“DEI Hire?” Seriously?!
Calling someone a “DEI hire” is a racist, bigoted, and misogynistic insult. It implies that the only reason a person in a position of power or authority got their job was because of a handout or a numerical preference based on race, ethnicity, or gender. It also wrongly assumes that any white male in a senior position earned his role purely on merit, which anyone who has worked with or for an...
Take Pride In Our Differences!
It was August 22rd, 1978 and my very first day as a freshman at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. All of the theater school students were gathered together in the mainstage for a welcome speech by the school’s director. As I looked around me, I realized it was a very diverse group of young people, all with stars in their eyes, just like me. And within a week after I started taking...
Antisemitism on the Rise
I must admit, until Ye – the musician and designer formerly known as Kanye West – tweeted that he would “go death con 3 on Jewish people,” I wasn’t paying as much attention to the rise of antisemitism in this country as I should have. Shame on me. Quick research shows that according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitic behavior in the US, there was a 37% rise in...
Why the Chris Rock/Will Smith Oscar Altercation was a DE&I Issue
An Invited Opinion By Rainea Cumberbatch On Oscar night, Sunday March 27th, Will Smith became the fifth African American to win the prestigious Best Actor In a Leading Role award for his portrayal as Richard Williams in King Richard. The actor won the Oscar from an academy which, in it’s 94 years in existence, has only nominated 23 Black men for this award. We also watched Will Smith...
Interviewing Lori George Billingsley, Cheif DEI Officer Coca-Cola
I have lived a privileged life. I am the son of a famous sportswriter, Gene Ward, who wrote for the NY Daily News and was syndicated by the Chicago Tribune and on TV and radio. So, as a kid, because my dad was interviewing famous sports stars, I got to meet some of my cherished childhood heroes including Arthur Ashe, the Stanley-Cup-Winning team members of the New York Islanders hockey team...
America’s Sub-Culture of Hate
Many Americans are deeply concerned that the recent mass shootings in Atlanta are yet another horrifying sign of the escalating abuse, violence and discrimination toward Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. We at the Center for Respectful Leadership share these concerns and believe it is our responsibility to speak out and take a stand against hate. The trends are unmistakable:...
Why Apple’s Head of Diversity Had to Apologize for Being Right
Recently, during the One Young World Summit in Bogotá, Denise Young Smith, Apple’s head of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) made a statement that was quickly labeled as controversial not only by diversity and inclusion critics and detractors, but also by experts and advocates. “There can be 12 white, blue-eyed blond men in a room,” she said during a panel discussion, “and they are going to be...
Diversity and Inclusion Aren’t the Same Thing
“Diversity” and “inclusion” are often thought to be the same thing, but they’re actually different concepts. Diversity advocate Verna Myers explains the difference between the two terms well: “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” An organization can easily hire employees with different backgrounds, but making sure these employees feel included can be...