Ask yourself if you would choose to be a Black employee in your organization

If you can’t say yes, then you now get why social justice has a place in the workplace conversation. And you should also get why the recent SCOTUS decision to dispose of Affirmative Action sent many of us reeling. And why businesses punking out on DEI is so disturbing.

The great James Baldwin once said, “Every white person in this country – I do not care what he says or what she says – knows one thing… They know they would not like to be Black here. If they know that, they know everything they need to know. And whatever else they may say is a lie.” Think about how many Black colleagues are in your organization, or in the case of most design organizations, how few. Think about how often they’re the only people who look like them in a room. Think about the type of opportunities that are typically extended to them. Think about how often their perspectives are invited into a conversation. Think about how many Black leaders there are and how exceptional they have to had to be to get there. Think about who’s permitted to be mediocre and who’s constantly under observation. Reflect on these things and you’ll understand why there’s an urgency to add ‘justice’ to the diversity, equity, and inclusion dialogue. And why we have to be vigilant about not getting lax when it comes to exercising our individual duty to push for change in our immediate spheres of influence.