Tabi on racial matters: If DEI lacks antiracism, the people it is meant to help, suffer

Numerous studies have been done that highlight the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. We are aware that businesses with diverse workforces innovate more, are more creative, and experience less turnover and associated costs.

Many business owners work to foster an inclusive culture so that their employees feel valued, safe, and heard. Yet, many exclusionary practices continue unchecked because, still, other people are firmly entrenched in the past.

But why does DEI fail the marginalised; the people the program is designed to assist?

There are two reasons.

The first one is because DEI continues to disregard the most marginalised groups with its limited perspective that prioritises Gender, Sexuality, Age, Disability, and Religion. Occasionally, you will also notice Race depending on the practitioner’s skills.

The second reason is, the “E” in DEI, equity, is often ignored by some powerful NGOs, businesses, and DEI practitioners, who solely support a D&I. Because of this, the program is simplified, lacks substance, and ease of use, therefore appeals to many executives who genuinely care about the welfare of their employees but are unaware that they are being shortchanged.

What are the existing DEI programs missing?

Antiracism agendas seem to be left out completely in DEI agendas in Australia and around the world in favour of broad, superficial, and unhelpful initiatives.

If true diversity, equity, and inclusion is the goal, then why is it that antiracism is not part of the programs supposed to look out for your employees that are Black, Indigenous, Brown and People of Colour?

For organisations to say they are complying with DEI agendas but fail to account for marginalised oppression caused by exclusion or workplace racial discrimination gives ongoing endorsement to systematic racism.

Antiracism strategies should be explicitly included in DEI programs. Likewise, lived experiences of discrimination in gender, sexuality, disability, age, and religion of all employees, should be compiled to inform DEI initiatives. The fundamental goals of DEI in any organisation could be compromised if such important information is not included.

To simply do diverse recruitment to create a visual kaleidoscope of people and stage poses for PR exercises is not a sign that an organisation is inclusive just because of the variety of colours on brochures.

Will discrimination and exclusion disappear just by including Black staff without addressing racism specifically? The short answer is no.

The long answer is to be true to racial equity along with gender, sexuality, disability, age, and religion. Antiracism has the capacity to make systematic changes to support all marginalised groups in the workplace. This ensures that the different cultural identities become an asset to the organisation in the way in which marginalised staff are encouraged, supported and represented at all levels.

The current DEI programs without antiracism minimises the marginalised group’s experiences and further reinforce the exclusionary practices they are trying to address.

What makes a truly inclusive workplace?

Workplaces that address racism along with gender, sexuality, disability, age, and religion will truly be inclusive, as they will tackle social injustice issues along with increased diversity and the capability to maintain their inclusion.

Therefore, inclusive strategies without antiracism are inadequate because some employees in your workplaces will not be safe and feel a sense of belonging that you are trying to achieve.

Targeted conversations must include those who are on the receiving end of marginalisation, to help to tease out which processes and systems require change.

Be aware of Tokenism in an attempt to appear inclusive, which will only highlight the discriminatory practices that DEI is trying to curtail. So, simply adding a non-white person to a team misses the point of the overarching purpose of real inclusion of the marginalised, which resides in antiracism.

A truly diverse and inclusive workplace will fundamentally challenge rigid processes that don’t serve the marginalised.

In the long-term, it must be about making tangible, structural changes to embed inclusive practices for those who are supposed to benefit from DEI.

The root cause of why racism continues to permeate our workplaces is due to our colonial past and today’s migration. Awareness of the past will also inform your actions now and into the future.

Therefore, why risk your business’s future on unsatisfied workers, expensive staff turnovers, and potential legal fees from damage claims, when you could instead implement real system modifications to help your DEI operations inject understanding racism and what to do about it?