Progress in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Assessing What Lies Ahead When Workplaces Turn a Blind Eye to the Past?

Progress in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Assessing What Lies Ahead When Workplaces Turn a Blind Eye to the Past?

"Hey there, let's dive into the New DEI Virtual Summit - an event unlike any other on your calendar. The brainchild of identity and belonging coach, Erin Corine Johnson, this summit is a breath of fresh air in the professional conference world. With no ordinary panels or keynotes, Johnson has crafted a platform for genuine conversations, global perspectives, and a dynamic community of trailblazers advocating for collective liberation.

For Erin, a multidisciplinary artist and community organizer, the idea for the summit emerged as a realization that many DEI practices were failing those they intended to protect. "Sure, it's true that the current political climate has amplified socio-political upheaval. But it's not the root cause," she said. "The real root issue lies in years of performative policymaking without a reliable, sustainable, and accountable practice to support them." The summit serves as a call to action for individuals seeking answers - whether they hold a DEI title or are simply asking, "What can I do now?"

Spanning over five days, the summit offers conversations, panels, and fireside chats, all aiming to explore the question, "What's next for DEI and how can we ignite change beyond unstable institutions?" The attendee list includes educators, scholars, and individuals who have felt the waves of DEI backlash and have found innovative ways to persevere.

Take Blair Imani, creator of the popular Smarter in Seconds series, for instance. She'll talk about creative approaches to inclusive education, insisting, "We may be facing harsh policies that reject equity, but it doesn't mean we have to surrender. We can be game-changers."

Meanwhile, anti-racism educator and author Desirée Bela-Lobedde from Spain will shed light on the often-overlooked racism in her home country, addressing the misconception that DEI is only an American issue. "Here, many believe antiracist work is only needed elsewhere," she said. "I'm here to challenge these assumptions and empower attendees to bring about change in their own environments."

The Byrd couple, entrepreneurs, parents, and summit participants, will delve into the essential topic of discussing racism with children. Titled, "The Parenting Conundrum: Raising Anti-Racist Kids in a Racist World," their session explores the vital yet challenging task of educating children about systems of inequality while maintaining their innocence.

"This is a subject close to our hearts as a husband-and-wife team, raising two beautiful Black boys in today's world," they said. "We've already started talking about race, privilege, systems, and their impact on our lives openly and honestly on our social platforms, embarking on a mission to nurture emotionally intelligent, open-minded individuals." When asked about the future of DEI, Louis didn't sugarcoat his thoughts. "I believe the future of DEI will revolve around ownership. Ownership of businesses, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and communities."

The essence of the New DEI Virtual Summit lies in its commitment to engage everyday people in the DEI movement. "Over the past year, I've noticed the gap growing between people who practice DEI, especially at the organizational level, and those DEI was designed to empower, widening the divide," Johnson shared. "This summit is all about making DEI accessible and humanizing the work by redistributing power." According to Johnson, the backlash against DEI isn't a sign to retreat but an invitation to rebuild something stronger.

"Regardless of what we call it, anti-DEI activists will come after us. But what happens when we care for each other, build our own communities, and nourish ourselves despite them? That's the embodiment of my mission, radical compassion, community building, and sustained resistance, found in each speaker and attendee alike: a DEI movement born outside corporations, beyond catchphrases, and in the hands of the community, who've never sought permission to empower themselves in the first place."

1. The New DEI Virtual Summit, spearheaded by identity and belonging coach Erin Corine Johnson, aims to provide a platform for genuine conversations and fostering a dynamic community promoting collective liberation.
2. Johnson perceives that many DEI practices are serving those they aim to protect poorly, citing years of performative policymaking without sustained, accountable practices.
3. The summit spans five days, offering diverse perspectives through conversations, panels, and fireside chats, exploring ways to ignite change beyond unstable institutions.
4. Creative approaches to inclusive education will be discussed at the summit by Blair Imani, creator of the Smarter in Seconds series, encouraging attendees to be game-changers despite facing challenging policies.
5. Desirée Bela-Lobedde, an anti-racism educator and author from Spain, will challenge the misconception that DEI is only an American issue and showcase ways to bring about change in various environments.
6. The Byrd couple, entrepreneurs and parents, will share their insights on discussing racism with children, advocating for open and honest dialogue to raise emotionally intelligent, open-minded individuals.
7. During the summit, Louis Byrd expressed his belief that the future of DEI lies in ownership - of businesses, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and communities.
8. The summit seeks to make DEI accessible and humanize the work by redistributing power, addressing the gap between those who practice DEI at the corporate level and those it was intended to empower.
9. According to Johnson, the backlash against DEI isn't a sign to retreat but an invitation to rebuild something stronger outside corporations, catchphrases, and within the community.
10. The summit encourages self-care and personal growth, incorporating discussions on multidisciplinary topics such as health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, cooking, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, sustainable-living, books, education-and-self-development, and career-development.
11. From education to entertainment, pop-culture, social media, and beyond, the New DEI Virtual Summit fosters an anti-racist environment where individuals are encouraged to seek answers, challenge assumptions, and empower themselves for sustained resistance.

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