As Twitchy reported earlier, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chalked up another win by signing into law that would do away with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) departments at Florida State Universities, including New College. This is a huge win for conservatives.
If you work for a corporation, you perhaps have attended some sort of DEI seminar in which you fill out privilege maps and learn about how “whiteness” underpins all of American society. The New York Times has noticed that some DEI programs are branching out and including “Belonging” in their mission statements.
Some companies are now saying "diversity and belonging" instead of "diversity and inclusion" — a changing terminology that reflects new thinking among some consultants, who say traditional DEI strategies haven't worked out as planned. https://t.co/5rNTCGFw4a
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 13, 2023
Traditional DEI strategies haven’t worked out as planned? Well, they were meant to sow racial division, and they’ve done that pretty well.
The New York Times reports:
Interest in creating more inclusive workplaces exploded after George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Many corporations turned their attention to addressing systemic racism and power imbalances — the things that had kept boardrooms white and employees of color feeling excluded from office life.
Now, nearly three years since that moment, some companies are amending their approach to D.E.I., even renaming their departments to include “belonging.” It’s the age of D.E.I.-B.
Some critics worry it’s about making white people comfortable rather than addressing systemic inequality, or that it simply allows companies to prioritize getting along over necessary change.
“Belonging is a way to help people who aren’t marginalized feel like they’re part of the conversation,” said Stephanie Creary, assistant professor of management at the Wharton School of Business who studies corporate strategies for diversity and inclusion.
She believes an abstract focus on belonging allows companies to avoid the tough conversations about power — and the resistance those conversations often generate. “The concern is that we are just creating new terms like belonging as a way to manage that resistance,” Ms. Creary said.
So now companies are hiring consultants who specialize in “belonging” and “bridge building,” since the current DEI training has only led to resentment and more division.
Incredible stuff. Businesses are finding that the DEI consultants they hire are running programs that create even more identity-based hostility and are responding by hiring other DEI consultants who market themselves as not doing that. All of this is fakehttps://t.co/gMORpFkWbW
— Matt Bruenig (@MattBruenig) May 15, 2023
It’s a scam that’s made people like Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi rich and done nothing of any actual value.
A DEI consultant with a "do nothing" recommendation is very likely in the top half of DEI program efficacy just because 0 to negative effects is the usual outcome.
— Matt Bruenig (@MattBruenig) May 15, 2023
Even this story is full of shit though which is so funny. The belonging-branded DEI consultants simply feed the journalist some anecdote about how a middle aged working class white guy warmed up to diversity after doing some kind of bigotry game and concludes they found the key.
— Matt Bruenig (@MattBruenig) May 15, 2023
Multilevel marketing for people with postgrad degrees
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 15, 2023
Exactly … what else are these race and gender studies graduates supposed to do with their degrees?
Real DEI consulting has never been tried
— keeno bo beano (@keenanarmstrong) May 15, 2023
Matt Bruenig W
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) May 15, 2023
The money sure spends as real
— StyrofoamBrick (@styrofoam_brick) May 15, 2023
who could have foreseen this?
— J Mathews (@OldandUnpopular) May 15, 2023
I used to work for a Big 4 firm that is now actively marketing its ESG/DEI consulting. It’s just another cash cow for them. They don’t care if it makes things better or worse for the client, they get paid. It’s a racket.
— 🦩rockmom 💃🏻 (@rockmom) May 15, 2023
They're just selling indulgences, and getting paid six figures to do it. Needs just as muscular a response as Henry VIII
— Euclid (@aethelamerican) May 15, 2023
Diversity, equity, and even inclusion are measurable; “belonging” is subjective and therefore enables these programs to continue in perpetuity. Movable goal posts, based on people’s feelings, is the only way to keep this grift going.
— Matty Wheelz (@mattywheelz) May 15, 2023
Even straight white males can get on board with “belonging.”
These things are psyops created to make working class people more racist. Impossible to convince me otherwise
— Tomer Stern (@tomer_stern) May 15, 2023
DEI is snake oil. People have vague feelings about their workplace that then find answers within DEI. Like finding a diagnosis on WebMD, any symptom can be attributed to cancer, or in DEI's case, any negative feelings can be attributed to some form of -ism.
— Duke (@somethingldsay) May 15, 2023
You misunderstand what DEI consultants are selling.
They aren't trying to fix a problem.
They're selling an ego boost. A feeling that maybe these corporate giants aren't so bad after all. They're the good ones. They deserve their riches.
This is a much better business model.
— Daniel (@dmm12345) May 15, 2023
It’s too late it came so late in his administration, but President Donald Trump had made it his mission to root out DEI training from government agencies, who happily hand over taxpayer money to these consultants.
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Related:
Governor DeSantis signs higher education bill and it does not go unnoticedhttps://t.co/ZoLkvxhWRG
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 15, 2023
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