Beyond the Rhetoric—Centering Justice and Anti-Racism in our DEI Strategy: Leveraging Adult Learning Practices

In recent weeks, DEI consultants and facilitators have been inundated with requests for educational sessions responding to the current racial and sociopolitical climate. This learning is essential and long overdue. And despite a host of claims from popular press articles in recent years, it also has the potential to be transformative for individuals and organizations alike—when it’s done right. Too often organizations hastily schedule stand-alone 90-minute sessions, ostensibly designed to “check the box” of racial justice learning that is increasingly seen as vital in this moment. Most of them will not adopt the changes that are necessary for racial justice. As Mary-Frances Winters has underscored in recent weeks: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’re going to get what you’ve always gotten.” 

Here’s the good news: An abundance of research shows that attention to several key Adult Learning Principles can go a long way in designing education experiences that have lasting impact for learners. Particularly in the midst of today’s racial justice movement, it is critical that those tasked with designing learning experiences leverage these best practices in service of racial justice understanding. 

1.) Learning is connected to learners’ sense of self.

Making connections to participants’ lives and understandings of themselves is key to ensuring they are invested in the topics. 

For BIPOC employees, offering opportunities to share personal experiences and frustrations related to experiences with racism can be an important form of validation, and an opportunity for others to listen and develop greater understanding. Incorporating content around internalized oppression, racial trauma, and the impact of these stressors helps to make the associated burdens more explicit. 

Everyone can benefit from reflection questions around their complicity in inequitable systems (with clear examples!), and their roles and spheres of influence. Distinguishing between intent and impact can also help learners to better understand situations where there may have been a misalignment for them in past interactions—even if they meant well—and can offer ideas and strategies for avoiding the same misunderstandings in the future.   

2.) Learning builds on existing knowledge.

Framing learning around participants’ experiences and knowledge is another essential way to promote “transfer”—the ability to take knowledge from previous experiences or learning and apply that knowledge in new contexts. 

Content designers can leverage this pillar of adult learning in DEI education by referencing concepts and examples that are familiar to the learners. This may include connecting the organization’s mission and goals to the topics explored, sharing insightful examples to illustrate complex ideas, or writing case studies that relate directly to learners’ work and responsibilities.  

More broadly, emphasizing that everyone has relevant experiences and can contribute to the conversation honors participants’ experiences and the value they bring to learning spaces—a key tenet of D&I work.   

3.) Learning activates participants’ internal motivation. 

Activating internal motivation among adult learners is key to maintaining their interest and investment.  

Those designing DEI learning experiences can do this in a number of ways. One is framing DEI and racial justice learning as a skill—something that will help us to be more effective in working with others and accomplishing tasks effectively. Activating “metacognition” (thinking about thinking) is another: ask participants what questions they have, and what they don’t know about race and equity. Challenging learners to reflect on these questions makes the learning personal and activates curiosity—once they have identified questions or confusion, they will be more invested in learning the answers. 

Additionally, DEI learning is somewhat unique in that it can feel very personal—ask anyone who has made a “diversity mistake” and subsequently faced backlash or feelings of guilt. To be certain, this is a tension and challenge inherent to this work, and at times can result in sensitivity or hurt feelings from those who are asked to consider constructive criticism of their behavior. However, considered in a more positive light, this can also manifest as valuable potential—emphasize that most if not all of us seek or intend to do what is right. Building a common understanding of race, racism, equity, inclusion, and justice will ultimately help us to better align our intent and impact, and to be more understanding and respectful of those with whom we interact.   

4.) Learning is directly tied to solving real-life problems 

Closely related to building on prior knowledge is connecting learning around DEI and racial justice to real-life problems and solutions.  

The “business case” for diversity—the idea that increasing the diversity and sense of belonging in organizations will produce better outcomes for the bottom line—has long been underscored in this work as a practical motivator for leaders and individual contributors alike. While this has certainly supported “buy-in” on many a DEI initiative over the years, maximizing profit is neither the best nor the most relatable “problem” on which these topics have bearing.  

Instead, consider: most, if not all, of us have encountered challenges relating to others across our differences. Imagine how those situations could have gone better if you had more understanding of your cultural others. Studies show that leaders who embrace and value differences on their teams will see significantly better outcomes than those who minimize, suppress, or attach negative value judgements to those differences. Basic tenets of DEI learning—like the value of listening, centering the experiences of those most impacted, approaching difference with curiosity over judgement, and decentering our own lenses are all valuable skills that can support us in solving problems throughout our lives.  

Lastly, citing real-world connections between history and present day disparities, and sharing statistics about continued inequities, can be valuable ways to illustrate the countless problems that persist in realizing racial justice and equity. In recent weeks, we have seen sincere awakening to many of these realities among learners, and an associated investment in continuing the learning and finding ways to contribute. 

These sensitive topics are not easy to unpack, and the many claims that “diversity training doesn’t work” are not unfounded if we are considering the many “one-off” sessions that are hastily constructed or presented without fidelity to the work and recognition of its complexity. Yet I not only believe, I have personally observed the powerful learning that is possible in this work, even among the many skeptics. Those tasked with designing this learning can make great strides toward ensuring its success by adhering to these few essential tenets of adult learning. After all—why are we doing this work if not to bring about transformation?