The Origin Story of Diversity Trainings and Why It Matters Today

The following is condensed and excerpted content from two sources:

1. "Unconscious bias training doesn't work to build equality because it was never designed to ", and
2. "The Science of the Equity Sequence?"

FOOL US ONCE, SHAME ON US

Many decades ago, the black lesbian activist and poet (and all around inspiration and truth-teller) Audre Lorde?challenged feminist academia to consider how it was reproducing the inequities of patriarchy.

Famously, Lorde declared, “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”?She went on to clarify by asking, “What does it mean when the tools of a racist patriarchy are used to examine the fruits of that same patriarchy?” and then, by responding, “It means that only the most narrow perimeters of change are possible and allowable.”

So, we ask, how much change and equality can we expect to come from a system of interventions that were designed by guardians of the status quo, perpetrators of inequality?

DIVERSITY TRAINING - AN ORIGIN STORY

Ever since the end of World War II, organizations - particularly in the United States - have been implementing diversity training of some sort.

In the post-war era, the workforce began diversifying at an increased rate. Women had entered the force to fill gaps left by men who were enlisted in the war effort, and were reluctant to return to the home and hearth. A great many resisted the social efforts to shepherd them back to domesticity. Meanwhile many women of colour who had already been participating in the workforce in undervalued and undercompensated roles, were pushed to return to those roles. At the same time, men of colour - who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with their white countrymen - returned from the war eager to take advantage of the same economic opportunities as their white peers. However, the laws and systems governing workplaces did not protect against discrimination, prejudice, and unequal treatment. In response, various disadvantaged and underrepresented groups formed social movements. They organized against systemic oppression in the civil rights, gay rights, and women’s liberation movements.*

As these movements made legislative headway, each in its own ways and along various timelines, equality-in-employment laws were passing. Organizations across the U.S. and beyond were increasingly at risk of litigation and, as a means toward mitigating that risk, produced early versions of the “standard” diversity and inclusion interventions that have become ubiquitous today (Sodexo 2008).

The equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) interventions that emerged shared several features which remain the building blocks of the vast majority of diversity trainings today:

• They focus on the individual
• They are mandatory
• They are punitive
• They rely on bridging the “intent-action gap”
• They are divorced from existing business priorities

For example, a standard “unconscious bias training” session might preach the “business case” for a diverse and inclusive organization, reveal facts about generalized inequities, identify for the (mandatory) participants their own personal implicit biases - perhaps by taking an assessment such as Harvard’s Implicit Association test - then identify points in organizational processes where implicit biases might affect decision-making, and finally implore participants to now leverage their awareness of their personal biases as a means to mitigate for them.

THE OUTCOMES TODAY

Since researchers began investigating diversity training five decades ago, the evidence points to the fact that interventions built on these elements are largely lacking in effectiveness. In fact, there is evidence showing they often have the opposite of the intended effects (Kulik 2000, Dobbin 2006).

>> Read More

"The problem with unconscious bias training"

And we're dealing with the impact of that inefficacy today. Vast numbers of our colleagues and community members feel like they are inadvertently perpetrating systems of discrimination and inequality, but feel powerless to make any change. Conversations around identity politics have confounded our ability to recognize the intersectional effects and experiences of our multi-dimensional lives and dimensions of diversity. Diversity fatigue has many leaders quietly throwing in the towel and turning their attention to problems they feel they can solve and that won't generate cultural unrest.

EQUITABLE INNOVATION: WHY NOW?

As we navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving global landscape, the urgency for equitable innovation has never been more pronounced.

Equitable Innovation

Any change that prioritizes reducing bias, barriers, discrimination, representation gaps, and inequalities, to promote fairness and equal opportunities.

Traditional diversity training and interventions have proven inadequate, often entrenching the very biases they seek to eliminate. Equitable innovation offers a transformative approach by centering the dismantling of systemic barriers and fostering genuine inclusivity. It also invites a spirit of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. "Innovation" by definition is a process of (co-)designing, implementing, testing, iterating, etc. with a goal of arriving at a better outcome, one innovation at a time.

This paradigm shift prioritizes fairness and equal opportunities, ensuring that changes within organizations and societies are not merely superficial but deeply rooted in justice. Now is the time to embrace equitable innovation, to not only address the shortcomings of past efforts but to create sustainable, meaningful progress that benefits everyone.

JOIN EQUITABLE INNOVATORS ON THIS NEW JOURNEY

The journey towards true equity and inclusion begins with you. We invite you to explore the transformative potential of equitable innovation. Visit our website to discover comprehensive resources, strategies, and tools designed to help you implement equitable practices in your organization and community.

Learn how to make strategic decisions that prioritize fairness, reduce discrimination, and create equal opportunities for all (via the Equity Sequence? method).

Together, we can dismantle systemic barriers and build a future where innovation and equity go hand in hand. Join us in this crucial mission—your commitment to equitable innovation can spark the change we all need. Visit us today and be a part of the movement toward a more just and inclusive world.

*NOTE: These movements were not without their own divisions, along lines of class and race. The women's movement, notably, was largely lacking in an intersectional approach.

*NOTE: Diversity trainings were not, by and large, created by equity-seeking individuals with the intent of creating more equitable organizations, but by corporate actors in need of risk-mitigation provisions.

Dobbin F, Kalev A, Kelly E. Best Practices or Best Guesses? Assessing the Efficacy of Affirmative Action and Diversity Policies. Am Sociol Rev. 2006; 71:589-617.

Kulik CT, Perry EL, Bourhis, AC. Ironic evaluation processes: effects of thought suppression on evaluations of older job applicants. J Organiz Behav. 2000; 21:689-711.

Sodexo RA, Winters MF. A Retrospective View of Corporate Diversity From 1964 to the Present. Acad Manag Learn Educ. 2008; 7(3):356-372.