Elsevier

Current Opinion in Psychology

Volume 43, February 2022, Pages 108-113
Current Opinion in Psychology

Review
How narratives of racial progress create barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.06.022Get rights and content

Abstract

Despite statements in support of racial justice, many organizations fail to make good on their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In this review, we describe the role of the narrative of racial progress—which conceives of society as rapidly and automatically ascending toward racial equity—in these failures. Specifically, the narrative (1) envisions organizations as race neutral, (2) creates barriers to complex cross-race discussions about equity, (3) creates momentum for less effective policy change, and (4) reduces urgency around DEI goals. Thus, an effective DEI strategy will involve organizational leaders overcoming this narrative by acknowledging past DEI failures and, most critically, implementing immediate and evidence-based structural changes that are essential for creating a more just and equitable workplace.

Section snippets

How narratives of racial progress create barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations

The summer of 2020 saw unprecedented participation in racial justice protests across the United States [1], with many organizations making public statements denouncing racism and affirming their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) [2∗]. And yet, a year after those commitments were made public, there has been little measurable change in organizational policy or practice [3]. The inertia around DEI goals is not a new phenomenon, a fact made clear by examining the (lack of) change

Author note

This research was supported in part by a grant from the Russell Sage Foundation (RSF #G-1905-16246) awarded to M.W.K.

Conflict of interest statement

Nothing declared.

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