Z in college and as new hires in the workplace. With this age diversity one can see the challenges that exist in the adjustments that need to be made. We have all seen the commercials of people attending meetings where they are business on the top, and party on the bottom, i.e. a dressy shirt and pajama pants or fuzzy slippers. But we need to remember that there does need to be a boundary between work life and personal life and this is the conversation that needs to be had.

 

To address these adjustments, Distinctive Voice Consulting has created a new workshop titled, “Changing Etiquette in the Workplace: How to be Professional in Modern Times.” This workshop is for young adults and anyone who believes they can use help navigating professionalism in today’s society.

 

In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify the difference between professional and unprofessional written and verbal communication, as well as discussions on professional attire for the workplace. DVC uses video, interactive quizzes, and discussion to unpack topics in a safe, authentic and judgment free environment. The workshop will be held via Zoom and will last between 1 ½ to 2 hours. If you are interested in getting on the waist list for this workshop, email DistinctiveVoiceConsulting@gmail.com

 

To learn more about Distinctive Voice Consulting’s training and consulting visit: www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

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Is America Racist?

 

February 2024

By Kim Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting

www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

Happy Black History month! As an American Black woman, I sit here and ponder my heritage and how far African-Americans have come since the forced immigration of my ancestors to the United States in 1619. And in the presidential election year, I cringe at the responses of two Republican primary candidates when they are asked whether or not America is a racist country. I watch candidate Nikki Haley get a “deer in the headlights look” when asked about racism in the United States, and I watch former candidate Ron DeSantis’ face turn red when he is asked the same question. Then my own questions come to mind, why are they being asked this question in 2024? Isn’t the answer obvious? What is obvious is that Americans have a difficult time talking about race. Why is that?

 

I think the long and the short of it is America’s love affair with the concept of meritocracy: a system of rewards being given to those who work hard. And for the most part, this is a true fact about this great country. Most people have the opportunity to excel in this country with hard work. But what of those who don’t excel with hard work? How do we explain the fact that some hard-working folks don’t get ahead? Is it bad luck? Poor decision making? Or is there something else at play here?

 

When we talk about racism, we need to differentiate between individual racism, the belief of superiority of one race over others acted on between racial groups and individuals, and systemic racism, a structure of laws, policies and practices across society that benefit the dominant culture over other races. So, the question, is America racist, needs to be framed in a way where we look at laws, policies, and practices in this country instead of individual racism. We need to evaluate this question from a systemic frame. This is where we Americans get stuck. This is where some American politicians get derailed. I believe they are answering the question of America being racist based on the definition of individual racism, not systemic racism.

 

And there is much data to back up on-going systemic racism in America. For evidence, I offer the U.C. Berkeley Othering & Belonging Institute’s Racial Disparities Dashboard which aims to provide empirical data on racial disparity outcomes in the United States in 15 areas from 1970 to 2020 from an African-American and European American dichotomy. This data allows us to see where we as Americans are making progress and where more work needs to be done in the areas of: bachelor’s degree attainment, high school graduation attainment, health insurance coverage, childhood poverty rates, home ownership rates, incarceration rates, infant mortality rates, life expectancy, maternal mortality rates, median home value, median household income, median racial wealth gap, poverty rates, unemployment rates and voting rates. You can access this report here.

 

Among the 15 benchmark areas of success measured comparing African Americans to White Americans within the 50-year time frame, there has been improvement in seven areas (high school graduation rates, childhood poverty, access to health insurance, infant mortality rate, life expectancy, poverty rates and voting rates). The area of highest improvement in closing the disparity gap is the African-American high school graduation rate (7.1% difference between Black and White Americans in 1970 versus 1.9% in 2020).

 

Sadly, eight of the areas measured continued to show disparity rates between African Americans and White Americans (bachelor degree attainment, home ownership, incarceration rates, maternal mortality rates, median home value, median household income, median racial wealth gap, and the unemployment rate). The greatest disparity of the eight areas measured was the median racial wealth gap between White Americans and Black Americans with a 29% disparity increase. There is no area measured where African Americans have a higher disparity rate over their White American counterparts in this report.

 

The markers from this report are the benchmarks of American success and wellness, and while there are improvements, we need to aim for parity across these benchmarks. There are many resources to unpack these disparities, how they came into existence and why they persist. If you choose to do more reading I would check out: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, and The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein.

 

So, the next time you hear the question, “Is America a racist country?” it is my hope that the sting of shame and denial do not override your brain and put you in a state of denial of the facts. In my view, healing and unity can only be achieved with acceptance of the truth and creating truly equitable laws, policies and practices that benefit everyone. Until we can all agree on the truth based on evidence, I predict that our country will continue to wrestle with the question of racism, arresting our ability to come together as one. Only through honest conversations, and true reconciliation can America move forward in a positive direction and heal the wounds caused by systemic racism.

 

To learn more about Distinctive Voice Consulting’s equity and inclusion training and consulting, or to discuss having honest conversations at your organization visit: www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

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