recruiting and hiring
This is not a Diversity Report
The company Tala, which offers access to loans in the developing world, published this letter as an type of internal diversity report and a public-facing effort to improve equity within their company. This offers a helpful framework for how companies can think about presenting their own DEI efforts using a growth mindset. For more read here.
Solutions Privilege: How privilege shapes the expectations of solutions, and why it’s bad for our work addressing systemic injustice
This blog post discusses the phenomenon of “solutions privilege”, in which people with positions of power and privilege criticize presentations about inequities as not being “solutions-oriented”. It provides examples of how people ignore solutions that are presented that involve resource redistribution, infantilize people of color and look to them to provide solutions rather than take on the challenging work themselves. For more read here.
Systemic Racism Explained
This video provides a brief, but effective explanation of how systemic racism impacts people of color in the US today by exploring the history of residential segregation and other forms of segregation limited people of color’s access to wealth. It also discusses how systemic racism is perpetuated by implicit bias. For more watch here.
Examining Equitable and Inclusive Work Environments in Environmental Education
This report explores how Environmental Education organizations are engaging in equity, diversity and inclusion practices and identifies strategies and tools on how to improve those practices. The study draws on research conducted with majority white organizational leaders and environmental educators of color and highlights a disconnect between those group’s perceptions of DEI work in their organizations. For more read here.
Leaking Talent: How People of Color are Pushed out of Environmental Organizations
This report by Green 2.0 investigates the factors that impact the retention and promotions of people of color within the environmental movement. Some of the key findings are that increasing transparency around promotion practices, focusing on employee development and incorporating justice, equity, diversity and inclusion practices into the mission improves the intention to stay for all employees, white and POC. For more read here.
Considerations for Inclusive Convenings
This document is a resource for groups holding large gatherings who hope to make them more inclusive. It offers numerous considerations to make the event inclusive for the attendees regardless of race, ability, gender, class, stage of career, religious beliefs and more. For more see attached document.
DownloadThe business case for diversity is a sinking ship
This article offers a strong critique of the “business case” for diversity and inclusion, where increased profit is the main motivator for diversity efforts. The author details how companies are lauded for cosmetic changes, such as more diverse marketing strategies, while they fail to focus on more substantive, long-term changes to company practices, leadership and culture. They also address how DEI work primarily focused on profit fails to address the needs of the marginalized communities they seek to profit from. For more read here.
Why Companies Should Add Class to Their Diversity Discussions
This article makes the case for why class diversity should be a point of emphasis within efforts to make workplaces more diverse. The authors provide examples of how people from working class backgrounds face barriers in entering white-collar workplaces due to referral-based hiring practices, prioritizing “culture fit” in hiring and different relationships to work and family. For more read here.
Diversifying Boards Means Ceding Control—Are White Nonprofit Leaders Ready?
This article discusses the lack of diverse representation on the boards of nonprofits and how nonprofits do work “for” marginalized communities rather than “with” them. They suggest that those in leadership in nonprofits are not willing to genuinely engage in equity work because it would mean radically changing their structures. For more read here.
Transforming a Movement: How foundations can support effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion capacity building efforts in environmental organizations
This report, compiled by the consulting group J.E.D.I. Heart, explores how funders and organizations can contribute to and more effectively engage in DEI efforts within the environmental movement. The report draws on research conducted with funders, DEI point people and staff of color at environmental organizations to analyze the limitations of ongoing DEI work and provide concrete suggestions for how to improve. Their findings suggest that environmental organizations view the act of beginning DEI efforts as a success in itself, rather than critically exploring the effectiveness of the work. For more read here.
On a Plate
This is a comic that illustrates the differences between growing up in a higher-income family and a lower-income family. It depicts well how socio-economic background can shape life opportunities and exposes the flaws in arguments about pulling oneself up by their bootstraps. For more read here.
relinquishing the patriarchy
This article is directed at people who identify as men and explores the impact that toxic masculinity can have on their relationships with people who identify as women. The author discusses reasons for toxic male relational approaches with women and offers a number of practices that can help “relinquish the patriarchy”. For more read here.