Member-only story
Diverse does not equal diversity
Now that the dust has settled, I spent some time reflecting about the events that have transpired.
A volunteer organization I am a part of was recently accused of being insensitive towards a minority group. This accusation caught the team off-guard as we have always been careful to be inclusive in all that we do. In fact, we ensure that the team is diverse and we have representatives from all segments of the community.
But where did we go wrong?
Was it groupthink?
Was it unconscious bias?
As I replayed the sequence of events that led to the decision, I realized that I did not question the initiative as it was proposed by a member of the minority group we are accused of being insensitive towards. At least for me, I had automatically assumed that if the minority member in the team felt that it was not insensitive, then it was not. In fact, I would have no standing to question if it was insensitive as I was not from the minority group.
My key takeaway is that being diverse does not equal diversity. Our commitment towards diversity must extend beyond mere representation as, even within minority groups, homogeneity does not exist.
To do better, we need to understand the complexity of being inclusive and develop a nuanced understanding of the unique perspectives within every group. This will not be an easy endeavor, but it is one that we must undertake and not fail in.
