Diversity Without Dogma: A Collaborative Approach to Leading DEI Education and Action

Kurt Lewin said, No research without action, and no action without research. Too much of the current DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) approach is insight-based, instead of action-based. Even though institutional racism is identified as the root problem, the change effort is focused on looking inward for bias instead of taking action to eliminate institutional racism and other isms. Lewin’s approach is balanced. What people think is important, but no more important than what people do. If you bring people together to change things that will change what people think! We don’t need therapy; we need action based on dialogue. Instead of spending your energy soul-searching for evidence in your thoughts and behaviors that you have unconscious biases, this book helps put your energy into doing something practical about racism.

This book uses Lewin’s social science to sort through the many approaches to and positions held on race, racism, diversity, and related topics. While the framework is and must be applicable to any prejudice, systemic or individual, the bulk of this exploration will focus on racism, like that for many reasons has become the primary social justice focus of our times. A collaborative approach is needed because of societal dynamics like racism, sexism, and any and all forms of individual prejudice and systemic oppression, breed confusion.

As conversations about race in the workplace often aggravate our differences instead of finding common ground, this book lays a path to common ground based on methods that have been tested and proven.