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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I noticed two things in the news yesterday:

Headlines saying that companies are cutting DEI staff/programs given budget cuts.

And

The video of Morgan Freeman on 60 Minutes saying he doesn’t support black history because it is American history and his preference that we no longer discuss race and stop referring to him as a black man and simply call him a man.

Interesting, right?

My take on DEI training:

We needed it, and some of it was very effective. When done well, a periodic training (not annually) by a highly qualified trainer is a good thing. I’ve had to endure a lot of such trainings given my participation in several nonprofit boards plus my particular sector. Only one of the many trainings I participated in was actually very good. It focused on unconscious bias related to all kinds of things including age, socioeconomics, faith or lack thereof, and even white people. In short: the curriculum and talking points went to great lengths to avoid singling out anyone as the villain and everyone seemingly was represented as potentially having experienced bias—which we all can agree is a bad thing.

As someone who works a SJW nonprofit in DC, I 100% believe my colleagues and I don’t need tons of DEI training. We get it. We advocate for such things and more through law and policy change coupled with systems change. I suspect many other DC based professionals working in diverse environs feel the same way. The reality is locals tend to live and work in very diverse communities; we really aren’t the problem. If that’s your reality, it begs the question: what’s the point of a DEI director/team/program for a company or org? [/quote]

Question for you. You mentioned that you work at a SJW nonprofit and that your prior training in unconscious bias related to various identities was helpful. I work in government and am often called upon to develop policies that incorporate the views of a variety of stakeholders. One think I am seeing from the more activist stakeholders is a flat outright dismissal of anything that "old white men" and, to a lesser extent, older white women have to say. I find it ironic that openly excluding older people whenever possible is so common for people who profess to be committed to diversity and inclusion.[/quote]

I hear ya.

Yes: SJWs in DC shockingly lack self-awareness when it comes to such things. I think they went too far at the urging (bullying?) of the masses and landed in a bizarre fringe space that … wait for it … excludes/attacks/“others” protected classes.

I am hopeful that we are approaching a turning point that will reset the DEI conversation to a more reasonable approach.

Again: the best DEI training I’ve ever participated in led with an exercise making clear that everyone has experienced bias. Everyone. Even old white men. It’s critically important for everyone at the table to understand that being judged isn’t fair or accurate. Otherwise you will have some participants on guard, defensive, and ostensibly just going through the motions and ultimately gaining nothing.

If your DEI trainer wants to focus exclusively on white privilege or systemic racism against black people, then you are wasting your time and money.

Another strategy from the best training I attended: using the plight of native Americans as an example. The trainer realized we needed to get away from black/white fixation. Guess what? It works. Although it was interesting that whites got on board quickly while blacks focused on what about me comparisons until the facilitator helped get them looking beyond themselves. We did get to slavery and systemic racism impacting blacks, but we had a solid, purposeful foundation first. [/quote]

Thanks! That is a great answer. As a middle-aged white woman, I have benefitted from some of the training I've received and regularly read and listen to try to inform myself on these topics. Unconscious bias is a real thing for all of us. Unfortunately, when everything is focused entirely on black and white or the message is more accusatory than informative, the people who need this training the most shut down and tune out.

I also have issues with terminology that not everyone agrees on (is it really "white supremacy" culture that is a problem or traditionally agreed upon norms that should be revisited and reformed to remove barriers). Most of all, I have trouble with the human connection aspect of activist dialogue. Is this about removing barriers and promoting deserving talent, or do you want to knock down and disadvantage certain people? You can't tell people they need to be mindful of microaggressions because they are hurtful to marginalized populations and, at the same time, tell other people that they and their ideas are worthless because of their skin color or age. The need for belonging is universal. [/quote]

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