DEI Backlash and Canadian Organizations
How Canadian Organizations Should Respond to the Backlash Against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
For many years, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become a cornerstone of workplace culture in Canada. Many organizations recognize that these initiatives contribute to creativity, talent recruitment, and growth. But recent court decisions in the United States, actions taken by the Trump administration, and political misinformation about DEI in the US and Canada have all added to increasing resistance to diversity, equity and inclusion. Even some organizations that prioritized these initiatives a mere five years ago (after a White police officer killed Black American George Floyd, which led to widespread protests) have pulled back or softened their approach.
Celebrating Black Excellence
Black History Month is a very significant time for my generation and for me personally. It is
important to highlight and truly recognize Black excellence.
Often when people bring up Black History, they only relate it back to slavery or a few
outstanding Black American figures in history. But as a Canadian Black female of Jamaican,
Trinidadian and Saint Lucian heritage, I know that Black history is so much more.
The Minimisation Trap: Why "We're All the Same" is Hurting Your Business
Is the "melting pot" ideal actually harming our progress toward true inclusion? A
revealing statistic from Harvard Business Review highlights that fear of being different
can stifle talent:
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection to Make More Mindful Choices for Inclusion
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection to Make More Mindful Choices for Inclusion
As an interculturalist engaged in IDEA and intercultural capacity building, I see myself as a lifelong learner who recognizes that there is always more to discover and understand.
Truth and Reconciliation
As an adult educator and someone who works within the intercultural development and IDEA spaces, I am constantly thinking about Truth and Reconciliation. In this piece, I share my journey over the course of my life with how I came to know the truth, and how I responded to that truth. My journey will be relatable for some, but I also recognize that for many people, the truth was only revealed in recent years when the remains of 215 children were found in Kamloops at a former residential school. While the last several years have been about actionable ways to accelerate truth and reconciliation within post secondary education, the truth about Indigenous history has been on my mind since my youth.
7 Resilience Strategies for DEI Professionals
Working as a new short-term staff in a team of about five people, after being employed to relieve a member of the team who had been given a three-month compassionate leave, I knew first-hand what it meant to be discriminated against, when you are the only black person of colour in a team.
Reading for Reconciliation: Indigenous Reading List
As the Month of June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, it is a great time to explore the world of Indigenous literature. Reading books written by Indigenous authors serves as a gateway to understanding Indigenous culture and history. By exploring Indigenous literature, we can learn about the diverse experiences of individuals who have endured historical marginalization, and whose narratives are frequently excluded from mainstream discourse. In addition, we are amplifying indigenous voices and perspectives. Honouring Indigenous literature is crucial to decolonization and reconciliation efforts.
Indigenous peoples no longer invisible
Most Canadians are not aware that the overwhelming majority of people who identify as Indigenous in this country are more than likely their neighbours.
The most recent census figures revealed that over one million of the 1.8 million people in Canada who identify as First Nations, Inuit, and Metis are now living in urban centres. Only about one third of registered Indians still live on the reserve lands of 634 First Nations.
Once out of sight and out of mind, the result of assimilationist government policies for most of Canada’s first century, Indigenous peoples are becoming much more visible.
Pursuing DEI Despite the Pushbacks
In recent times, there has been notable pushback against Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DEIJ) initiatives, with some people and groups expressing strong opposition to these efforts.
Five Good Ideas
We are in an era of tremendous change, where everything is being disrupted: governments, institutions, personal lives and the workplace. Innovation expert John Seely Brown calls it the Cambrian Moment.