When They Step Back, We Step Forward: Keeping DEI Alive  – ep.165

On today’s podcast, I want to shine a light on the recent cutbacks to DEI initiatives that have been happening as of late. I’ll explore the pushback against these efforts and discuss how we can reenergize the movement through the teachings of the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. As corporations and governments scale back their commitments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, what can we do to keep the movement strong? Let’s explore ways to reclaim the power of DEI through community action, advocacy, and economic investment. We don’t need permission to create change—we ARE the change.

Melyssa Barrett:  Welcome to the Jali Podcast. I’m your host, Melyssa Barrett. This podcast is for those who are interested in the conversation around equity, diversity, and inclusion. Each week, I’ll be interviewing a guest who has something special to share or is actively part of building solutions in the space. Let’s get started. This episode is a little different than the others, but I’m going to do it anyway because sometimes when life gets hard, we just have to acknowledge what we’re doing today and what we need to do tomorrow. Today we’re talking about something real, the shifting tides of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the cutbacks, the lawsuits, the pushback, and yet we’re still here. We’re still building, creating, and healing. When institutions step back, we step forward because we always have, this is what we do, but how do we stay energized? If you’re like me, it can be exhausting. How do we keep showing up? When the world produces chaos or wants us to shut down or slow down, what do we do? We root ourselves in principles, in our values and our history.

We look for a blueprint to move us forward, but often we need a daily rhythm. One of the things that I do is I always fall back on the Saba, the seven principles of Kwanza, not just for one week in December, but to move me forward because no matter what changes, these values are in our DNA. Shout out to black owned business owner, Lanny Smith of actively Black. Our values are in our DNA, so let’s talk about some of these principles, the strength of our collective energy, unity. We cannot do this work alone. We must stand together, work together, create together. Even when companies and governments pull back, we lean in as family, as colleagues, as neighbors, we are stronger together. Unity means we build, uplift, and move as one. Be inspired by Stacey Abrams because when we organize, we change the game. Find community spaces where our people still gather virtual or in person.

Your voice is needed. Speak up even when you may be uncomfortable. Share your perspective and create the dialogue, especially with the leaders in your city. Celebrate the people in your life who uplift you. Tell them text, call, visit. Go right now. Express yourselves and connect with the most important people in your life and support black-owned businesses, nonprofits, volunteers. Show up. Let your presence be your power. Collaboration is key. That’s unity. We define our path, Lia. Self-determination. We write our own stories. We claim our own spaces. Think of Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes, and so many others. They built their own empires. Self-determination means we tell our own stories. Others may try to rewrite history, but we write our future. Speak your truth. Own your space. Walk in your purpose. Learn about the DEI policies in your city. What’s changing? What’s staying? Stay informed. Research black-owned businesses and media outlets. Who is telling our stories? Support them. And I’m going to give a shout out to Old Hillside Bourbon Company. They are telling the stories of not only black jockeys, but black women jockeys.

Use your affirmations. Affirm yourself every day. Say it out loud. I’m powerful. I am necessary. I will not be erased. Create, write, paint, dance. Sing the stories that must be told. The use of creativity and skill. Art is beautiful, meaningful, or it expresses ideas or feelings. Art is resistance. Art is power. Self-determination. We lift as we climb. Collective work and responsibility. U Jima. This is about showing up for each other. If you see a gap, fill it. If you see a need, meet it. Inspired by Dr. Mia Corbett, a black woman who led the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. When the world needed solutions, she stepped up with science, innovation, and dedication. Connect with organizations still doing the work. Support them. Donate, be present, mentor someone. Pass on what you know. We grow by lifting others and take action. If policies are shifting, get out your pen and paper, write a letter, send an email show up at City Hall. It is our collective work and responsibility. We must own that building together. When I think about cooperative economics, o jama, economics is a tool of power. Where we spend our money matters. Who we invest in determines our future. Think about the first self-made black woman millionaire. She built an empire in beauty and business. She didn’t just make money. She created jobs empowered women and reinvested in the community.

So use your head, learn about community banking, mutual aid, cooperative investing. Encourage black businesses and creatives, celebrate them. Share their work. Make a conscious decision today to buy black, buy local, build wealth in our communities. Cooperative economics, U jama. Our work has meaning Nia, which means purpose. Think about it. Our ancestors built nations, our elders paved roads. Our children will inherit what we create. What’s your purpose in this moment? I think about John Lewis, a civil rights icon. His purpose was justice. He believed in good trouble and changed history. Write down one goal that pushes our community forward. Write down one thing you’ll commit to and remind yourself your work matters. What I do today makes tomorrow better. So take one action. Big or small, just take one. Movement creates momentum. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, all focused on your purpose. Creativity. We don’t just survive, we innovate. We make something out of nothing. We create joy. How many times have you heard people talk about making something out of nothing? We have always done that. Black culture is on the global stage unapologetically. So think about how you can bring creativity into your work activism or business. Celebrate black joy. Post it, speak it, share it. Joy is a revolution.

Make something, a poem, a beat, a business plan a movement. Use your creativity. The belief that we will win. Faith. When systems shift, when policies change, when support fades, we keep going because we believe Imani Faith. I’m inspired by Amanda Gorman. She stood on the biggest stage in the world and spoke power into existence. With the hill we climb. We have to know our history. We’ve always found a way and we always will. So pray, meditate, dance. Do whatever fuels you. Extend grace. Be patient with yourself and others. Keep the faith. We are the builders, the healers, the storytellers, the change makers. No matter what happens around us, we are still here. Root yourself in Umoja. Define yourself with Ji Chaiya. Work with u Jima. Build with u jama. Move with Nia. Create with Kaumba. Believe with Imani, we rise. We build, we thrive together. Choose diversity and inclusion. Create excellence. Let’s pause for a moment. We’ll be right back.

The other thing I want to do is just talk about some practical actions to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. And I know everybody’s up in arms about the use of the words, diversity, equity, and inclusion, but we’ll get into words in more detail because words do make a difference. We see a lot of organizations pulling back, and yet we push forward. So whether you’re an individual, entrepreneur, activist, or community leader, here are some steps that you can take to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in your everyday life. I gave you a lot of information on the principles and what they mean, how you can use your hands to make a difference, how you can connect with folks in your community, in your family, and really other ways to make sure that you are focusing on your mind, growing your mind, and making sure that you’re taking time for yourself.

From a mindset perspective. We talked a lot about supporting black and minority owned businesses and spending intentionally. I know we’re going to hear a lot about that. There are apps out there like we buy black, the official Black Wall Street, but certainly hiring diverse vendors, caterers, service providers, focus on community. It’s a big thing. Other things you can do, talk about race, equity and justice. It shouldn’t be a trend, but it should be a lifestyle. So organize some courageous conversations at work, church, social groups. Join employee resource groups that advocate for voices that are marginalized. I know there’s a lot of stepping back in some of these corporate environments with employee resource groups, but you’re the employees. So if you don’t step back, they won’t step back. Post some community roundtables, discuss policy changes, hiring practices, challenge those corporations that are cutting back. And I hope all of you are demanding transparency, both in hiring promotions and pay equity.

Those are things that we continue to need to focus on in the workplace. Call out performative allyship. Ask for real action, not just words. Advocate for salary, transparency, mentorship, and for underrepresented groups. So let’s make whatever your industry is more inclusive. If you’re a leader, a speaker, an influencer, open the doors for others. Pass the microphone. And I know I’m going to be doing that a lot more. Recommend diverse speakers for panels, conferences, board positions. I’ll say that again. Board positions, publish and highlight black professionals and experts in your field. There are people looking for audience speakers. There are people looking for speakers. Make sure you recommend people you think are great. Get engaged in political and community action.

Use social media track companies that are cutting back on DEI and even more so track companies who are not cutting back on DEI and make sure that people know that they can support those organizations, those corporations that are not cutting back on DEI, Patagonia, Ben and Jerry’s. There’s a bunch of organizations and you’ll see us talking about more of those things as we go. And last but not least, I just want to encourage people, strengthen your education around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn, unlearn, and teach. One of my ministers used to tell me all the time, one of the hardest things in life is to unlearn something. And so one of the things that we need to always make sure we’re doing is learning and be for sure that there are things that you have learned that were provided by a particular perspective. And we always want to make sure that we understand our own history as well as other people’s history.

Many of my husband was a mastermind of culture, and one of the things that was so masterful about him is because he knew so much history, not only his own history, but other people’s history and other cultures, he was able to relate to so many people. It is just amazing. And so we need to build the next generation of change makers, and it starts with our youth. So we need to advocate for culturally inclusive education. We need to mentor our young professionals, support scholarships and funding, and we need to celebrate, right? DEI isn’t about struggling, it’s about celebration, right? So whether you’re hosting heritage events, cultural festivals, art shows, music events, we need to celebrate black success. So just remember, diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s not dead. It’s just shifting hands. And if corporations and governments are stepping back, we are stepping up. So the power is in our communities, it’s in our wallets, it’s in our votes, and it’s in our voices. Which action will you take today? Let’s do it. I’m Melissa Barrett and this is the Jali Podcast. Until next time, keep rising. Thanks for joining me on the Jolly Podcast. Please subscribe so you won’t miss an episode. See you next week.