The murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police in 2020 was a shocking reality check for many Americans. No longer could we deny that racial violence is a part of our everyday lives.
The event triggered racial unrest and protests across the country. Thousands marched to show their outrage and support for the black community.
Corporate America also demonstrated a renewed support and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as new positions and departments were created to further their initiatives..
“Many corporate leaders pledged to hire more people of color, removed branding perceived to be racist and invested in historically Black colleges.
These efforts were largely supported, amid a so-called “racial reckoning” that revealed the many systemic inequities in American society, including theworkplace.
But critics called DEI initiatives racist and questioned their effectiveness. The data suggests some businesses are now, in fact, reversing their course on DEI programs as a consequence. Recently, Walmart joined Ford, Boeing, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Black & Decker, Caterpillar, and rural retailer Tractor Supply in abandoning their inclusivity and so called ‘woke’ efforts.
TaChelle Lawson, author of Black is NOT a Credential: The Corporate Scam of DEI, is a critic of current DEI programming for different reasons as she questions the fundamental principle of what she calls the “Black Credential”.
As a Black woman in business, Lawson has experienced the pressure to represent her race along with the frustration of being underestimated. “The expectation that I should be ‘grateful’ for opportunities simply because of my identity is offensive. My achievements are rooted in expertise, strategy, and leadership—not my skin color. That’s why I call out this flawed mindset—it’s insulting and dangerous.”
Read the full article on Substack.com
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