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Welcome to the Be the Bridge podcast.
Be the Bridge exists to empower people and culture toward racial healing, equity, and reconciliation.
Latasha Morrison founded Be the Bridge in 2016 to foster needed dialogue and brave spaces and to give people the tools to pursue racial justice.
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We provide resources and community to do just that, and this podcast is one of those resources.
You’ll hear interviews hosted by Latasha and our team, conversations about current events, and encouragement for your racial literacy journey.
Thank you for listening, subscribing and engaging in this important work.
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VEI, it has become quite a target.
What exactly are we talking about?
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Occasionally you’ll hear DEIA, which adds accessibility to the acronym.
So what does it mean when we are told that government or private entities are getting rid of their DEI initiatives?
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Are they getting rid of diversity?
Getting rid of equality?
Equity, becoming less inclusive?
In some ways it seems the hope is for all of the above, but also the phrase is regularly being used in a way that has nothing to do with what DEI actually is.
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If we go back in time, for the bulk of the history of the US, what we see is governments, schools, companies, etcetera, all being set up initially to only allow white men to participate.
Getting that spot in a prestigious school or that great job was based on your race and gender, not solely your marriage, as all other groups were systematically blocked from even applying.
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What we now call DEI therefore started as desegregation and gender equity efforts.
It’s said that because no race or gender is actually superior, we need to diversify in order to create a true meritocracy, that everyone should be offered a chance at success.
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A fair and just society with equal opportunities for all is only created if we undo the centuries of work that set up a system based on race and gender.
As time has gone on, the work of DEI has also said that not only should this wide swath of people be given equal opportunity to get in the door, but the workplace or the classroom should be set up with that diversity in mind, rather than simply stating that all are welcome.
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It needed to actually be a welcoming place for all.
This can mean anything from ensuring job security when someone is taking parental leave to making sure every set of stairs is accompanied by a ramp or an elevator.
And here’s the deal.
Too often the assumption is the opposite.
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The assumption is that if a person of color or woman is in a top job, they are only there because of their race or gender.
Meanwhile, history and the facts show the opposite is far, far more likely to be true.
It is much more common to this day for the preferential treatment and hiring to be offered up to white men who are applying.
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Consider this in the US, nearly 60% of executives at Fortune 500 companies are white men, and they also hold 65% of elected offices, while they’re only 31% of the population.
Again, if no race or gender is actually superior to another, which we firmly believe to be true, then it is not people of color or women who are being favored or given preferential treatment based on their race or gender.
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Rather, DEI, when it’s done right is removing race and gender preference.
When you do the work of dismantling DEI, what you are doing is taking steps backward from a meritocracy and returning to a system where race and gender are determinative.
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Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a blanket approval of all DEI efforts.
Plenty are misguided or I’ll constructed.
Many companies rushed forward to champion DEI in the wake of the 2020 protests, only to quickly pull back now.
Their attempts were not well thought through and their willingness to discard them showed they were simply following the tenor of the moment and not exhibiting a real commitment to positive change.
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This put a stain on decades of hard work in this realm.
At this moment, we need to reaffirm a commitment to well researched, deeply informed DEI initiatives at Beaver Bridge.
We do this work when it’s in the news as much as when it’s not.
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We stick to what research shows actually brings about real change for individuals as well as organizations.
We have values that don’t change just because of political pressure.
Regardless of what any leader says or the culture chooses to affirm, we will be standing on our principles.
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Diversity is not only a strength but a God-given gift, and we won’t stop working to create a world where that is not only welcomed, but celebrated.
Thanks for listening to the Be the Bridge Podcast.
To find out more about Be the Bridge and what we offer, visit bethebridge.com.
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Partner with us in this work at bethebridge.com/give, Connect with us on social media, and remember, you are not alone in your pursuit of righteousness and justice.
Latasha Morrison is the executive producer, Sarah Kanatzer is the producer, and transcripts are done by a wonderful team of volunteers.
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Thanks for listening.
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