Reimagining DEI: A Critical Introduction [$20 Suggested]

Instructor: Dahiya | Monday | November 7 | 7:30-9:00 PM ET

We know that many diversity initiatives fail, but what exactly goes wrong? One common problem is that many organizations expect 'diversity' to be embodied in a single person. In this teach-in, we'll activate our critical faculties to ask not where diversity is missing, but what are the ways that treating diversity as an "add on" fails to create a more diverse workplace. Critical DEI begins from a rigorous examination not only of racism, sexism, ableism, and classism in the workplace, but also the ways that those ideologies are embedded in the very diversity initiatives meant to fix them. In this teach-in, we’ll consider the pitfalls of most diversity initiatives by asking questions such as: what vision of change is embedded in most DEI efforts? How do many DEI initiatives—oftentimes inadvertently—(re)center whiteness? What are the effects of most diversity initiatives focusing on individuals rather than larger, structural factors and forces? And finally, how can we get beyond an idea of DEI as a thing you can “add,” to an understanding of it as a tool for combatting deep structural inequities? There will be space for participants to share their thoughts and experiences with the DEI efforts in their own lives as well.

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