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!
