The Greenlining Institute has released its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Framework: Reclaiming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Racial Justice, hoping to spark a larger dialogue on how to revitalize a diversity movement that, despite significant gains, has barely moved the needle at the top levels of leading corporations and government institutions.
“Diversity advocates have certainly managed to raise awareness and generate some movement with campaigns like #OscarsSoWhite,” said Danielle Beavers, Greenlining Institute director of diversity and inclusion. “But people of color continue to be redlined in the job market, with chronically higher unemployment, and remain badly underrepresented at the top decision-making levels of our major institutions, while the racial wealth gap has barely budged. We believe this framework will stimulate discussion and help energize a movement to reclaim diversity, equity and inclusion as tools for racial justice.”
The framework lays out the differences between diversity, equity and inclusion, charts the evolution of diversity campaigns over the decades, and aims to help diversity advocates turn ideals into a concrete tool using the “Four Ws” – who, what, where and why. Beavers seeks to put together a working group to build on the Framework’s outline and create a toolkit that will help advocates push corporations and other major institutions toward diversity, equity and inclusion policies based on justice.
