Credit:
My kids and I were talking on a ride home from school last year about the fact that CEOs are overwhelmingly white men. (Yes, random race discussions are just one benefit of having a mom focused professionally on issues of race and injustice.) I decided to quiz them and asked, “Of the top 500 companies, how many do you think have a Black CEO?”
My middle schooler paused briefly, then blurted out “100.” Paralyzed by a stinging sense of dread, regret and guilt at having to burst her bubble, I hesitantly responded, “No, it’s five.”
While that number has since risen to a record high of six, that leaves Black CEO representation in the Fortune 500 just over one percent—dismal by any measure. Unfortunately, this racial disparity for Black professionals remains consistent throughout a range of industries and professional areas, from Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation as the first Black female justice in the Supreme Court’s 233 year history to the fact that there’s never been a Black female U.S. governor to the dearth of Black representation on corporate boards. Given the fact that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, pledges and leadership roles have been well entrenched in public and private organizational ecosystems for more than 50 years, it certainly seems that corporate DEI efforts have largely failed Black professionals.
This isn’t to say that DEI isn’t both important and necessary (because it is), but DEI arguably hasn’t yielded the tangible outcomes, created safe and inclusive corporate cultures or closed glaring pay disparities plaguing many Black professionals. While the simultaneous prevalence and popularity of DEI amidst the persistence of racial disparities may seem as counter-intuitive as it is tragic, there are clear, logical, relatively conspicuous reasons for what may appear paradoxical at first glance.
Most Chief Diversity Officers are White
While the chief diversity officer (CDO) certainly can’t do it alone, the CDO can have a significant impact on the focus and direction of an organization’s DEI program. Zippia’s April 2022 findings reveal that a whopping 81.3% of CDOs identify as White, and that’s far from inconsequential. “Organizations are designing DEI ‘solutions’ and strategies without the perspectives and leadership of diverse people,” notes diversity, inclusion, and equity trainer and consultant Setche Kwamu-Nana. “It is common practice for white people to be the decision-makers, then sometimes later look for BIPOC people to execute those decisions.” Given these DEI leadership demographics, issues of anti-Black racism, racial disparities and discrimination, workplace aggressions and systemic racism may frequently take a back seat to other areas at the discretion of the CDO. It’s simply human nature to gravitate to the elements of DEI that reflect our own lived experience or areas of most significant interest and expertise.
Certainly white people can be effective DEI leaders, and DEI leadership should represent all identities. That said, it’s important to note that having majority White DEI leaders will have an overall impact on how (or even if) anti-Black racism shows up on the DEI menu of services. Indeed, given the breath of DEI, many white DEI professionals who lack the racial literacy, humility or stamina to credibly lean into (much less champion) issues of anti-Black racism will simply spin the DEI wheel and choose another category.
DEI is Increasingly Broad by Design
As it should be, DEI’s focus is broad—typically encompassing ethnicity, race (including various racial groups with diverse histories, experiences and challenges), age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, religion and more. That broad reach is a tremendous benefit because all historically marginalized communities and intersectional identities should be acknowledged, affirmed and supported.
Unfortunately though, that broad scope also offers organizations an opportunity to conveniently ignore or deemphasize topics they deem to be less savory or comfortable. This provides the perfect cover for companies who may have been quick to capitalize on the public relations benefits of committing to anti-racism after George Floyd’s murder but slow to follow through with tangible, persistent justice-centered actions after the fact.
Indeed, the breadth of DEI provides a tantalizing opportunity to conduct performative, check-the-box training events, then skip any real follow through and instead just move on to the next disadvantaged group all under the auspices of “inclusion.” Meanwhile, systemic and structural inequities persist (or increase) in the absence of specific, intentional sustained focus on the particular challenges plaguing Black professionals.
Companies May Intentionally Select CDOs that Won’t Rock the Boat
The sad truth is that many companies haven’t truly prioritized DEI and don’t really want to make fundamental changes. As such, they’d much prefer to bring on a CDO that won’t rock the boat or press them for too much change too fast (or in some cases…any real change at all).
“Many of the few BIPOC leaders in the field are chosen specifically because they will not threaten business as usual by advocating for real transformation beneficial to Black people and other predominantly marginalized groups,” explains Kwamu-Nana. “And even for those BIPOC leaders who would, they are often silenced or disempowered, and not supported in their ideas that challenge the dominant organizational culture and processes.” George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent summer 2020 social justice protests created a tsumami of societal, public relations and industry peer pressure that resulted in an avalanche of pledges, donations and DEI commitments that could have just as easily been made before that summer.
Since then, companies have generally struggled to make real, substantive progress for the same reasons they didn’t make those pledges and pronouncements before the unprecedented pressures—most lack the authentic will and commitment to do so.
Without question this is difficult work and even those CDOs who are inclined to speak truth to power or push back on authority face the very real possibility of being silenced, ignored or having their funding or resources slashed. This Fast Company article explores the significant toll that many CDOs experience face with challenges inherent in the role. “Chief diversity officers aren’t staying put because they so often have too little support and too much responsibility. The average tenure is now under two years (1.8), compared with 4.9 for CEOs,” the article explains. “Most have expressed deep frustration with their lack of resources, not to mention the lack of recognition they receive for a seemingly impossible task.” Similarly, equity, diversity and inclusion consultant Dhalia Balmir explains, “Black professionals in DEI often find themselves stepping into roles where institutions are not ready, open or willing to make the necessary changes towards building an equitable environment.
DEI Isn’t Really a Business Priority.
Having surveyed 804 HR professionals in various industries, the report “Elevating Equity: The Real Story of Diversity and Inclusion” finds that “…roughly 80% of companies are just going through the motions and not holding themselves accountable” referring to corporate DEI efforts. The report cites the following revealing, albeit disappointing, statistics:
- Only 12% of companies hold managers responsible for recruiting diverse candidates
- 75% of companies do not have DEI included in the company’s leadership development or overall L&D curricula. Rather, DEI is treated as a compliance issue.
- Only 32% of companies mandate any form of DEI training for employees and only 34% offer such training to managers.
- Only 22% of companies believe they are recognized by their employees, customers, or suppliers as leaders in DEI.
Trotting out random, sporadic unconscious bias trainings does little to ameliorate structural racial inequities or cultivate anti-racist cultures long term. “DEI is not a training problem – it’s a strategy and culture problem,” the report explains. “CEOs can’t expect their organizations to cope with these issues through training; they have to set a complete business agenda that includes diversity, equity and inclusion.” Similarly, the report finds that unlike other business priorities, DEI efforts often lack any real accountability. “Metrics and goals are mandatory for success. DEI work needs to be managed as a business function, not an HR program,” the report explains. “Done right, DEI accountability resides in every business unit, in every function, on every team. One person or one team can’t alone be accountable for success. If you run DEI like a business function, this becomes glaringly obvious.”
While companies make Black Lives Matter pledges or post statements in support of anti-racism (especially on the heels of well-publicized events of violence or trauma perpetuated against the Black community), Black professionals can easily discern when those efforts are really just performative, self-serving, temporary dalliances into unfamiliar territory to be quickly followed by a return to regular programming. These brief, inconsistent spurts of interest in Black pain, systemic racism and workplace aggressions in fact create another level of frustration for diversity leaders and Black employees more broadly. The Wall Street Journal article “Demand for Diversity Officers is High. So is Turnover” cites one Black tenured executive recruiting firm partner’s observation. “CDOs are appointed to a role, only to discover that corporate promises fall flat,” the article notes. “Longtime diversity executives said the space can suffer from rhetoric when it is specific goals that matter.”
While many make the mistake of assuming Black professionals will find equity, justice and workplace liberation through DEI efforts, the truth is that too often the goals of DEI and antiracism are not as aligned as one might think. Anti-racism requires bold, courageous, sometimes uncomfortable analysis of the systemic and structural causes that have yielded persistent inequities and fostered toxic work environments. Anti-racism seeks justice, repair and reconciliation. DEI as it shows up in many organizations, however, is not particularly justice focused. “One of the main reasons DEI often fails Black professionals is because DEI has come so far from its roots in racial and economic justice,” insists Kwamu-Nana. “It has been co-opted by corporations and watered down (whitewashed) to be primarily about learning to get along and celebrating different cultures, an approach that keeps those in power comfortable and stays clear of addressing power dynamics and power sharing.”
Truth be told, most power structures within organizations are simply not motivated to fundamentally question much less rebalance or restructure said power structure. Perhaps Kwamu-Nana summarizes it best as she concludes, “DEI cannot make its priority protecting white people’s feelings and keeping power comfortable and be able to simultaneously bring about meaningful and sustainable change for Black professionals.”
While DEI is a broad, very necessary and important discipline, it's rarely a savior, panacea (or even a strong ally) for Black professionals in the workplace. Workplaces need DEI and active anti-racism efforts. The former simply isn't a sufficient proxy for the latter, no matter how many unconscious bias trainings they offer.
