Carolyn D. Pitt, Esq.’s Post

**We Are Not DEI Hires: Why Conservative Media's Obsession with Minimizing Kamala Harris and POCs' Accomplishments Will Ultimately Fail** - 🔍 **Highlighting Achievements**: The article emphasizes the importance of recognizing the significant accomplishments of Kamala Harris and other people of color, which are often overlooked by conservative media. - 🤝 **Beyond DEI Labels**: It argues against the reductionist view of POCs as mere "DEI hires" and stresses their genuine qualifications and contributions. - ⚖️ **Cultural Impact**: The narrative in conservative media can undermine the progress made by diverse leaders and the positive changes they bring to society. - 🌱 **Growth and Future**: The persistent minimization of achievements is ultimately a losing battle, as society increasingly values diversity and inclusion. - 🌟 **Empowerment**: Celebrating POCs' accomplishments empowers more individuals to strive for success and recognition in all fields. https://buff.ly/46k5RXD Let’s continue pushing for an inclusive narrative that uplifts all voices! How can we better support and celebrate the accomplishments of diverse leaders in our workplaces? 💬 #Diversity #Inclusion #Leadership #KamalaHarris #Empowerment #Equality

Across many disciplines, scholars have documents and analyzed the impact of the person who creates the piece. In art, the "gaze" can affect how subjects are depicted; for example, a male gaze depict a woman idealized as a love interest while a female gaze may appreciate her scars reflecting her journey. In history, the author can include or leave out certain histories and views, shaping what is widely known about our past. In radio journalism, which this article touches on, a diverse reporting staff can bring in different voices and stories to shape our sense of what is "current" news. Yet to bring in those voices, organizations must do the work. We are pleased to see our Lab's Senior Research Scholar Melissa Abad, PhD and upcoming speaker Dr. Adia Harvey Wingfield cited as providing important insights into the additional labor for employees of color to support these diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. And they must continue to do the work to make sure these voices continue to be included in workplace practices. Doing the work is important. And having organizations foster the resiliency of the employees doing the work, and to sustain the programs, are essential ingredients to create more inclusive workplaces. Article by Prof. Laura Garbes.

Don't take our word for it - come learn for yourselves. Corporate leaders across geography, sector and industry are embedding DEI work deeper into the fabric of their organizations despite narratives to the contrary. Please join Bridge Partners - Executive Search for a lively discussion on insights from our 2nd annual Inclusion Barometer. Registration link below. 🔻 #DEI #inclusionmatters #healthequity #dontbelievethehype

“Shaking our heads is not enough.” Check out the insightful quick read from Professor Damien Page. What role do you play in combating or *enabling* “harmful” female experiences in your setting?

Many shake their collective heads at how, particularly since announcing her candidacy, Kamala Harris has been undermined. Diminished by innuendo about her personal life. Accused of being the ‘DEI candidate’. Held responsible for the actions of others. Being too ‘woke’, too radical, too unqualified, her professionalism impugned, her ability questioned. This is politics. But this is not just politics. Listen to women about their experience in work, particularly their experience of moving into leadership. Better still, ask a Black or Asian woman about *their* experiences which are often more acute, more harmful, more damaging. The experience of women in professional environments is too often a tale of being undermined, impugned, sabotaged. The difference in organisations is that it is less often overt, less often said aloud. It’s performed in corridors, in kitchens, in quiet spaces. Subtly in meetings, coded, expressed in allusions. Damned with faint praise. Shaking our heads is not enough. Challenge. Challenge in the quiet spaces, the subterranean spaces. Challenge the coded undermining, challenge the doubts raised, challenge the questioning of competence, challenge the narratives of undeserved achievement, challenge the invocation of a woman’s personal life affecting her professional life. Challenge. And challenge consistently.

💥 INNOCEAN’s Amoni Brown and Theresa Myrill are redefining success for Black women in advertising, and they're just getting started. For National Women’s Month, we dove into their worlds where self-advocacy and personal branding aren’t just buzzwords, they're words to live by: 👑 Amoni Brown: “The true power in advocating for oneself lies in being aware of your personal strengths, having clarity around your goal, confronting fear head-on, and meticulous preparation. When armed with these attributes, the act of asking becomes not just effortless, but a testament of your confidence and unwavering determination.” 🌟 Theresa Myrill: “Advocating for yourself can feel uncomfortable for women - many of us have been conditioned to think that speaking up for yourself is somehow off-putting or misinterpreted as difficult. It’s important that we normalize and become comfortable with these conversations in order to break down and rebuild new corporate structures, ones that reflect a true diversity of opinion.” Watch for more Women’s Month inspiration!

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥—𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬! It has been a tough time digesting the loss of Kamala Harris in the recent US election and the abundance of analysis on why she lost the election. I stumbled upon an interesting read on Kamala Harris and the “glass cliff” that highlights a troubling dynamic: highly educated, highly qualified leaders—especially women of color—are more harshly scrutinized and held to a different standard.  👉 Kamala Harris is THE prime example. Many see her as privileged due to her education, experience and  the high-profile positions she has held (not to mention her wealth). Some might even argue she doesn’t bring a “new perspective.” But that’s a gross oversimplification. For anyone that has lived their entire lives as being Black knows that we have lived a vastly different life in perceptions, bias, discrimination and other injustices. Whether or not they live in Bygdøy and went to NHH (to make it a bit more Norwegian). The same applies in corporate spaces. When we dismiss representation as mere optics, we ignore the profound impact that diverse voices bring to leadership, innovation, and culture. Representation is not just about who is in the room; it’s about whose perspectives shape decisions and whose experiences drive change. Some suggest we need to “move beyond representation,” as though we’ve already achieved enough. But how can we talk about equity and inclusion when many leaders from underrepresented backgrounds still lack the opportunity to thrive in environments built for others? Because without representation, we risk reinforcing the very inequities we claim to want to dismantle. And of course, it doesn't end there, as we all know 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲! Let’s stop debating whether representation matters and start doing the work to ensure it drives equity and inclusion 🙌 #RepresentationMatters #DEI #Leadership #Equity #Inclusion #Diversity #ChangeTheNarrative https://lnkd.in/dg4b6_eu

This Kamala Harris endorsement is basically an example of the Glass Cliff. Hiring an exceptional Black woman/Woman of colour during a time of crisis knowing that it's going to be extremely challenging to achieve success. And although I have no doubt that she is more than capable (and very much aware of the challenges that are about to be presented to her) it says a lot that it took so much push back before Biden's camp deemed it time to pass the baton on. Kamala Harris is far more qualified than Trump, that goes without saying, however her team is going to have to really put in the work. They can't "fix" the many isms that will rear their ugly faces but the work to keep Trump out of the white house is necessary. There have also been memes and silly only content which may have undermined the way people view Harris. And obviously none of that should matter but given that she is a woman of Mixed Black Jamaican and Indian heritage she'll be expected to be beyond exceptional. There is never the right time when it comes to politics but there would have been a much better circumstance than the one that has been handed to her. I am sure people will be excited about what could be a historic victory and no doubt representation plays a major part here but I cannot stop thinking about the glass cliff effect and its impact on high functioning, high achieving Black women and women of colour. https://lnkd.in/e6iRmT_A #leadership #glasscliff

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Many companies pride themselves on treating everyone the same, adopting a "colorblind" approach to differences. While the motivation behind such an approach is most often based on good intent, the impact is not positive. Our differences do shape our experiences and opportunities. If we never examine our workforce, organizational culture, and practices through an identity-conscious lens, we miss out on very important information and insights. We are unable to detect the disparities that still exist, the feelings of exclusion, the discrimination. A starting point for any impactful DEI work is identifying and addressing experiences and barriers that different groups face. We need to pay attention to difference, we need to collect data paying attention to identities, and we need to carefully listen to minority voices. If these are questions that resonate with you, do join Includia's webinar on this topic on October 1st. Link to the sign up for in the comments.