Beyond the Rhetoric—Centering Justice & Anti-Racism in our DEI Strategy: An Introduction

It has been interesting to experience the urgency with which organizations are scheduling listening sessions for Black employees to acknowledge their pain, and learning experiences or ‘town halls’ for leaders and “allies” on how to engage in conversations about race. The Winters Group has been bombarded with requests for “sessions” this week. The sense of urgency and palpable anxiety around the need to do something (almost anything) right now is disconcerting. 

The approaches that are being taken by many organizations are not well thought out beyond “just get us through this week.” We get it. Leadership recognizes that Black employees, in particular, are in pain, and they want to respond. While that might seem admirable, it begs the question of why now? Why did it take global protests against racism to get leaders’ attention? (We know the answer. It is one for you to ask your leadership.) 

Those who lead diversity efforts are, on the one hand, elated that finally, leadership is listening to them about inequities that Black people face in the workplace. On the other hand, many who lead diversity efforts are Black and are feeling the pain and anguish of the current environment themselves. On top of that, they are being tasked with meeting impossible deadlines to organize sessions, weigh in on communications, sit in on more meetings than they have ever been invited to before, and more. Many are working long hours and are physically and emotionally drained. They are “butting heads” with the traditional gatekeepers (communications, HR, and Legal) who think they can manage this crisis with the same old solutions. The gatekeepers’ jobs are to protect the CEO from unpleasant news, mitigate risks of lawsuits and sanitize communications. And blunders are happening in the quest to hurry up and “do something.” Ill–thought–out communications are doing more harm than good. Some hastily-put-together company listening sessions have gone awry. 

These old approaches that have minimized or denied the existence of institutional and structural racism have contributed to the current state of affairs. This time, though, organizations will not be able to sweep racism under the proverbial rug or co-mingle it with broad–brush diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. Finally, anti-racism must have its own seat at the table—and it will take a different strategy to address it. As such, we implore you to slow down and take a more strategic, long-term approach. What are you going to do after the “dust” settles? Many organizations have vowed to focus efforts on anti-racism. Do leaders who are committing to do that even know what it means? This is the first time that many organizations, especially in the corporate world, have even used the term “anti-racism.” 

In the coming weeks, our feature series will focus on the elements of an anti-racism, justice-centered strategic approach; how it differs from current D&I approaches; who needs to be involved; how anti-racism education differs from traditional D&I training; how to embed anti-racist policies and practices; and how to interrogate your culture for unintended racism. 

In the meantime, we recommend that decision makers who are involved in managing in the short term ask yourself these questions: 

• Why are you responding now? What is different? What are your intentions? 
• What are the risks of acting too quickly without a more strategic approach? 
• What will happen if we don’t have listening sessions with Black employees this week? What are some alternatives? Perhaps provide space for Black employees to self-organize for their own conversations? 
• Leaders, are you really equipped to develop your own statement of solidarity and make decisions on next steps? What is your previous experience with issues of racism? What personal work have you done to understand your own biases and complicity with the current system? 
• Leaders, are you listening to the advice of your Black leaders and employees or are you making decisions based on what you think? We have heard of situations where leaders are sending out statements with legal counsel only and not even involving the diversity office. 
• Chief Diversity officers and others in the work, are you pushing back on leaders who have this sense of urgency? Are you providing recommendations for what’s next that are based on anti-racism principles or the same broad D&I strategies? Importantly, what are you doing for your own self-care? Are you setting boundaries that support your well-being? 

In essence, if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten… and by now you should realize that approach has not been working.