Scott Ferry, Author at The Inclusion Solution

Beyond the Rhetoric—Centering Justice and Anti-Racism in our DEI Strategy: Engaging Leaders to Become Effective Allies

Posted by Scott Ferry | Jul 9, 2020 | Beyond the Rhetoric—Centering Justice & Anti-Racism in our DEI Strategy, Features, Recent Posts | 0

As organizations adapt to and change with the current political climate, with many scrambling to meet the needs of their Black employees and change their cultures to be anti-racist, the role of organizational leaders will be critical in making the long-term systemic changes needed to ensure racial equity and justice. DEI practitioners need to both engage with leaders around what it means to be an ally and push them to model equity- and justice-centered allyship—for that’s how the necessary systemic changes will most effectively and efficiently take hold in our capitalist enterprises.

Decolonizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work: … Means Naming White Supremacy Culture [In Ourselves] Part V

Posted by Scott Ferry | May 28, 2020 | Decolonizing DEI Work, Features, Recent Posts | 0

We’ve spent the last two months exploring how to decolonize DEI and, by extension, ourselves. But what if you’re the colonizer? I am exactly who is meant to benefit from the system. And I do, constantly. White people—historically men—make the rules… and we don’t even bother following them. Because that’s not the point of white supremacy. The point is to remind everyone who’s on top. We can’t decolonize ourselves, because we aren’t colonized. But we can fight alongside the patriots.

Decolonizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work: Centering Equity Through Equity-Centered Design

Posted by Scott Ferry | Apr 16, 2020 | Decolonizing DEI Work, Features, Recent Posts | 0

Beyond the why of this work, practitioners also need to rethink the how. DEI work almost always starts in the C-Suite, by far the least diverse area of organizations, with women and people of color holding only 28% of those positions. That means the people who have most benefitted from privilege and inequity are the ones tasked with spearheading the effort to break down those very systems. A top-down DEI plan for an organization makes a critical assumption that should make the conscientious practitioner uncomfortable: that those with decision-making power know what is best for marginalized employees.

A Point of View: Confronting White Fragility and Male Fragility with Empathy

Posted by Scott Ferry | Mar 26, 2020 | Point of View, Recent Posts | 0

When a person’s feelings and views are valued simply by virtue of being white, it’s incumbent upon them to step out of the center and create space for others—in other words, to lead with empathy. Empathetic uncentering means doing some deep reflection, and asking ourselves questions such as: What may this person be feeling? What is the fundamental truth underlying it? Why do I want to respond, and will my response add anything useful to the conversation?

Author: Scott Ferry

Beyond the Rhetoric—Centering Justice and Anti-Racism in our DEI Strategy: Engaging Leaders to Become Effective Allies

Decolonizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work: … Means Naming White Supremacy Culture [In Ourselves] Part V

Decolonizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work: Centering Equity Through Equity-Centered Design

A Point of View: Confronting White Fragility and Male Fragility with Empathy

Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change

Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy and Belonging Across Differences

We Can’t Talk About That At Work! (Second Edition)

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