Diversity is the Wrong Word

July 13, 2010 by · 21 Comments

This morning, I moderated a panel called “Rising Through the Ranks: Race & Gender in Nonprofit Leadership.” The discussion was a joint event between the Nonprofit Roundtable and YNPNdc geared toward emerging leaders in philanthropy and nonprofits.

The conversation opened with Kelly Reid from the National MultiCultural Institute sharing some of the statistics in the Urban Institute’s recent report,  Measuring Racial-Ethnic Diversity in the Baltimore-Washington Region’s Nonprofit Sector. We were joined by a racially and gender diverse panel, including:

Each panelist shared a story about how their leadership experiences in the nonprofit sector have been affected by race and/or gender. It was an amazing discussion and I wish you had been there.

One Really Important Thing that stuck out for me during the conversation was this:

Diversity is very often the wrong word to use when we’re talking about efforts to bring in more people of color or LGBT or men or women into our organizations. We have to get increasingly more specific about what we mean when we say diversity, because we all think something different in our minds when the term is used.

In my case, what I’m usually talking about on my blog is racial justice.

The Applied Research Center defines racial justice this way:

We define racial justice as the proactive reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes and actions that produce equitable power, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes for all.

I’m talking about inclusion and equality and I’m talking about power. Which is far more complex and involved than diversity. It goes beyond “diversity workshops” and “sensitivity training” and reaches into sector reform, advocacy and policy change.

What many of us do goes way beyond diversity as a blanket concept. But in nonprofit circles, diversity seems to be a much more accessible word for the conversation.

Or is it?

Filed Under: Leaders of Color, Race · Tagged With: , , ,

When the Race Discussion Starts: A Woman of Color’s Reaction to What Takes Place

May 6, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

This is a guest post by Ericka Hines, a.k.a. the Social Change Diva.

“The question is not should we talk about race; the question is HOW to talk race constructively….Talking about race is often considered divisive and unnecessary.”

- john a. powell, Kirwan Institute, Ohio State University, Holding the Whole- Transformative Leadership

The minute I speak about race, my throat tightens, I feel a little on edge and, almost uncontrollably,  my fright of flight mode is awakened.  And I realize that as an African American woman, the reason that I get that way is because any time I talk about race, I will feel like I am trying to defend my place , my role , my way of being in the place that I have chosen to do my life’s work of working on social change.

Having those emotions can trip me up, make me cranky and create situations where I am unable to even have a conversation without thinking “you cannot understand me because you are not me.”  But I know that this is not the way to move any conversation forward, not one about race, gender or any other ism.  So I press on.

I refer to the reaction that I have above as my “lens” and I know it’s mine.  But what I want to ask you is what is yours?

In the type of work that we do as social change agents, we bring all sorts of “ lens” backgrounds, emotions, reactions to our work that fuel our decision making and the meaning of our work.   For the most part those “ lens” allow us to feel the righteous indignation that fuels our work but other times they stand in our way.  And when it stands in our way is when I think the work that we do is hurt, the strides we make for our clients are hurt and the strides that we make as a sector are hurt.

A recent situation where I had to put my lens in focus

Two weeks ago, Rosetta wrote this article about racial diversity in the nonprofit sector in the DC area.  The information contained in the report mirror the situation that echoed across the country and I was not surprised by any of the results.   Simply put, we do not have leaders of color in the nonprofit sector.  This is not a shock.

But what I was surprised about is the fact (and I think Rosetta is too) that when we know that this is the case, the comments/discussion that followed her post hit on the themes of “people of color as leaders is still novel” or the “there are enough qualified people to be leaders” or “we don’t know where to hire people of color for these positions”.  Haven’t we moved past that already?  Isn’t that an argument that has long outlived its utility?

When I read any comments that intimate any of those ideas that I outline above, my lens” is triggered. It becomes very easy for me to drop my jaw and ask “REALLY?” and to feel like anyone who makes that statement does not really want to work at hiring a person of color.  What floods through my brain is this:

Do I really believe that this feeling truly reflects the reality of what is happening?  Does it move the discussion forward?  If I realize that this is what I think right now and it is spurred by my lens, am I open to hearing from other sides?

I try to answer these questions for myself and then force myself to continue to have the discussion.

“We need to talk about race by talking about race. ” - john a. powell

What my lens says about leadership

I want this lens I have to change.  I am ready to give up this lens that I have about the world of nonprofits and the leadership gap that exists.  I challenge myself and others to see a person of color running the Aspen Institute or Independent Sector and having people of color running all sorts of organizations is not new or novel but what happens every day.

I share all of this in the hopes that you will understand that the reactions that I have, I own those; they are mine to realize, to tame and to deal with and that I will push forward with this and any other discourse of an ( ism) that needs to take place.

My question is, what are your lens?  Can you name them, claim it and at times shake them loose when you have to?.  Can we open up this discourse even wider and get to solutions that work?

I am hopeful and ready to talk.

Ericka Hines believes her place in social change is in building the skills and promoting the connections of others.You can follow her on Twitter @socialchngediva

Filed Under: Leaders of Color, Race · Tagged With:

Internalized Racism Shows Up at the Disney Store

December 21, 2009 by · 5 Comments

“Are those dolls still $16?” an older Black woman asks my boyfriend Jim in the line at the Disney Store. We are doing some last-minute Christmas shopping at the mall before the snowstorm hits. She sniffs, “I think they made her [the Princess Tiana doll] too dark. They should have made a lighter version to choose from.” I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to slap her. Instead, I just turned away and said nothing.

Although I didn’t know what to say to the woman, I did know what had just happened. This is what internalized racism sounds like. Donna Bivens writes an enlightening chapter called “What is Internalized Racism?” in the 2005 monograph Flipping the Script: White Privilege and Community Building. Donna offers this explanation:

As people of color are victimized by racism, we internalize it. That is, we develop ideas, beliefs, actions and behaviors that support or collude with racism. This internalized racism has its own systemic reality and its own negative consequences in the lives and communities of people of color. More than just a consequence of racism, then, internalized racism is a systemic oppression in reaction to racism that has a life of its own. In other words, just as there is a system in place that reinforces the power and expands the privilege of white people, there is a system in place that actively discourages and undermines the power of people and communities of color and mires us in our own oppression.

I have written about how structural racism works, as well as some possible approaches and solutions. But I’m just beginning to unpack and understand how and why people of color would support racism among ourselves. These kinds of things are said every day by people of color to other people of color. And it’s not OK. If we’re going to speak out and against racism from the outside, we also have to keep it real and own up to the racism we perpetuate on the inside. But how? How do we do that?

The other complicating factor in addressing internalized racism comes into play in the nonprofit workplace. It does not solely reside in the home lives of people of color. Donna Bivens asserts that these issues manifest themselves in four dimensions: inner, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural. In short, people of color are bringing internalized racism to work. Maybe you see it showing up in your organization. Maybe you don’t. In either case, I think Donna offers several useful reflection questions to dig deeper into how we all can address internalized racism in our lives and work:

  1. How do you see internalized racism impacting you personally or the communities or groups that you work with?
  2. What challenges are you facing in dealing with or addressing internalized racism in your current work? What are the opportunities for addressing it in your current work situation?
  3. In what ways do people of color, as individuals and as a collective, perpetuate racism in your institution?
  4. In what ways does internalized racism interfere with the functioning of teams?
  5. How does your institution keep people of color divided and competing with one another for access and resources? How can people of color collectively resist these dynamics?
  6. When you consider the four levels on which internalized racism operates (inner, interpersonal, institutional and cultural) where do you imagine the most possibilities for change?

How do you answer these questions about internalized racism in your life and work? What would progress look like to you?

Photo credit: Mom in the City

not simply:
? Low self-esteem
? Color prejudice or colorism
? Stereotyping
Filed Under: Race · Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Do Nonprofits Know Where to Find People of Color?

December 2, 2009 by · 3 Comments

Today’s discussion about racial diversity in nonprofits addressed many of the issues nonprofits face in recruiting people of color on staff. Did you miss today’s live broadcast of What Should Racial Diversity Look Like in the Nonprofit Sector? You missed an amazing discussion, but have no fear. You can click on the link or listen below to the archived show.

My guests included leaders in capacity building, philanthropy, and direct service nonprofit work:

One thing we all agreed on was that racial diversity is unequivocally important. Having racially diverse staff and leadership cultivates better decisionmaking, enables true representation of the full community and can mean closer relationships with communities of color that nonprofits serve. Tamar said, “don’t do anything about me without me,” meaning that nonprofits need to engage with communities of color before they can fully understand solutions to the problems of that community. Other takeaways:

Nonprofits Have to Prioritize Racial Diversity or it Won’t Happen

We talked about how hard it is to ask a small nonprofit to think about diversity and cultural competency when they can barely make ends meet and provide programs. But Steve urged us to stop thinking about diversity as an “add on.” Rather, it should be integrated into all of the work you’re already doing. Nonprofits can start with a diversity and inclusion committee if they have to. Steve told us about the Nonprofit Workforce Coaltion’s Nonprofit Diversity & Inclusion Compact. They are asking organizations to make a commitment to recruiting and supporting nonprofit leaders of color. Find more at: http://www.nonprofitdiversityandinclusion.org.

Nonprofit Leaders May Not Know Where to Find People of Color

Shawn said that philanthropic institutions don’t really have authentic relationships with communities of color. When a position comes open, nonprofits often reach out to their same old networks, which are majority white. Steve mentioned that it’s important to go to where people of color are, to build those relationships before you even have a job opening. Organizations like:

  • National Black MBAs
  • Conference of Black Lawyers
  • Hispanics in Philanthropy
  • Native Americans in Philanthropy
  • Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy
  • Association of Black Foundation Executives

Leadership Matters

Shawn said that much of the progress made around racial diversity in his experience was because someone on the board or on a committee pushed for it to happen. He shared his experience with a hiring process where he made sure the organization started over again because the candidate pool was simply not racially diverse enough. Tamar also talked about the idea that as nonprofit leaders, we need to be conscious of the decisions we make and the often subconscious racial biases we bring to the table.  We need to fight the stereotype that people of color don’t want to work in nonprofits because of the compensation issues. People of color want to make a difference just like everyone else. Tamar said that when even people of color get into positions of power, we have to use it wisely and ensure we’re bringing others like us to the table.

Climate Matters, Too

Nonprofits who want to retain their employees of color also need to be culturally competent in order to create a climate of inclusion. Many nonprofit leaders of color leave organizations because of toxic climates or feeling like they’re being treated differently because of the color of their skin. Shawn told us about how he was recruited for a nonprofit board position specifically because the organization wanted to diversify its board. They made sure to make him feel comfortable, support him and treat him like an equal. He eventually became the Board Chair.

During the show I also referenced Council on Foundations new Philanthropic Leadership Report which showed how leadership is chosen in the philanthropic sector. The report found that only 20% of successful candidates were from racially diverse backgrounds. It’s not enough to simply have a certain quota number of people of color working in a nonprofit, what we really need is full inclusion and power given to people of color as leaders. So, we have a long way to go, and if we our organizations to be more racially diverse, we have to do something. Now.

I’m blogging every single day this month for 31 Days of Giving to celebrate my 27th birthday on December 31 and asking all my friends to donate $27 to benefit the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Washington DC. Will you give? Your gift would really make a difference for young nonprofit leaders in DC!

Filed Under: Diversity, Leaders of Color, Nonprofit Management, Race · Tagged With: , , , , ,

How Nonprofits Can Recruit Talented People of Color (Even in a Tough Economy)

December 1, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Last year, the Bernard Hodes Group did a study that investigated the workplace motivations of people of color. While the results are geared toward the corporate world, of course they also apply to nonprofits. When you take out the “feel good factor” of working for a good cause, a company is a company is a company.  It’s about time that nonprofit employers begin to internalize this information, because it’s timeless, simple, and actionable even in a tough economy. If organizations care about having a racially diverse workforce, it’s essential to tap into the motivations of people of color. Below are some of the key points in the study that nonprofits can use to our advantage:

What makes talented people of color want to work for a company?

  • Career opportunities: 29% of people of color versus 20% of whites
  • Training: people of color are more likely to value training opportunities than whites
  • Brand reputation: people of color weigh corporate reputation more heavily in choosing where to work than whites do
  • Compensation: 19% of people of color versus 14% of whites

What makes talented people of color leave a company?

  • Expand skill set: 52% of people of color are looking for another job because they want to expand their skill sets, compared with 46% of whites
  • Do not feel appreciated: 41% of people of color versus 31 percent of whites. Nearly 30& of people of color say a change in work environment would get them to stay, compared with 23% of whites

Obviously, the information presented above applies to all races in the workplace. We all want the same thing. However, the study shows that people of color value certain things more highly than whites. If I were a recruiter, I would use this information to emphasize those great things about my nonprofit’s reputation, training opportunities, career advancement, and compensation (whichever are most applicable). All things being equal between your nonprofit’s mission and the one next door, the value proposition is key in the recruitment conversation.

But then, many nonprofit leaders will say: We don’t know where to find people of color who want to work for our organization. We’ve tried, and no one applies.

Indeed, a Johns Hopkins study showed that nonprofits have a really hard time recruiting  people of color. Why? Because only about a third of the organizations implemented strategies specifically designed to attract people of color. So, it’s clear that if nonprofits want a more racially diverse workforce, we have to do something a little extra. Start by researching where people of color go to look for job openings. The Bernard Hodes study found that:

  • 57% of people of color post résumés on corporate sites, compared with 47% of whites
  • Online ad: 55% of people of color versus 46% of whites
  • Blog: 10% of people of color versus 5% of whites
  • Career center at school: 30% and 20%, respectively, for people of color and whites
  • Employee referrals: 15% of people of color, who often trust friends’ and relatives’ opinions more than corporate web sites about a potential employer, got jobs because of employee referrals, compared with 11% of whites

So, there you have it. It’s not enough to throw up a job announcement on Idealist.org and call it a day. The research suggests that you should also be posting your job openings on blogs that people of color read. Here are 32 Nonprofit & Philanthropy Blogs Written by People of Color to add to your list of places to spread the word about nonprofit jobs you’d like people of color to apply for. The information we need to involve more people of color in doing the work of social change is out there. All over the internetz. We just have to put it into practice. Even with the economy the way it is, I think nonprofits still have an “edge” in terms of recruiting talented people to help fulfill our missions. People still want to find a way to blend their careers with making meaning in their lives. The conversation about a nonprofit “workforce crisis” depends upon whether we use that edge or squander it.

What are some other ways that nonprofits can recruit talented people of color?

Photo credit: Bankhandler

Filed Under: Race · Tagged With: , , ,
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