Towards Becoming an Anti-Racist Organization: Why are companies quitting?
May 31, 2024
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs have been around a long time, but the number of groups offering DEI workshops and trainings increased exponentially after the murder of George Floyd and in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. More recently, however, the news has been full of stories about corporations and organizations backing away from their commitment to DEI, siting costs or ineffectiveness. But is that true? Do we no longer need to work on DEI? (Spoilers: no.)
Goosefoot’s Anti-Racism Task Force checked into it and found that not to be the case at all. These efforts may have slowed in some places; but overall DEI programs are still very much in place and showing positive results.
The articles below cover the history of diversity training, the effect of negativity bias, and the role that a specific “four freedoms” play in creating conditions for all workers to flourish, especially those in historically marginalized groups. (If you didn’t read the Executive Director’s musings above on this topic, please do). We hope you find these readings as interesting and thought-provoking as we did!
CNN: “What is DEI and Why Is It Dividing America?”
Forbes Magazine: “Are Companies Quiet Quitting DEI?”
Harvard Business Review: “Where Does DEI Go From Here?”