Program Director Dr. Kenita T. Gordon’s Post

I welcome the progress made during the International Decade for People of African Descent: laws changed, voices uplifted, cultures celebrated. But it’s not nearly enough. Systemic barriers still deny people of African descent their rights and freedoms.   We need a Second International Decade. One driven by action, one that dismantles systemic racism, and one led by the voices of people of African descent to shape our future.   Today, I called on world leaders to take concrete, urgent steps to deliver transformative change. Our societies remain riddled with inequality. Disparities in areas such as healthcare, education, criminal justice, and democratic participation persist, deepening poverty, inequality, and climate injustice.   We must listen, learn, and legislate for real change. As Nelson Mandela put it, “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest." https://lnkd.in/e_qAaHXc

“Research shows that America would be much better off economically if race-based barriers against Black people were abolished. Sometimes, even money doesn’t matter. But words matter. Words trigger emotional meaning based on their associations. Consider the individual who hates “Obamacare” but loves the Affordable Care Act or admonishes the government to keep its hands off their money but embraces their monthly Social Security check. It has been said that if you want people to listen, you must speak their language. The language of American business leadership and national prosperity is capitalism. DEI is a capitalist tool to increase income and wealth through fairness. Increased fairness results in increased employee engagement. Increased employee engagement leads to greater innovation, productivity, and profitability.” #dei #attacks #capitalism #barriers #inclusion #grants #blackwomen #ambivalentinclusion #scorn https://lnkd.in/ghiPxBn2

This Juneteenth, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the anti-Blackness that is present in my own Asian community. Before you protest, see my list below in some of the ways these show up. Some of them are more subtle than you may think. 📍 When we insist on meritocracy, we're buying into the American lie and ignoring the fact that this country was built on the unpaid labor of Black people who were forced into slavery. 📍 When we are against reparations, we're ignoring the history of this country where the descendants of the slave trade were systemically deprived of resources that affects them even today. It starts with historic policies like redlining, which lowers property values in Black neighborhoods, and then trickles down to things like education and other public services. 📍 When we say, its okay to protest but not this way - we're prioritizing our comfort vs. the centuries of discrimination against the descendants of the slave trade. We're prioritizing white values of niceness over the actual harm that was done (that continues to be done). 📍 When on our Asian organizations boards, we only have white or brown people, and rarely Black people, you're reinforcing anti-Blackness, whether you realize it or not. A common example I hear from Black Muslims is the lack of representation in Muslim board positions (The discrimination faced by Black Muslims can be a whole other topic). There are many other examples of anti-Blackness that can be added to the list, but I wanted to keep the examples relevant to the descendants of the transatlantic slave trade. So what can we do instead? 💡 First, we can keep educating ourselves about the history of this country, the horrors of slavery and the discriminatory effects it still has today. Go into the specific histories of our own community and locality, so you can understand better. For example, I didn't understand why East Austin always got the bad end of a deal, until I realized the city was racially segregated in 1928, and Black families had to move to the East. 💡 Second, when our loved ones in the community fall into the trap of meritocracy or other examples similar to the one listed above, don't stay silent. While you can be understanding of the fear that pushes Asian Americans to adopt white values of success, it's not okay for us to be silent and accept harmful behavior. 💡Third, amplify Black voices and causes in your community and always check for any disparity in your organizations. If you are able, please also financially support Black businesses, educators, artists, etc. in your community. What are some things you're doing to support and counter anti-Blackness in your communities? #juneteenth

🚨NEW: Have you noticed a rise in anti-Indian racism in Canada lately? The thing is, this rhetoric has been growing in far-right circles for months — but only really escalated in the “mainstream” more recently. Let’s talk about how that happens:

Words Have Power and Consequences This week has been a distressing and shocking week. The Staff College is an organisation that puts Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Equity at the heart of all we do and the recent surge of racist and Islamophobic violence across the UK is a stark reminder that we must remain united against hatred and that racism is real and perpetuating. It is also a reminder that words have power and consequence. We have seen the role of words on social media, by those in positions of power and influence, and by those who seek to spread hate which has stoked the violence that we have seen over recent days. Narratives run deep and we must ensure that words within those narratives are not irresponsibly made. More positively we have also seen the words of many through the action taken by our communities who have stood up and said’ you do not represent us’ and ‘we stand together’. As Nelson Mandela said “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Words have power - we must all reflect on the impact of our public narratives. Anti-racist leadership is needed right now.

Only a year after I came to Australia with my parents, "The Promise of World Peace" was published by the Universal House of Justice in 1985, and its influence on our household when I was growing up was immense for the decades that followed. Almost all aspects of our family life, and in particular what my parents, discussed, initiated and achieved in North QLD was all in relation to the message and purpose of this document. Unity, Equity, Justice, Peace, were the themes and topics discussed in our home; I was learning of Edward Said's work on postcolonialism and orientalism, Spivak's concept of subaltern, while witnessing Eddie Mabo's struggle to establish the existence of Native Title in the 1990s. Now, almost 40 years after that statement was released, the existence of racism, or rather its persistence, is to me an absurd and insane form of self harm, that society is inflicting upon itself. Racist societies perpetrate racism not only against so-called "minorities", migrants or "Persons of Colour, but against themselves as a society. When you consider the poison that racism is to the fabric of society, to organisations, and the individuals themselves, it eventually becomes akin to self-immolation. A destructive force that will erode the moral fabric, the integrity, efficacy, and even the social licence to operate for many organisations. The very same societies, institutions and organisations who benefited from racism will soon realise that their bias, prejudice, preferential treatment and sense of cultural superiority will also be their downfall, as the world around us changes faster than most can fathom. Championing the right to self-defence for some, while denying the same right to others; bemoaning the horrors of bombing hospitals and schools, whilst remaining ambivalent when it occurs somewhere else; affording some people the right to hold passionate views and perspectives whilst others are chastised for it; these are all evidences of a society that is completely and utterly poisoned by racist sentiment. Racism is a disease that has reached every fibre of our social infrastructure, and the persistence of this prejudice is becoming an existential threat to public institutions, private businesses, NGOs and development organisations, peak bodies and entire nations that still allow racism to exist in their vicinity. "From the Bahá’í perspective, racism is one of the most baneful and persistent evils in society. Racial discrimination is baneful because it violates the dignity of human beings. And yet it persists. Racism is poisonous because it cripples its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. And yet it persists. Why? We believe that racism persists precisely because it is deeply rooted in outdated attitudes and erroneous beliefs. Accordingly, any campaign to eradicate racism must change those attitudes and beliefs." Bahá’í International Community, 8th February 1989, Eliminating Racism

“I don’t understand how we build solidarity, if we don’t talk about what’s keeping us apart.” - Dr. Ibram X. Kendi In yesterday's keynote between Mary-Frances Winters and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi at The Winters Group, Inc.'s Racial Justice at Work Summit, Dr. Kendi discussed how terms such as DEI, CRT, woke, race, etc. have all become politicized and packed in controversy, with companies touting that if we just use another term or different terminology, then we’ll be able to engage in a better strategy. However, he reminded us that once we create a term that becomes popular and unifying, those who are trying to conserve racism go after it because the term is critical to organization and mobilization. We’re going to be constantly searching for new terms, which makes it harder for us to sustain the movement. His call to action was that those of us engaged in this work have to ensure that we are defining terms accurately, and we can’t give up ones that have been effective in mobilizing and empowering people. #racialjusticeatwork #diversityequityinclusion

When reflecting on the issue of institutionalized racialism and religionism, it is crucial to consider the realities faced by marginalized minorities in our society. Despite progress in some areas, disparities in wealth, opportunity, and access to essential resources persist, highlighting the need for systemic change. Let us strive to create a future where all members of society are valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.

The West is facing stark warning signs of decline, from plummeting birth rates to fraying social cohesion and stagnation of some ecomomies. One significant factor behind this decline is the excessive focus on identity politics, particularly around race and sexuality as examplified in the recent 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony which has faced huge amounts of backlash for pushing a political agenda whilst offensing the religious community especially christians. While important, this emphasis has led to a fragmentation of society, eroding shared values and common purpose. Prioritizing differences over shared humanity neglects the essential building blocks of a healthy society: family, community, and civic engagement. The outcome is a divisive culture that stifles free speech and suppresses dissenting voices, undermining Western civilization. In contrast, nations unencumbered by these distractions are advancing, fueled by a strong national purpose and collective identity. The West must realign its focus, rediscover core values, and embrace civic unity to prevent succumbing to decline and irrelevance.