White Men: we need to step up and speak up – Now.

There are people who are promoting the idea that Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion efforts (DEI) are all about hiring women and people of color who are not qualified for their roles.  This is inaccurate and is creating discord in our society.

DEI is about fairness.  And it is about making sure everyone feels welcome.

However, if women and people of color speak out about this inaccurate portrayal of DEI, people can brush it off as self-serving.  That is why we – White Guys – need to step in and set the record straight.

For example, maybe you will hear people in your organization making comments like “We need to get rid of DEI here and eliminate all these ‘diversity hires.’” One thing you could do would be to pull one or two people aside who were part of the conversation and say “Hey Guys.  We all know that we have many high performing women and people of color who work here.  This ‘DEI bashing’ is all wrong.  All DEI is about is fairness and creating a welcoming place to work.  Don’t we all believe in that?”

You might be in an organization that – for some reason – feels it needs to stop using the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”  Okay.  Just don’t let your people forget the principles behind the words.

DEI is about fairness.  And it is about making sure everyone feels welcome.  If we need to change our terminology, fine.  But let us make sure that our policies, our new language, and our behaviors follow these principles.

Issues of Racial Justice touch on a variety of important organizational functions, such as hiring, promotions, and building effective teams.  It is crucial that the principles of fairness and creating a welcoming environment are embedded in these activities.

A few years ago I wrote a blog: Wanted: Allies & Accomplices.  It made the point that DEI efforts need support.  Allies provide “quiet support” and Accomplices provide “vocal advocacy.”  But that was three years ago.  “Quiet support” was fine then.  But not now!  We especially need White Men to step up and advocate for what is right – for fairness and justice.

If you are on board, then please forward this message to other White Guys who you think may be supportive!

A few years back I was driving home one evening after teaching a graduate class at the University of Maryland.  It was a November evening at about 10:15 p.m. and I was less than a mile from home when a police car appeared in my rearview mirror with its lights flashing.

ME:  I was confident I had done nothing wrong.  I thought “Hmmm, maybe my taillight is out.”

OFFICER: “Good evening sir, may I please have your license and registration.”

ME: As he goes back to his car, I start thinking of important things like whether the Steelers will make it to the Super Bowl this year.

OFFICER: “Do you know why I stopped you, sir?”

ME: “No sir.”

OFFICER: “I saw you driving north on Colesville Road and when you approached University Avenue you did a U turn to go south on Colesville – which is illegal.  Isn’t that what you did, sir?”

ME: “Uh, no.  I was driving west on University Avenue.  I turned left/south on Colesville and a little bit after that you pulled me over.”

OFFICER: “Oh.”  Pause.  “Sorry sir, have a nice evening.”

ME: “You too.” And I think to myself that this young man must be seriously sleep deprived to have hallucinated my U turn.

I encourage you to share this story with some of your Black friends and ask them how they think the whole scenario would have played out if they were the person driving the car – not me.  I have done that and here are some examples of what they have told me.

Police car appears in rearview mirror with flashing lights.

BLACK FRIEND:  Even if I was confident I had done nothing wrong, I would have thought “Here we go again.”  I would have gotten very nervous and tried to remain calm.

OFFICER: “Good evening sir, may I please have your license and registration.”

BLACK FRIEND: As he goes back to his car, I immediately call my wife and tell her what’s happening.  I’m close to home and she wonders if she should drive over.  I tell her no, but to get ready.  I put her on speaker.  I try to remain calm.

OFFICER: “Do you know why I stopped you, sir?”

Same exchange between the Officer and my Black friend, where he explains he did not do a U turn.  But here is where it becomes especially interesting.

The experience was already day and night different for me and my Black friend due to the anxiety and stress they would feel, while I didn’t really think much of it.  Many Black friends don’t think that the police officer would have believed them.  I’m a white guy with grey in my beard, driving a boring Volvo.  Many Black friends tell me stories about being followed by police cars for no apparent reason – worrying they will get pulled over for fake charges.

One Black friend told me, “You have to understand that even if he did let me go, I would have wondered if he was just trying to hassle me.  You thought he was sleep deprived and I would have thought he was just trying to give a Black man a hard time.  This would have bothered me for days whereas you just brushed it off.”

We usually don’t think of things like this when we think of White Privilege.  But it definitely is one: the privilege of not worrying about being discriminated against – sometimes with tragic results.

One misunderstanding is that Diversity efforts are intended to hire women and people of color into jobs regardless of their qualifications.  This is incorrect. While fears of “reverse discrimination” are somewhat understandable, this is not the purpose of these efforts.

In fact, one of the main purposes of Diversity programs is to institute fair hiring and promoting.  This includes communicating job openings broadly to many audiences, using objective selection processes, and basing pay and promotions on measurable criteria.  These best practices are designed to reduce bias in hiring.  When hiring practices are fairer, this organically results in a more diverse workforce for organizations.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal: “Merit, Excellence and Intelligence: An Anti-DEI Approach Catches On,” (July 24, 2024) is an example of the misunderstanding of how DEI programs actually work.  This MEI approach has gained some traction with the support of Elon Musk, among others.  One person interviewed for the article, business owner Matt Cole, talked about how he has used MEI to institute best practice hiring processes in his company.  The result has been a more diverse leadership team for his firm.  He says:

“I really don’t believe that diversity on the basis of skin color or gender is a goal,” he says, “It’s a likely – but not guaranteed – byproduct of a meritocratic process.”

So, as we see in this case, a well-executed Merit approach produced Diversity.

The MEI approach is not “Anti-DEI.” It demonstrates a misunderstanding of DEI and probably some pushback based on the politization of DEI.  Merit is very much a part of DEI.

The only thing I would say to Mr. Cole is that he – and others who want to use an MEI approach – need to keep in mind, is that if your “meritocratic process” does not produce a diverse workforce then you probably need to look more deeply at how “meritocratic” it really is.

For example . . .

. . . if you are geographically located in an area with a diverse population and you are not getting a diverse applicant pool, then maybe you need to review how you are communicating job openings.

. . . if you are getting a diverse applicant pool, but the people moving past the initial screening are not diverse, perhaps you need to review your criteria.

. . . if you are interviewing a diverse group of applicants, but only hiring white men, you may need to review your interview protocols  (assuming you have them).

Another important issue that the “new” MEI approach seems to leave out is the importance of being Inclusive.  Successfully hiring a diverse group of meritorious employees is a good start, but organizations need to make sure that everyone feels included and they feel they belong there.  Otherwise, people will not work together effectively – and those who feel excluded will leave.

We need to put labels and politics aside.  People want and need to be treated fairly.  They need to be cared about.  Regardless of what we call it, if we do this, we will be doing the right thing and it will make our organizations more successful.

Maybe you too?

A few years ago, the Governor of Virginia got in trouble for having appeared in a college activity that included people in blackface.  I commented to some African American friends that I did not understand the problem.  They kindly suggested that I do some research.  Wow.  You can read more here, but blackface was used by actors in shows starting in the 1800s to demean Black people.

I had no idea about this and no idea about many things I have learned in recent years about others with different backgrounds than me.  I still have a lot more to learn.

If we don’t know our US history – especially the parts about people different than we are – then any of us can inadvertently do or say something racist.

For example, you know that slavery was abolished in 1863.  But did you know that there were lots of laws in the South created after 1863 that were designed to discriminate against African Americans; treating them nearly the same as slaves.  You can read more about some of these laws here.

These laws include terrible things like redlining – which systematically denied housing loans to people of color except in areas that were deemed undesirable.  This law was not repealed until 1968!

And up until 1963 in Birmingham, AL, it was illegal for white and Black people to participate in the same sports together – including checkers!  These segregationist views still influence many people today.

I’m guessing that most readers of this blog don’t want to inadvertently do or say something insensitive.  If that’s you, then I encourage you to take some time to learn more about people with whom you do not share the same cultural heritage.

In addition to the links above, here are some other places to start.  You can do online searches to learn even more.

Immigration is not a new issue for our country.  Mob violence, lynchings, segregation, and deportation of Mexican-Americans who were legal citizens dates back to the 1800s.  You can read more here.

Discrimination against Asian Americans goes back to the 1800s as well.  Even though Chinese immigrants were valued for helping to build railroads in the 1860s, there was a backlash – resulting in the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.  Chinese immigrants were denied the right to be naturalized citizens until the 1940s.  Then, of course, there was the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.  You can read more here.

We know that land was stolen from Native Americans and they were placed on reservations.  But most people do not know that government agencies across many states systematically, forcibly abducted tens of thousands of Native children from their parents and put them in boarding schools.  The goal was to “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.”  More details are here.

Obviously, we did not learn about most of these things in our formal schooling.  Let’s do our homework.  I still have a lot more to learn, myself.  Since we care about others, let’s get educated so we treat people with the care and respect we intend for them.

We cannot let this happen.

Diversity: we live in a diverse country and our organizations need to reflect that – it is a good thing and the right thing to do. Do your staff recruitment efforts purposely reach out to diverse communities? Are your hiring practices fair and objective?

Equity: people who are doing the same job and performing at the same level deserve the same compensation. Promotions should be based on objective criteria that is widely explained and applied.

Inclusion: everyone needs to feel that they matter, that they have a voice, and that they belong. Everyone needs to feel that their contributions matter.

These are non-negotiable priorities. Stand firm in your efforts!

It will continue to take lots of effort for us to reach Dr. King’s vision of Beloved Community. But I believe in that promised land.

We shall live in peace one day.

Research reported recently in Harvard Business Review shows that inclusive organizations are 73% more likely to reap innovation revenue and 70% more likely to capture new markets – among other advantages.

Becoming a more inclusive leader is a key competency in today’s economy.  Here are some ideas from that same HBR article on what you can do to be more inclusive:

*Strive for Authenticity Rather than Presence.  Rather than trying to be “seen as a leader,” focus on sincerely caring for people and creating space where people feel safe.  Role model this with humility.

*Redefine the Rules, Rather than Unquestionably Following Them.  Be ready to question “it’s the way we do things here” mentality that may exist in your organization.  Maybe the culture needs to change in order for people to feel more included.  Be prepared to step up and lead change.

*Embrace Active Learning and Consistent Implementation.  Bring a commitment to your own continuous learning about others who are different than you are to your daily work.  Make sure others know that you are constantly evolving to understand others and make the workplace more inclusive.  You are a work in progress.

*Ensure Equal Opportunity and Equitable Outcomes.  There is often bias embedded in various organization systems, procedures, and especially culture – which blocks true equal opportunity.  Be on the lookout for these.  Encourage others to identify ways in which processes can be more fair.

*View Inclusive Leadership As Everyone’s Job.  Organization-wide inclusivity is not HR’s job – everyone must play a role.  Diversity, equity, and inclusion needs to be a part of the organization’s values.  Leaders must role model this and hold others accountable.

For additional ideas on being the most effective inclusive leader you can be, check out this blog.  We never really “arrive” as an inclusive leader, but these ideas can help us all to move further along in the journey.

Inclusion can bring your organization many advantages.  More importantly, it is the right thing to do.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Zheng, W., Kim, J., Kark, R., & Mascolo, L.  “What Makes An Inclusive Leader?” Harvard Business Review online, September 27, 2023.

A recent article in Harvard Business Review provides a great list of steps to consider.  Depending on the size and type of organization you are a part of these may or may not specifically relate to your situation.  But it is a great list to get you started:

1.  Actively Listen and Learn.  Get out of your office and talk with people to learn what is on their minds regarding DEI.  Depending on the size of your organization, this could involve interviews, focus groups, town halls, and/or surveys.  Make sure people feel you are really listening.

2.  Enlist and Align Senior Leaders.  Your top team needs to be on board – for real.  Set very specific expectations for behaviors and actionable plans.  Hold people accountable.  DEI must become an important part of your organization fabric.

3.  Audit the Culture.  Implement a formal process to discern how your organization is perceived by key stakeholders.  You can utilize a third party or do this yourself.  Interviews and surveys can be helpful.

4.  Document What You are Doing Now.  Along with the audit, this will give you a baseline for your future work.

5.  Establish Benchmarks.  Based on your vision for the future and the findings of your audit and documentation work, establish specific, measurable benchmarks for the future.

6.  Build Action Learning Teams.  Assign a team to each of the benchmarks.  The role of these teams is to learn best practices regarding their particular assignment and then to build action plans.

7.  Develop an Action Plan.   Assign people to carry out the action plans developed by the Action Learning Teams.  Make sure that there is a chain of accountability for these that reaches the CEO.  The CEO needs to hold people accountable for carrying out the plans and producing results.

Improvements in any area of an organization’s operations requires more than good intentions.  Follow these steps to get organization-wide implementation of activities that will make a real difference in how you address important issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: White, J. D.  “How to Build an Anti-Racist Company,” Harvard Business Review, May – June 2022.

“Radical empathy, on the other hand, means putting in the work to educate oneself and to listen with a humble heart to understand another’s experience from their perspective, not as we imagine we would feel.”

Reading books is a good way to begin developing more “radical empathy,” but  – as per this article from two years ago in The Washington Post, more needs to be done:  “When black people are in pain, white people just join book clubs.”

In the church book group I mentioned in the last bog, our co-facilitator (Milli) shared a Venn Diagram with us that compared/contrasted: Allies, Accomplices, and Saviors – which is taken from this article.

Saviors make the mistake of putting themselves in the center of the conversation.

Allies provide quiet support.

Accomplices provide vocal advocacy – and are willing to pay the price for doing so.

This is a nice framework that reminds me that – when I engage issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) – this is not about me.  I want to be careful to not fall into a Savior mentality.

And I want to look for ways I can be an Ally and Accomplice.  If you feel the same way, here are some suggestions that I have been working to follow:

*Start where you are.  Investigate and learn what is happening regarding DEI in your world – your workplace, your community, your children’s school, or your place of worship.

*Reach out.  Once informed, contact people in your world who are working on DEI issues and offer your active involvement.

*Show up.  There are likely opportunities for you to attend programs and activities connected to DEI initiatives.  Just showing up is a good first step.  At one of these programs I attended, a young African-American woman said to me: “It is great that you are here.  As an older, white guy you really don’t have to get involved with this if you don’t want to.”  (“Thanks and ‘ouch,’” I thought.)

*Speak up.  Maybe you see something that needs to change or something that is clearly very wrong.  Use your voice.  This is where you start making the transition from Ally to Accomplice.  Check out this blog for some suggestions on giving Voice to your Values.

Finally, be persistent.  Keep reading and learning.  Keep reaching out, showing up, and speaking up.  The journey for Justice is a long one.  But there are many other Allies and Accomplices who will support you on the way.

My co-facilitator for the Book Group (Milli) suggested the book, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness.  It is an excellent book and I strongly recommend that you read it.  I am grateful to Milli for suggesting it and for structuring our Book Group meetings.  It was very fulfilling to be her accomplice for this project.

The book tells the life story (so far, she is still young) of the author, Austin Channing Brown, an African-American woman.  Wait – a woman named Austin?  Yes – and that is an early part of the story.

When Austin was seven, her mother told her that she and her father had named her Austin so future potential employers would think she was a white man, and she would not be discriminated against.  And the story goes on.  It is a very personal story in which she authentically shares her life experiences and feelings.

Recently I saw this quote by Isabel Wilkerson, author of the book Caste: The Origins of our Discontents:

“Radical empathy, on the other hand, means putting in the work to educate oneself and to listen with a humble heart to understand another’s experience from their perspective, not as we imagine we would feel.”

Our world needs more “radical empathy.”  Black lives matter (check this link for my blog on that topic).  And white people need to better understand our Black brothers and sisters if we are going to create real community – a world that works for everyone with no one left out.  Reading books like I’m Still Here is a good start to developing that kind of empathy.

But it is just a start.  I am reminded of an article in The Washington Post from two years ago, just after George Floyd was murdered:  “When black people are in pain, white people just join book clubs.”

We need to make sure that we are not JUST joining Book Clubs.  Tune in to next week’s blog for more on that topic.

Unconscious Bias training usually involves participants taking an Implicit Bias Association Test, such as one developed at Harvard.  The test results tell participants which groups of people they may hold unconscious biases for based on age, race, gender, and more.  The idea is to provide feedback for people so they can work to actually “behave” in ways that are not biased.  Understanding that you have an unconscious bias can help raise your awareness about this.

However, Unconscious Bias training is controversial with some people and research suggests that – if not implemented correctly – it does not work well; which should not be surprising.

A recent article in Harvard Business Review provides some solid suggestions for doing Unconscious Bias training that works.  Here are suggestions that research suggests will make this training work most effective:

1.  Stress that “You Hold the Power.”  Some people misinterpret the assessment and think “Well, this is just the way I am and I cannot change.”  We need to empower people to understand that while they may not be able to control their unconscious, they can control their actual actions.  Show people their potential avenues for growth and how they can change their behavior.

2.  Create Empathy.  Set up meetings with diverse groups of people within your organization and encourage them to share their stories.  This can help people discover commonalities with others they might typically think are very different than them.  This empathy, along with the understanding from the bias assessment, can help change actual behavior.

3.  Encourage Good Practices and Continued Learning.  Suggest to participants that they solicit feedback from people they work with on how their behavior may be changing or not.  Encourage them to also select a mentor who can meet with them regularly to discuss continued improvement.

4.  Set a Broader Strategy for Broader Impact.   Improving hiring practices is often the goal of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.  But once people are hired, we also need to make sure that they feel included in the teams they serve on.  Tracking the success of DEI training programs along these dimensions is important in order to sustain a broader impact.

One-shot training programs of any kind usually do not work.  If you want to include Unconscious Bias training in your organization, then consider these steps as you work to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Gino, F. Coffman, K.  “Unconscious Bias Training That Works,” Harvard Business Review, September – October 2021, pp. 114 – 123.