Why DEI And Anti-Racism Work Needs To Decenter Whiteness

Following what some would call the Racial Revolution of 2020, companies far and wide have announced their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism. DEI jobs in corporate America and higher education have increased exponentially since the killing of George Floyd in 2020. It seems like every industry has been scrambling to demonstrate their pledges and promises to promote more inclusive environments by hiring DEI practitioners and anti-racism educators. While the sudden interest in DEI and anti-racism is encouraging, there must be a concerted effort to ensure that the diversity education that is being done doesn’t center whiteness. What does it mean to center and prioritize whiteness in DEI and anti-racism work? DEI practitioners and anti-racism educators are often hired into toxic spaces where leaders claim they want to foster more equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. More consideration must be given to how much of this work centers the feelings of white people with little focus on the feelings of oppressed and marginalized groups.

Diversity education and training typically focuses on how to help white professionals learn about their biases and racism. Diversity education has not changed much over time. Decades ago, diversity efforts in corporate America focused on helping white people understand and recognize their racism. Much of the diversity efforts also focused on evading lawsuits and ensuring that companies were complying with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Diversity language has evolved over the years. Just a decade ago, terms like unconscious bias and psychological safety were not heavily used. Within the last few years and more specifically since the summer of 2020, organizations are more open to discussions about white supremacy, white privilege, and anti-racism. While this development is promising, there is still a heavy focus on white feelings and emotions in DEI work and anti-racism efforts. Many of the popular anti-racism books that dominated the best-seller lists in the last few years contribute to white-centric diversity education. For DEI and anti-racism work to be effective, less effort must be spent trying to coddle and center whiteness. More energy must be put into uncovering the specific needs of the most marginalized groups in order to understand how to implement support systems that promote safety and wellbeing. In addition, any company or institution that is serious about fostering equity must be willing to dismiss employees who have created hostile work conditions. There is a lot of fear and reluctance to fire racists, especially those in positions of power and privilege within an on organization. Leadership accountability is mandatory if workplace equity is ever to become a reality.

When DEI practitioners and anti-racism educators are hired into companies and institutions, the core curriculum typically centers around helping the white majority learn and understand racism. It is not uncommon for practitioners and educators to be told to “tone down” their words or content to avoid topics that make others feel uncomfortable or victimized. The diversity training ban instituted by the Trump administration in 2020 complicated matters even more. The idea that anti-racism and DEI education has to be packaged in a digestible way for employees to be receptive to it demonstrates a larger problem within workplaces. Change will not come through comfortability. A desire for comfortability is what has sustained workplace diversity efforts for decades and few changes have been made in regards to progress. Companies are still suffering from the same issues year after year. DEI practitioners and anti-racism educators must raise the bar in order to move the needle. The lure of money has proven hypnotizing—a large part of the reason why so many DEI practitioners and anti-racism educators adopt curriculum that centers and prioritizes white feelings versus the needs of the marginalized is because of how lucrative diversity education has become—corporations are now reserving significant budgets for it. Consequently, DEI practitioners and anti-racism educators are cropping up overnight, which is exciting on one hand—more practitioners will be able to fulfill the increased demand. On the other hand, it is likely that many are entering the DEI and anti-racism space for the wrong reasons, seeing as to how diversity education has become a cash cow. If change will ever be made, DEI practitioners and anti-racism educators must resist the urge to water down diversity education to placate white feelings. There must be a shift of the focus to developing strategies that support the most marginalized groups in the workplace.

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The Pink Elephant newsletter is a weekly LinkedIn newsletter designed to stimulate critical and relevant dialogue that centers around topics of race and racial equity. The newsletter is curated by Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D. who is a writer, speaker, consultant, educator, and self-proclaimed foodie. Janice’s work is centered around the dismantling of oppressive systems while amplifying the voices and needs of the most marginalized folks. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share with others you feel would gain value from it.

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