If you’ve been following the news this week, Vice President Kamala Harris has been described by some as a “DEI hire”. What does that term mean? “DEI hire” is a pejorative term that alleges a person of color and/or a woman* was hired, appointed, or nominated not because of their qualifications but because they are […]

What is your familiarity with the terms, "blood quantum" and "one-drop rule?"

We took the Antiracist Style Indicator (ASI) when we first began writing The Business of Race in June 2020. We didn’t know what we didn’t know. So we took a first step and then another step. Then another. Shortly into our journey, those steps led us to the ASI. And learning about redlining. The origins […]

This is a clip from the documentary, Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity, produced by World Trust. Author and educator Dr. Joy DeGruy shares how her sister-in-law uses her White privilege to stand up to systemic inequity. Watch it alone. Watch it together. Either way, be sure to reflect on or discuss the […]

The headline question is one we received at a business conference in Montreal. Our short answer: Absolutely. The longer answer: we both were born and raised in the U.S. So, much of the focus in The Business of Race is on racial dynamics in businesses in our country of origin. Neither of us is in […]

As organizational development consultants we know how failing to name what needs naming derails any business endeavor. That’s a certain outcome if euphemisms are applied to race talk and race work. In your business spaces we encourage you to use direct, constructive language to name what must be named, without shaming or blaming. Shared context […]

How often have we stumbled our way through a new project with cross-functional team members who use their own siloed jargon or have no context for what has come before? In business, when developing a new product, implementing new systems, or creating alignment around a marketing or investment strategy, you will get nowhere without a […]

We are huge fans of short films. They are powerful distillations of the human condition. As Learning and Development practitioners, we find them to be transformative tools, especially when viewed together as a team or organization. Here is a thought-provoking short film by writer-director Stephen Takashima. Watch it alone. Watch it together. Either way, be […]

We discovered SNL’s skit on YouTube. We watched a few times, howled with laughter each time then thought: the humor and cultural observation would make it a non-threatening but thought-provoking conversation starter on race. Watch it alone. Watch it with your team. Either way, be sure to reflect on or discuss the questions below. Reflection […]