Public comments by politicians can bring issues such as anti-immigration and racism to the forefront in a powerful way. It’s easy to have an emotional reaction, whatever ‘side’ they’re on. However, it may help to understand what’s happening in an objective manner by looking at it through the lens of an assessment tool I often... Read More
The recent admission by the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that law enforcement officers are racially biased has been rightfully described as “unusually candid.” However, no-one has called James Comey’s remarks “original.” Comey, like so many before him, is calling for “honest and open conversations” about race and law enforcement. It seems after... Read More
[caption id="attachment_733" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Police wearing riot gear walk toward a man with his hands raised in Ferguson, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)[/caption] In his poem Dream Deferred, Langston Hughes asked: "What happens to a dream deferred ?" Sixty three years later, we have found an answer in Ferguson, Missouri. Some people say the anger of... Read More
Few people would disagree that Blacks and other non-whites are treated differently than whites by the criminal justice system. All the statistical data show that Blacks get harsher penalties, longer sentences and are over-represented in prisons . Many people blame police for this disparity and they are partly right; but the average cop on the beat is... Read More
[caption id="attachment_665" align="aligncenter" width="660"] The Grand Canyon and the Colorado River[/caption] There’s an ongoing war of words between the anti-oppression, diversity and inclusion and intercultural competence camps. It can be nasty sometimes. All sides have the same goal of eliminating discrimination, racism and creating inclusive workplaces, but their approaches are very different. After attending an... Read More
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is an odd day indeed. Do we wish each other "happy racism elimination day" or do we express "condolences"? In 1966 the United Nations designated March 21 to commemorate the policing killing of 69 people (mostly unarmed students) at a peaceful demonstration against the... Read More
For many people the word "diversity" is an honourific term that denotes positive things in the workplace, on teams or in neighbourhoods: including more creativity, more innovation, less group-think and better problem-solving abilities. And for the most part they are right. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of having diverse perspectives and backgrounds in organizations.... Read More
[caption id="attachment_546" align="alignleft" width="396"] Dr. King delivers famous I Have A Dream speech to nearly 300,000 people in Washington, D.C[/caption] Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated yesterday (Jan 20) across the United States, in Canada and around the world. This is done each year on the third Monday of January. The day had me... Read More
A new study by researchers at San Francisco State University has confirmed what many people have known all along (at least those in the African Diaspora). The study titled, "When an 'Educated' Black Man Becomes Lighter in the Mind’s Eye" found that the more educated and competent a black individual is perceived to be, the "lighter"... Read More
Cultural Competence is a key performance attribute of successful organizations and will become increasingly important in the future. Coaching is the skill to make sure that your team consistently communicate and reinforce this agenda. DiversiPro has developed a program that includes both parts of the equation in one package – the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)... Read More