Sarah Bennett’s Post

This part. DEI is not a slur. It’s a way of leveling the playing field and advancing true meritocracy by fostering inclusion and implementing equity-based policies. This is not about quotas. Investing in diversity is investing in innovation and success. #diversityequityandinclusion #socialjustice #racialjustice #communications #media

Recent events - including very visible pullback on DEI initiatives from several big brands, the murder of Sonya Massey, and the presumptive presidential nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris - have highlighted the devisive use of DEI as a slur. This is a powerful read from Lily Zheng on why we must push back on this custom if we are to create a more just and inclusive society. #dei #socialjustice #diversityinclusion #diversitymatters #inclusionmatters

When people use "DEI" as a slur, what they're really saying is that they're scared of the true meritocracy DEI work has always aimed to create. They're scared of seeing women, Black people, Asian people, Indigenous people, and Latine people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and many others from marginalized communities in positions of power. They're scared of people from marginalized communities being paid, promoted, hired, developed, and mentored fairly. They're scared of environments where people across many lines of difference respect each other, get along, collaborate, and cooperate. When people use DEI as a slur, what they're really saying is that they're committed to the opposite of #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion: Homogeneity. Inequity. Exclusion. They want a zero-sum future where they see only people like themselves in power, where only people like themselves are paid, promoted, hired, developed, and mentored well, and where only people like themselves feel safe or respected. As it turns out, this is a deeply unpopular opinion. According to a recent poll, when given a description of DEI, 7 in 10 Americans indicated a positive perception and support for it—including more than 60% of White Americans. When people use DEI as a slur, especially as a racist tool to attack Black leaders and the institutions that support them, we have to do more than just push back on their intentional misuse of the term. We have to pull back the curtains on their full-throated endorsement of homogeneity, inequity, exclusion—supremacy—and make it clear that there is no space in civil discourse for this kind of anti-meritocratic, hateful rhetoric.

Well said, Lily Zheng.

"As we celebrate Juneteenth, we can't overlook the fact that 'anti-woke' attacks on Black history and Black political power have become one of the biggest threats to our democracy. The consequence of this threat goes all the way up to the supreme court...We must use this federal holiday to dedicate ourselves to achieving true multiracial democracy in the United States." Kimberle Crenshaw, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The African American Policy Forum, is the pioneering legal scholar and thought leader who introduced us to intersectionality and whose groundbreaking work has shifted the ways we address racial, gender, and social justice. Democracy and equity are clearly under attack, and work to advance racial justice, gender equity, LGBTQ+ and other human rights is critical and noble pro-democracy work. At Global Citizen, LLC, we are proud to serve as a strategic consulting, coaching, training, and transformation partner that works in the United States and internationally to develop inclusive leadership skills and strengthen leaders' capacity to effect organizational transformation and social impact by advancing racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equity, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), public health, human rights, and global competence. 👉 Contact us at info@globalcitizenllc.com to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss how we can help you achieve your strategic goals for greater impact and #ForABetterWorld. 💳 Join Global Citizen, LLC in contributing to The African American Policy Forum: https://lnkd.in/ed5KH-Yt. #Juneteenth #Juneteenth2024 #RacialJustice #GenderEquity #LGBTQRights #HumanRights #Intersectionality #IntersectionalDEI Kimberle Crenshaw's full statement: https://lnkd.in/ezbreWeK (Photo credit: ArtHouse)

"As we celebrate Juneteenth, we can't overlook the fact that 'anti-woke' attacks on Black history and Black political power have become one of the biggest threats to our democracy. The consequence of this threat goes all the way up to the supreme court...We must use this federal holiday to dedicate ourselves to achieving true multiracial democracy in the United States." Kimberle Crenshaw, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The African American Policy Forum, is the pioneering legal scholar and thought leader who introduced us to intersectionality and whose groundbreaking work has shifted the ways we address racial, gender, and social justice. Democracy and equity are clearly under attack, and work to advance racial justice, gender equity, LGBTQ+ and other human rights is critical and noble pro-democracy work. At Global Citizen, LLC, we are proud to serve as a strategic consulting, coaching, training, and transformation partner that works in the United States and internationally to develop inclusive leadership skills and strengthen leaders' capacity to effect organizational transformation and social impact by advancing racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equity, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), public health, human rights, and global competence. 👉 Contact us at info@globalcitizenllc.com to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss how we can help you achieve your strategic goals for greater impact and #ForABetterWorld. 💳 Join Global Citizen, LLC in contributing to The African American Policy Forum: https://lnkd.in/ed5KH-Yt. #Juneteenth #Juneteenth2024 #RacialJustice #GenderEquity #LGBTQRights #HumanRights #Intersectionality #IntersectionalDEI Kimberle Crenshaw's full statement: https://lnkd.in/ezbreWeK. (Photo credit: ArtHouse)

We talk a lot about the need for representation but do we ever have the chat about misrepresentation.  Is misrepresentation as dangerous as representation is powerful? I recently spoke with a global organisation who enquired about ‘why’ supplier diversity was needed. An honest question, and a conversation I encourage. We talked about unconscious bias, what influences unconscious bias, and how bias enters the sales and evaluation process. I shared anecdotal stories and those of our suppliers who talk about their experiences and the imposter syndrome it creates. Misrepresentation of communities in society fuels conscious and unconscious bias creating widening gulfs in equality. Misrepresenting women as just housewives and not CEOs, or Pilots. Misrepresenting black n brown people as criminals and not masterful innovators.  Misrepresenting the LGBTQ+ community.  Misrepresenting those with disabilities as unable and incapable instead of being unequivocally capable. Is misrepresentation as dangerous as representation is powerful?

As a queer person running a small business, it's not lost on me that businesses carry a lot of weight when it comes to creating an anti-racist workplace. In the spirit of #Juneteenth earlier this week, here are four ways to incorporate anti-racism practices in the workplace year round: 1️⃣ Flip the script. Re-examine words such as ‘underrepresented,’ which place the onus on the person instead of the system that was created to perpetuate racism (hello, white supremacy!). S/O to Nmadinobi Chloé Nwangwu, The Brand Scientist™ for innovating the shift to ‘‘underrecognized’ in her #HBR article!  2️⃣ Hold space for Juneteenth. Full Swing’s virtual doors were closed in observance of Juneteenth as we celebrated the achievements, energy, cultural contributions, and unapologetic joy of our Black community. 3️⃣ Put your money where your mouth is. Invest money and time towards educating your employees. If you don’t know where to start, work with BIPOC #DEI consultants to help you on this journey. 4️⃣ Improve your business by hiring diverse thinkers. As part of your hiring practices, actively recruit BIPOC and members of the LGBTQ+ community as employees, contractors, and vendors. More white business owners need to reject white supremacy while acknowledging how insidiously it operates in every facet of our lives and workplaces. #WomenOwnedBusiness #LGBTQOwned #WorkPlaceCulture

Check out what I'm selling: Stacey Abrams Lead from the Outside (Softcover Book): Get up to $30 off* when you use my code JPUSEF to sign up for Mercari. *Terms apply #mercari Lead from the Outside is a necessary guide to harnessing the strengths of being an outsider by Stacey Abrams, one of the most prominent black female politicians in the U.S. Leadership is hard. Convincing others―and often yourself―that you possess the answers and are capable of world-affecting change requires confidence, insight, and sheer bravado. Lead from the Outside is the handbook for outsiders, written with the awareness of the experiences and challenges that hinder anyone who exists beyond the structure of traditional white male power―women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and millennials ready to make a difference. https://lnkd.in/g79-nebC

I can always count on Stephanie Wade for a reminder about the broad sweep of white supremacy culture. Her letter to the editor of CalMatters surfaced a great example of how the culture of white supremacy reaches beyond racism. Stephanie wrote it to object to an op-ed that called for slowing down implementation of California's landmark #EducationalEquity law. The law calls for, among other things, including LGBTQ people and history into California’s K-12 curriculum. There's a link to her letter in the Comments. I like to talk about white supremacy culture, rather than DEI, because it's all-encompassing, without dismissing the legacies of racism. The tenets of white supremacy teach us that there is one way to be: white, male, straight, cisgender, native English speaker, no visible disabilities and more. Everyone else is an aberration, to varying degrees. For those of us with some version of dominant identity - white, male, straight, etc. - it might be hard to recognize where we're perpetuating that culture, rather than disrupting it. I mean, there's a right way and a wrong way to do things right? The fault is not in learning what we've been conditioned to learn. The fault is in refusing to recognize that the conditioning might be wrong. Disrupting white supremacy culture means questioning what we "know" is right and true. Because, guess what? It might only be true for some. Confusing right? Janedra Sykes, Catherine Shieh and I don't promise to clear it all up in one hour, during the "Disrupting White Supremacy Culture in Nonprofits" workshop. We hope it will raise questions about how your organization operates in the nonprofit universe. And maybe even provide a path to finding some answers. Join us next week, on Thursday, May 23 at 9am Pacific. There's a link to more information and to RSVP in the Comments. If all the tickets are gone by the time you get there, comment here or DM me and we'll figure out how to get you in anyway. (It's free to anyone.) #CommunityOrganizing #OrganizingToWin #DisruptWhiteSupremacyCulture #Workshops #Webinar #DEI #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #LGBTQEquality