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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lens - April 20224/26/22, 10:23 AM The Lens - April 2022 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/3137485 1/3 We only use cookies that are necessary for this site to function to provide you with the best experience. The controller of this site may choose to place supplementary cookies to support additional functionality such as support analytics, and has an obligation to disclose these cookies. Learn more in our Cookie Statement. The Lens - April 2022 City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 04/19/2022 10:00 AM CDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. April 2022 | The Lens, a newsletter to expand conversations on equity, justice, and human rights. Anti-Racism and DEI Agendas Conversations on racial equity have circled among the workplace and in institutions for years, and leaders are questioning the best way to develop a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda. Usually, the agendas include structural changes, projects focused on understanding cultural differences, and the goal of providing equal opportunities to employees of color. However, Carmen Morris, a former contributor for Forbes, states that an active realization of anti-racism practices is usually left out of conversations and is instead brushed over with unhelpful initiatives. Morris writes, “Anti-racism lies at the heart of the DEI agenda, and initiatives that fail to underpin it risk imminent failure.” Rather than being used as a PR or marketing tool to make an organization appear more diverse, anti-racist practices must be embedded into a system and be treated as a priority. “Organizational change will only be developed through the establishment of an organizational culture of anti-racism,” Morris continues, “and this must inevitably be built into all solutions that aspire to develop and foster racially inclusive environments.” Anti-racism agendas require recognizing and dismantling the systemic inequalities that prevent equity within organizations. Leaders must step back and look at their institution’s overall identity, analyzing whether their initiatives come with true intention or are simply obligatory. Morris recognizes that past DEI efforts have commonly focused on recognizing equality between individuals rather than centering on anti-racism and racism’s root causes. Although sometimes uncomfortable, these conversations are necessary and require public commitment. James Madison University sets an example with its explicit and proactive anti-racist and anti- discrimination agenda it established during the 2020-21 academic year. “We are approaching these initiatives with a focused urgency, acknowledging that we can no longer be satisfied with institutional gradualism,” JMU states on its website. The agenda includes several foundational actions, a new budget lens, planned accountability measures, and established DEI leaders. JMU also establishes five broad goals with specific measurable outcomes including identifying and correcting oppressive practices, achieving a critical mass of Black and Brown staff, creating academic opportunities that recognize intersectionality, diversifying the university’s pedagogy, and strategically allocating resources for DEI practices. You can read more about JMU’s exemplary anti-racist agenda here. There is no quick fix to ending racism, but leaders and organizations must make intentional decisions by acknowledging systemic inequalities and moving forward with honest anti-racist initiatives. Authentic commitment from everyone involved is necessary for change and a successful DEI agenda. Who is responsible for DEI? Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become top priorities in the workplace. Eighty-three percent of 656 responding organizations took on DEI initiatives, according to a study by WorldatWork, and 79% of companies will allocate more budget and/or resources for DEI in 2022, as reflected in Traliant Subscribe to updates from City of Iowa City Email Address e.g. name@exam Subscribe Share Bulletin 4/26/22, 10:23 AM The Lens - April 2022 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/3137485 2/3 and World Business’s Research report. The question these organizations are facing is under which department should these DEI initiatives fall? Human Resources tends to hold the most responsibility for DEI policies in the workplace; a company’s first thought when getting started with DEI is to depend on HR to diversify and educate its employees. In 2021, DEI moved up four spots on the list of HR’s top priorities, sitting behind recruiting, developing leaders, and controlling labor costs, three ceaseless struggles. HR and executive leaders can train employees and managers on inclusion, find diverse job candidates, track and report DEI data, create DEI-focused employee resource groups, and establish diverse teams for projects, Shay Misra, a writer for JD Supra, says, “HR may need to establish accountability for DEI, particularly when it comes to the organization’s leaders. Staff should be informed and able to identify and consult on all manner of DEI barriers and issues.” Taking action as a company leader can set positive examples for the other employees around you. However, many companies are losing momentum by taking a “top-down” approach and only implementing surface-level actions. Many businesses are relying on compliance, not commitment. Toby Egbuna, Co-Founder and CEO of Chezie, argues that although HR greatly interacts with DEI work, DEI must be its own department. Cramming all DEI responsibilities into HR takes efforts away from their sole function, and it doesn’t allow DEI to reach its full potential. It also signals to other departments that DEI isn’t their responsibility and implies that there’s nothing they can do to promote it. Like any other business function, companies need a DEI team that prioritizes its needs, dedicates its resources, and tracks the progress. Furthermore, DEI must interact with every part of the company, not only HR. DEI efforts should not be arbitrary; they should stem from the business’s strategy and reflect the brand and its workers. HR can play a crucial role in DEI enforcement, but to make the right impact, companies need to make it its own priority and integrate it throughout the entire business. Roll Back of Rights The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) labelled 2021 “the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in recent history.” The U.S. Supreme Court will almost certainly overturn Roe v. Wade in June, and a growing number of activists worry Griswold v. Connecticut is next. (Roe protects a woman’s right to an abortion; Griswold protects the right to contraception.) From Texas’ vigilante-enforced abortion ban to Oklahoma’s almost-total ban with no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, 22 states have abortion bans on the books, ready and waiting for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe. Seventeen states, including Iowa, currently restrict how teachers may frame lessons about history, race, gender, and similar topics, while numerous additional states are considering such legislation. Sold as “parents’ rights” laws, these are in fact teacher intimidation tactics. A nationwide concerted effort is underway to roll back societal progress. All this may feel infuriating and overwhelming, especially to people old enough to remember fighting for their rights the first time around. “I would never, ever want anybody to go through what I went through,” a woman who had an abortion in 1970 told the New York Times. “I was lucky that I didn’t die … There were so many girls from that era that did not survive,” said another, who had one in 1959. "If you had told me decades ago that the gay liberation movement would get to this point, where we'd go from being arrested, evicted, fired from our jobs for being gay to now the Supreme Court ruling we can't be discriminated against at work, I wouldn't believe you! I can't believe it's happened during my lifetime," a man who participated in the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising at age 17 told Business Insider. But here we are, with these rights at risk again. So what can we do to resist? While it may seem like one person can’t do much, if no one acts, nothing will change. Here are some strategies for turning the tide: Identify your issue(s). With all the demands life puts on us, we only have so much time and energy to devote to causes we care about. The list of attacks on rights is long, but if your efforts aren’t focused, you won’t accomplish much, if anything. What is most important to you? Work on that; leave the rest to someone else. Do your research. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Google is your friend. Learn about the issue—what bills are in your legislature? What exactly do they say and what would it mean if they were passed? Who supports and opposes them? Find out which organizations and people are involved in your area, what efforts have succeeded or failed and why, and what is already planned going forward. Identify your skills. What can you contribute? It’s great if you can do specialized tasks like providing free accounting for a struggling non-profit, but it’s just as valuable to make dinner for campaign workers putting in long hours on the telephone, or to be one of the people making calls. Keep track of your goals and accomplishments. Studies show that goals are much more likely to be realized when they are written down. 4/26/22, 10:24 AM The Lens - April 2022 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/3137485 3/3 Get out there and do something. Anything. Remember every act of service is a contribution. It isn’t necessary to be Mother Teresa, and burning yourself out won’t help anyone. So do only what you can reasonably do, but never give up. Stay Connected to Equity and Human Rights News Follow us on Instagram @ichumanrights Subscribe to the Office of Equity and Human Rights at icgov.org/subscribe. Thanks, and welcome! Questions? 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