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“DEI work requires more than good intentions,” State of the CDO Survey Report, and is DEI anti-white?...

[DEI in 5] Biweekly DEI News

“DEI work requires more than good intentions and believing all people are equal. It is about understanding power and how it influences, informs and shapes the context. Think #DEI, Think Power ⚡️”

Jai Clarke-Binns (He/They), DE&I @ Google DeepMind

There was a really interesting discussion happening on IG the other day amongst a group of white women (I really wish I'd saved it 🤦🏾‍♀️). They were discussing how they just see themselves as the "default" and don't think of themselves as having power. Several chimed in and shared that while growing up, they were told that talking about identity, more specifically about race, was bad and/or they weren't allowed to talk about it.

But it ties beautifully into Jai Clarke-Binns's LinkedIn post quoted above (btw, check out Jai’s blog, A Load of Orgness—I’m a huge fan of their think pieces). In my work, I’ve come across many people who grew up being told that people are equal and should be treated as such (e.g., “I don’t see color!”). These individuals then carry that belief, along with their good intentions, into DEI work, and it just doesn't work. With DEI work comes vulnerability and exposure to many identities and lived experiences—good, bad, ugly, painful, etc.

I could go on, but my point is that we as individuals, especially those of us who are DEI champions, can't ignore that our broader society places hierarchy on identity. Social identities are a thing. Intersectionality is a thing. Power is a thing.

One last thought before we get into today’s DEI news updates: If the folks who raised you (and I’m using ‘you’ generally here) taught you that everyone is equal, and that you shouldn’t talk about identity, it's very likely that they themselves never bothered to acknowledge or reflect on their own identities and the social dynamics of power.

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and discovered this interesting study: "A Chip Off the Old Block: Parents’ Subtle Ethnic Prejudice Predicts Children’s Implicit Prejudice." To quote the study:

“Results show that parents’ subtle prejudice predicts children’s implicit prejudice regardless of the parenting style. Findings indicate that children might acquire prejudice through the parents’ implicit cognition, automatic behavior, and educational actions.”

Interesting stuff, right?

The Latest Episode of DEI in 5 

Speaking of power, identity, intersectionality, and all that good stuff…

On Thursday’s you can find me hosting live discussions on both LinkedIn and YouTube at 12 PM EST. This week, I’ll be joined by two of my fellow DEI consultants, Clarissa “Clo” Fuselier of Inclusion.Logic and Caren Young of The Professional Adult. We’ll be talking about unpacking our own biases, or -isms, as DEI practitioners. It’s going to be one of the more vulnerable conversations that I’ve had in awhile 🥹, but I’m looking forward to it. Join us live or bookmark the links above to catch the replay.

DEI News Updates

Research

  • State of the CDO Survey Report, August 2023 [NADOHE]: “Many CDOs are under-resourced and understaffed. Nearly a third of them

    (32.2%) had annual operating budgets of $39,000 or less, and 44% of

    CDOs had between zero and two full-time-equivalent employees who

    report directly to them… Asked to compare their CDO role to their previous jobs, respondents were most likely to consider their job more or much more “stressful” than their previous position.”

DEI Industry

BONUS: Check out episode 43 of DEI in 5 for more thoughts from Caren Young and I on the recent DEI-related lawsuits.👇🏾

Workplace & Employee Experience

BONUS: Check out episode 40 of DEI in 5 featuring DEI Strategist & Systems Analyst, Dr. Sam Rae. We talked about neurodiversity & neurodivergence, her experience with being diagnosed with autism as an adult, and navigating mental health as an entrepreneur.👇🏾

Life & Society

Health

Art, Media, & Entertainment

That’s all for today! I’ll be back on Tuesday with more.

Be well,

Adriele

P.S. Interested in promoting your business or event in the DEI in 5 newsletter? Reply back for more details!

First time here? 👋🏾 Welcome! This DEI in 5 newsletter is a seamless extension of my DEI in 5 YouTube podcast series. Here you’ll find biweekly updates (every Tuesday & Thursday) on all things related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, updates on the podcast, and some occasional commentary from me, Adriele. Feedback is always invited, just reply back and lmk what you think.