What does justice look like in the workplace, and where does liberation fit into the work of DEI ... [+]
This article has been in the works for a few weeks but a recent LinkedIn post made by diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultant Lily Zheng sparked an important discussion and provided the necessary nudge to complete this piece. When thinking about DEI, two variables that deserve further analysis are justice and liberation and what role they play within DEI. Where do they fit in? To unpack this question, it is necessary to first explore what justice and liberation are. Merriam-Webster defines justice as “the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity.” Dictionary.com defines justice as “equitableness.” Liberation is defined as “the act of liberating,” or “a movement seeking equal rights and status for a group.” The argument has been made that DEI as an industry has strayed far from its roots and has become highly commodified. Some find issue with the fact that DEI is even referred to as an industry. Diversity education gained prominence in the United States in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement (CRM). In 1964, the Civil Rights Act (CRA) was passed in the U.S. and Title VII of the CRA made it illegal to discriminate against individuals based on a set of protected classes. With the passage of Title VII, companies put more of a focus on diversity education primarily as a way to avoid litigation. This trend continued into the 1980s and 1990s with the field of DEI (which was not called DEI at the time) steadily changing and evolving. Because the CRM was spearheaded to seek justice for Black Americans in the United States, any offshoots of the movement (such as the DEI field) should have an end goal of justice. This article seeks to explore the following: who determines justice? What does justice look like in the workplace, and where does liberation fit into the work of DEI practitioners?
Based on the aforementioned definitions of justice, we must first ask ourselves who gets to determine what justice is and looks like? Within society, it is typically those in power who get to define what justice is. Far too often, those in power are given the ability to make decisions that do not result in liberty or justice for all. In Mariame Kaba’s book We Do This ‘Til We Free Us, Kaba wrote a line that deserves further examination: “A system that never addresses the why behind a harm never actually contains the harm itself.” As DEI practitioners, it is imperative to investigate and examine the “why” behind the harms that occur in the workplace. How are different groups being harmed? Equity and justice must be determined by those most impacted by systems of harm; we must frame our understanding based on the most marginalized within society. In this regard, when working within organizations and institutions, are we prioritizing the most vulnerable? How can we amplify the voices of those with the least amount of power? How do we create structures and systems that a) take into consideration the historical harms that different communities have faced, b) provide refuge from these harms, c) allow everyone to grow, thrive, and advance, and d) prevent future harms? The first step seems overly simplistic but is under-utilized: listen to the most marginalized employees. Too often, leaders are guided by both employees and DEI practitioners, but willfully choose not to drink from the waters of equity and justice. The work of DEI practitioners must center the most harmed communities to ascertain their needs. By developing workplace policies and programs that prioritize the most marginalized, we move closer to equity and justice.
When working within organizations and institutions, are we prioritizing the most vulnerable?
And what about liberation? What role, if any, do DEI practitioners play in liberation? This is a loaded question that leads to a follow-up question. Is liberation a finite point? Liberate means “to free from domination.” Are DEI practitioners able to help those who are “under domination” achieve freedom? This weighty question requires further analysis. Some may argue that thinking that one person such as a chief diversity officer or DEI practitioner can help another achieve liberation from an oppressive society is a lofty and unrealistic goal. Erica R. Meiners has written that “liberation under oppression is unthinkable by design.” By this philosophy, it is impossible to achieve liberation within a workplace that is oppressive. Are all workplaces oppressive to some extent? One could argue yes. So, the question then becomes: how do we help workplaces to become less oppressive so we are closer to achieving liberation? It’s important to consider the sentiments of the Combahee River Collective who stated “if Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.” By liberating the most marginalized community, all other oppressed communities will benefit. Black women experience some of the severest forms of marginalization and oppression so any liberation strategy must center the needs of Black women and femmes.
“How are we going to create in our communities spaces that allow people real opportunity to heal?” ... [+]
Healing may provide an integral part of liberation. In Kaba’s aforementioned book, she asked “how are we going to create in our communities spaces that allow people real opportunity to heal?” As DEI practitioners, it is important to interrogate ways that healing can be facilitated. Are we studying the ways that trauma impacts marginalized communities? Are we making space to have discourse about what individuals are experiencing and how oppression has and continues to impact their lives? Are we providing opportunities for community care? Are we holding those who cause continued harm accountable for their actions? Are we creating environments that encourage love, compassion, and communication? Are we providing employees with the tools and the language to understand and recognize harm, resolve issues, and reduce future harm? Are we investigating our own internalized oppression and the ways that trauma has impacted us? We cannot help to heal a workplace if we have not healed ourselves first. If we are to move closer to liberation and justice, these are important questions we must consider. Assessing DEI efforts through the lens of justice and liberation provides a necessary framework to guide this work.
