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Stop the diversity cash grab.
In the past year, many corporations responded to renewed attention to issues of racism and racial justice, some setting aside significant amounts of funding earmarked for distribution to groups working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and promoting the economic inclusion of Black Americans. We might wonder why it took widely-publicized murders and a nation-wide uprising for what’s typically a “drought stricken funding landscape” for diversity initiatives to change. We should also consider who actually benefits in a time when it’s “raining diversity dollars, and everyone is outside with a bucket” (Lightship). Sometimes, so-called “diversity” is actually tokenization that falls short of actually fostering inclusion.
TAKE ACTION
Encourage companies or organizations you’re part of to take concrete, material steps towards active anti-racism, even when they come with a cost.
Push back against tokenism by insisting on impactful policies and increased inclusion and diversity at all levels.
Advocate for credible DEI training led by people of color.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
In the past year, many corporations responded to renewed attention to issues of racism and racial justice, some setting aside significant amounts of funding earmarked for distribution to groups working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and promoting the economic inclusion of Black Americans. We might wonder why it took widely-publicized murders and a nation-wide uprising for what’s typically a “drought stricken funding landscape” for diversity initiatives to change. We should also consider who actually benefits in a time when it’s “raining diversity dollars, and everyone is outside with a bucket” (Lightship). Sometimes, so-called “diversity” is actually tokenization that falls short of actually fostering inclusion.
Tokenism or tokenization “results when institutions make performative efforts towards the inclusion of people from underrepresented groups to give the appearance of equity,” like appointing a few BIPOC or LGBTQ+ people to leadership positions in order to deflect critique. The only token members of a team have little power to actually effect change, and they’re moreover “often unfairly asked to speak on behalf of their entire community” (Wexner Foundation).
Token representation often doesn’t extend to the highest positions of power. Though companies supporting racial justice in the wake of the Black Lives Matter revolts “have been quick to adopt the movement’s hashtag, they don’t appear to show the same enthusiasm in their boardrooms: as of 2020, only four out of America's 500 biggest companies had a black chief executive (BBC). Despite press releases, advertisements, and internal diversity programming, the number of Black men on corporate boards of directors actually dropped in the last two years. Carey Oven of Deloitte’s Center for Board Effectiveness found that the lack of progress is due to a lack “of corporate will, rather than a lack of qualified minority candidates” (CNBC).
Many of the same successful companies that utterly failed to diversify management and board positions now contract with external DEI consultants in what is now an $8 billion industry (Forbes). Incredibly, this same tokenization happens in the diversity consulting industry, as well. White-led organizations are seeking federal and foundation grant money, jumping in line ahead of long-standing BIPOC-led groups. According to Lightship Capital, which exclusively supports companies founded by people from marginalized identities, they were approached by a white-led group to co-apply for a grant. The inquiring organization would keep 80% of the money for themselves, leaving only 20% for Lightship Capital “to do the actual, in the trenches work” (Lightship).
Instituting token representation is easy compared to actually creating the changes necessary for authentic inclusion. But actual inclusion is the only solution to systemic oppression and exclusion. There are organizations making honest attempts to change for the better, and there are DEI initiatives led by people of color with experience and skills. One, but by no means the only, is Anti-Racism Daily, which offers courses, workshops, and subscription packages for workplaces and teams (ARD).
North Coast Organics publicly posted their pay scales and demographic information for employees and management, making a commitment to equitable pay and hiring practices (Instagram). Fashion company Nisolo included a commitment to donate monthly to Black Lives Matter and Gideon’s Army of Nashville in their statement in support of Black lives (Nisolo). Sea to Sky Removal made a public commitment to “cut ties with customers, partners, and suppliers that do not share our commitment to battle racism in all its forms” (Sea to Sky).
Awaken offers diversity and inclusion workshops facilitated by a multi-racial team from a variety of professional backgrounds, from community organizers to communications specialists (Awaken). And Leesa Renée Hall has worked with thousands of people to interrupt unconscious bias with questions she first used to think through her own race, gender, religion and ancestry (Leesa Renée Hall).
What distinguishes sincere attempts to foster diversity from tokenism and cynical diversity cash grabs is that the former takes work but the latter takes the easy way out. Cutting ties with suppliers that aren’t actively anti-racist or taking the time to find a credible DEI consulting firm may cost time, energy, organizational resources, and money; promoting a single person from a marginalized group does not.
Key Takeaways
Tokenism is including one or two people from marginalized groups in order to deflect legitimate criticism.
Some organizations wish to capitalize on interest in and funding for racial justice initiatives by taking the easy way out and deploying tokenism in lieu of substantive change.
Real diversity, equity, and inclusion means changing policies and practices, even when it comes with a cost. Tokenism is easy but harmful.
Embrace multiculturalism.
On January 19, outgoing-secretary of state Mike Pompeo published a tweet that excoriated multiculturalism as “not who America is” and a ploy to “make us weaker” (NYTimes). The irony that his last name is Italian is lost on no one, though his use of the government’s imprimatur to make this racist statement is no joke. Pompeo’s denouncement is in-line with the Trump administration’s goal to sow division and erode the rights of anyone who does not align with whiteness (Forbes).
Happy Friday! And welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. After four years of fighting against Trump, the start of a new administration feels exhilarating. In his first days as president, Biden signed 17 executive orders and introduced other initiatives to rebalance the system. A few directly centered racial equity, including ending the 1776 Commission, reinstating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and revoking Trump's ban on diversity training for federal agencies (for context, I've linked our previous reporting on each topic). Review all executive orders >
The Trump administration is behind us. But its impact is not. So we need to shift our focus from fighting against the political leaders of our past to reimagining the future we deserve. Juan's article today morphs a final bitter statement from leaders past into how we can become the leaders our future deserves. Consider this: how are you modeling tomorrow, today? Regardless of how you may feel about the new administration, it was clear that multiculturalism was on full display during this inauguration. How do we carry this into the communities we serve.
This is a free daily newsletter that operates on pay-what-you-wish contributions. Consider subscribing for $7/month on Patreon, or give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also join us in our digital community.
Nicole
TAKE ACTION
Take a look at the company you work for, the school where you/your child attends, and/or the community you value most. Consider: how does this organization focus on multiculturalism? How does it celebrate diversity in ideas and values? List three tangible ways that the organization can improve and share with key leadership.
Make a concerted effort to only spend your money at places that support and pursue diversity. If you stop patronizing a business because of its lack of diversity, be sure to send and email explaining why, as well as the changes you would like to see if you are to return.
GET EDUCATED
By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)
As a professional dancer in NYC, I participated in an interactive teaching program called “Multicultural Fusion.” “Multi-Culti,” as we called it, used dance forms from all over the world to show immigrant students how diversity made America great. My boss, Michael Mao—who himself was born in Shanghai—reasoned that by encouraging students to immerse themselves within the numerous cultures that comprised America’s mosaic, they would discover how vital they were to their new home’s vitality.
Though it meant leaving our glamorous rehearsal studios in midtown Manhattan to take a bus to NYC’s outer boroughs, I loved this program. It brought to mind my travels around the world, interacting with people who went out of their way to make me feel like I belonged. Most pressingly, I loved seeing teenagers guilelessly burst out of their shells to rejoice in physical expression.
For the past four years, their futures in this country have been imperiled. On January 19, outgoing-secretary of state Mike Pompeo published a tweet that excoriated multiculturalism as “not who America is” and a ploy to “make us weaker” (NYTimes). The irony that his last name is Italian is lost on no one, though his use of the government’s imprimatur to make this racist statement is no joke. Pompeo’s denouncement is in-line with the Trump administration’s goal to sow division and erode the rights of anyone who does not align with whiteness (Forbes). It plays right into the hands of white supremacists such as Hans von Spakovsky, a lawyer at the Heritage Foundation, who has stated that “diversity is a way of justifying discrimination” (Time).
Trump’s attacks on multiculturalism have included rolling back long-standing civil rights protections, instituting a travel ban on mostly Muslim, declaring the “Black Lives Matter” sign on Manhattan’s 5th Avenue “a symbol of hate,” expelling migrant children to Mexico regardless of their country of origin, and banning diversity and racial sensitivity training at the federal level. (ProPublica, NPR, Vox, Axios). *Editor's note: the Biden administration has ended the travel ban as part of the first executive orders issued in its presidency.
These assaults on diversity were dangerous even when they faced legal challenges because they allowed lawyers to refine their statutes until they were legally plausible, though still regressive. Erica Newland, who worked in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department, revealed as much while lamenting having stayed on with the Trump administration in a misguided attempt to curtail his draconian measures. Regarding the travel ban, she says that if she and her colleagues had not been on board to “nip and tuck” the agenda, “the attacks would have failed” (NYTimes).
That’s what makes statements like Pompeo’s dangerous. Though he is departing in disgrace, his words influence future legislators and policies. In fact, the Trump administration added six mostly African countries—Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, and Myanmar—to the travel ban on January 5th, 2020, for no other reason than they can (NYTimes).
When I think of the harm resulting from lost contact with these incredible countries, I am reduced to tears. Following a devastating dance injury when I first arrived in New York 21 years ago, my training in Nigerian and Ivorian folkloric African dance rejuvenated my body and brought me back to the art form. My exposure to Sudanese storytelling and its focus on inter-communal sharing inspired me to become one of the largest independent dance presenters in New York and one of the world’s very few Black dance critics. Beyond my own selfish gains, diversity has been proven to make countries and companies stronger because it quite literally challenges us to prepare better, work towards consensus, and anticipate alternative viewpoints (Scientific American, Harvard Business Review). Let us also consider that embracing diversity is simply the right thing to do.
When Trump promised to build a wall along the U.S. southern border, many failed to realize that walls can be metaphorical and physical. Under his reign, our country has lost stature, entered into bruising trade wars, and become isolated from its allies (Pew Research, Bloomberg, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic).
Without multiculturalism, our bonds to other countries are weakened. It is essential that we reject Pompeo’s assertions, promote multiculturalism, push the incoming Biden administration to re-open the borders as swiftly as possible, and reclaim our position as a country that welcomes anyone seeking to build their own “American Dream.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Trump administration has instituted racist policies that erode civil rights and isolate the U.S. from the rest of the world.
Mike Pompeo’s outgoing message as secretary of state seeks to destroy future policies that promote multiculturalism.
RELATED ISSUES
12/4/2020 | Repeal the Trump Equity Gag Order.
9/21/2020 | Support the 1619 Project.
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.
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Rethink what a professor looks like.
When we talk about issues of diversity in higher education, we usually are referring to the student population. While it is important to work on increasing MFGLI (minority, first-generation, and low-income) student representation on college campuses, I’d like to focus on a problem commonly overlooked outside of the academy: the lack of diversity in those who research and teach at the university level.
Happy Sunday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. As we've discussed, much of what defines dominant culture is taught to us. This sounds meta, but we're also taught who's supposed to teach us by the racial and ethnic composition of teachers. Today, Ida joins us to express the importance of diverse faculty at the university level.
This is the Anti-Racism Daily, where we send one email each day to dismantle white supremacy. You can support our work by giving one time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also give monthly or annually on Patreon. If this email was forwarded to you, you could subscribe at antiracismdaily.com.
Nicole
TAKE ACTION
Read articles and studies written by or featuring faculty of color, not just on issues of race but across topics and disciplines.
Support and/or donate to organizations like the Ford Fellows Fund and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, whose mission is to diversify academia through mentorship and professional development programs.
Read Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History in order to understand how the act of “making history” can reinforce structural inequality.
GET EDUCATED
By Ida Yalzadeh (she/her)
When we talk about issues of diversity in higher education, we usually are referring to the student population. While it is important to work on increasing MFGLI (minority, first-generation, and low-income) student representation on college campuses, I’d like to focus on a problem commonly overlooked outside of the academy: the lack of diversity in those who research and teach at the university level.
Although the U.S. Census shows that people of color account for over a third of the United States’ population, a 2017 survey reports that only 18.9% of full-time faculty in higher education identify as people of color (National Center for Education Statistics). Even worse, the number of faculty of color in the United States has not grown over the past decade (Inside Higher Ed). And this is a problem.
A lack of racial diversity in the professoriate means that the popular image of what a professor looks like remains predominantly white (and usually male). The consequences of this assumption are wide and varied. For students of color, this lack of representation in the academy means that they may not see themselves reflected in who teaches them. As a result, students of color may not feel like they belong in academic environments, leading to retention issues and perpetuating uneven enrollment (Forbes).
For faculty of color themselves, though, this underlying assumption of what a professor looks like speaks to how these individuals must face daily microaggressions and even direct, institutional harassment. Twitter hashtags like #blackintheIvory and academic threads
have exposed these issues. Faculty of color—particularly women of color faculty members—have been mistaken for cleaning staff, a spouse of a student, or a student. (As a woman of color who is a faculty member myself, I have commonly had people mistake me for a student or otherwise be in disbelief that I am, in fact, a professor.) One professor started a Twitter thread shared microaggressions he had received, including: “You speak so well—were you adopted?” and “I see you struggle with certain words that start with specific letters—I know that is a common problem for your people.”
Faculty of color also experience surveillance and harassment on campus. A few months ago, a Black professor at Santa Clara University described how campus security racially profiled her brother and followed him back to her home. Afterward, security required the professor to show her campus ID to prove she lived in her own house (HuffPost).
Moreover, many faculty of color must contend with institutions and disciplines that call their credentials and accomplishments into question. In 2019, Dan-el Padilla Peralta, a professor of Classics at Princeton University, was speaking on a Society for Classical Studies conference panel when he was told by a white female independent scholar that the only reason he got his job was because he was Black, an accusation that reeks of tokenism (Inside Higher Ed). That she felt comfortable enough to make these remarks in public speaks to the reality of the academy as an overwhelmingly white institution. In 2015, only 10.5% of all Humanities doctoral degrees were awarded to people from underrepresented backgrounds, and the percentage for Classics doctoral degree holders is even less: 3.9% (American Academy of Arts and Sciences). While many at the conference denounced such racist remarks, her view highlights the entitlement endemic in these historically white spaces.
In response to this incident, Peralta commented on this pervasiveness: “White fragility disrupting the practice of grounded and data-backed critical scholarship: what a surprise… This wasn’t the first and won’t be the last time I receive the ‘you got X because you’re Black’ treatment; and if I had a dollar for every scholar of color with the same experience, I’d hum Cardi B’s ‘Money’ all the way to a safe deposit box” (Medium).
But what is most troubling for Peralta—and for many other scholars of color—is what these institutions and disciplines are missing. They don’t realize that it is precisely because of a diverse faculty of scholars and teachers that new paths can be forged in research. As Peralta put it, “I should have been hired because I was Black… because my Black being-in-the-world makes it possible for me to ask new and different questions within the field, to inhabit new and different approaches to answering them” (Medium).
Through their research, a more diverse professoriate can ask a more diverse set of questions—questions that are critical of using whiteness and capitalism as the norm by which all other subjects and ideas are measured. In the United States, the history of knowledge production has established a Euro- & Western-centric point of view (Journal of Black Studies, Equity & Excellence in Education). While disciplines like sociology and public health have historically touted their commitment to “objectivity,” the particular standards by which issues such as the family unit and disease were measured assumed whiteness as the ideal (Seeing Race Again).
Although legitimate ways of knowing are produced outside of the Ivory Tower, it is still important to increase the number of faculty of color at institutions of higher education. It is high time that we expand our understanding of what a professor looks like. A more diverse faculty is another step towards further exploration of issues that are important to communities of color and their liberation. It is another step toward building a more equitable future.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A 2017 survey reports that only 18.9% of full-time faculty in higher education identify as people of color (National Center for Education Statistics)
A lack of racial diversity in the professoriate means that the image of what a “professor” looks like remains predominantly white & male.
Through their research, a more diverse professoriate can ask a more diverse set of questions—questions that are critical of using whiteness and capitalism as the norm by which all other subjects and ideas are measured.
RELATED ISSUES
11/1/2020 | Question billionaire philanthropy.
9/30/2020 | Close the racial wealth gap.
6/11/2020 | Support Black-owned businesses.
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.
Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza
Don't blame the pipeline.
Happy Sunday,
Many companies pledged to diversify their teams this past June, and as we enter Q4 of the fiscal year, it will be interesting to see how those promises generate tangible outcomes. A recent statement by the CEO of Wells Fargo reminds us of how much work we have to do to ensure that diverse, talented candidates are acknowledged – let alone given the opportunities they deserve. Consider how controversy like this may be reflected in the companies you work for now, or have worked with in the past.
Furthermore, consider the intent vs. impact in the language the CEO used. How can we make the same mistakes when we aim to rectify the lack of diversity in the spaces we occupy?
As always, you can support the newsletter by giving one-time on PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe monthly on Patreon. Thank you for your support.
Nicole
TAKE ACTION
If you are employed, take time this week to review your company’s hiring practices. Identify how they center hiring and retaining diverse talent.
Cancel your accounts with Wells Fargo (which has a history of racist actions).
Reflect: How may my unconscious bias impact who I hire/do business with? Who do I perceive as "smart," "talented," "genius," in my industry? Why?
GET EDUCATED
By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)
Like many companies, this past June, Wells Fargo made a commitment to diversity initiatives after the outrage of the death of George Floyd. But in that company-wide memo, the CEO, Charlie Scharf, said that the company was not meeting its diversity goals because there was not enough qualified minority talent. “While it might sound like an excuse, the unfortunate reality is that there is a very limited pool of Black talent to recruit from,” the statement read (Reuters). The comment prompted criticism internally in the company and externally when Reuters broke the story in late September.
2020 hasn’t been the best year for Wells Fargo (has it been a good year for anyone?). Earlier this year, the company was forced to pay $3B in penalties after collecting millions of dollars in fees for bank accounts, debit cards and other products that customers – mainly customers of color – neither asked for nor needed (NPR). This is after they paid $2B in penalties in 2018 for misstating income information to sell risky mortgages to consumers (NPR). And just this week, the company has come under fire for placing at least 1,600 consumer mortgage accounts into forbearance – without the consent of its consumers (American Banker).
This also isn’t the first time the company has been criticized for its relationship to a pipeline, either, albeit a very different one. Wells Fargo was one of 17 banks to invest in the Dakota Access Pipeline, a 1,172mi underground oil pipeline hotly contested by Indigenous populations for how it disrupted sacred land, valuable natural resources, and caused harm to the communities it crossed (Time).
But let’s unpack the issue at hand. The "pipeline problem" is the theory that there “simply aren't enough properly skilled members of underrepresented groups for hire” – including women, people of color, veterans, members of the LGBTQ community, etc. (Entrepreneur). Major companies like Facebook and Google have cited this “problem” for their lack of diversity. This problem is most glaring in traditionally male-dominated and white-dominated fields, like science, technology, engineering, and banking.
And the "pipeline problem" is a myth. A series of reports prove that there are plenty of qualified, diverse candidates for companies to choose from. A Kauffman Fellow report from earlier this year notes that the number of Black professionals that hold master’s degrees has increased 133% from 1980 – 2016. The number of Latinx professions with master’s degrees has increased by 400%. But in contrast, the number of Black and Latinx talent in the industry has remained stagnant (AfroTech).
The problem is more centered in how these companies hire and promote diverse talent. According to a study from Payscale, 80 to 85% of jobs are filled through networking. This type of hiring makes it easier for recruiters to find qualified candidates without doing the legwork. Still, it also means that employees tend to be more homogenous, and with a limited existing pool of diverse staff, it’s likely that few referrals will be diverse, too (Forbes). Unconscious bias in hiring and recruiting also plays a part. Another study from 2015 found that candidates are 50% less likely to get a callback for a potential job opportunity if they had a “stereotypically African-American-sounding name” like Jamal, versus a “stereotypically white name” like Brendan (NYTimes). These issues imply that there’s more work companies need to do internally before shifting blame externally.
But Scharf’s words took the offensive. By expressing that there was a pipeline issue, Scharf places the burden on Black people, as if it is their fault that they’re not fully represented. If you were a Black person who was recently denied a job there, how would you feel? And what type of message does that send to other executives that may also be considering more diverse hiring practices at their organizations? Would they, like Scharf, decide that it’s not worth investing time and energy into? And how does this message add to the rhetoric we’ve been hearing about Black people from other influential leaders in our society?
And how does the company itself retain the diverse staff it already has? A story from the Charlotte Observer this week notes that, over the past year, seven Black female senior executives have left Wells Fargo (Charlotte Observer). Unnamed sources say that “the bank’s culture around race and gender” influenced why some of the women left, and the timing indicates that some left after the CEO’s comments in June. It adds another layer to the conversation – how is Wells Fargo actively working to retain diverse employees after they’ve hired them?
In a statement from the company after the news broke, Scharf apologized for his “insensitive comment reflecting my own unconscious bias.” Wells Fargo also committed to reaching out to diverse talent and creating an anti-racism training course to invigorate its diversity efforts (Wells Fargo website). But the damage of those words is done. Not only are they highly insensitive for these times, but they also do little to increase the favorability of a brand that’s consistently caused harm against communities of color. Statements like these also dissuade individuals from taking on positions at companies that don’t reflect their safety or needs, which exacerbates the representation issue. Hopefully, more executive leaders learn from this mistake and choose instead to lead with equity and understanding.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
This past June, the Wells Fargo CEO blamed the "pipeline problem" for the lack of diverse representation in staff
The "pipeline problem" is a myth, and places blame on the workforce instead of holding internal hiring practices accountable
There's a growing population of qualified diverse candidates in white-dominated and male-dominated fields that aren't being hired
RELATED ISSUES
8/9/2020 | Understand the unemployment gap | COVID-19
9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.
9/16/2020 | Fight for paid sick leave.
8/28/2020 | Start seeing color.
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.
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Don't tokenize people of color.
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Happy Thursday,
And thank you for all the kind birthday wishes! Today's newsletter was inspired by the recent news at Bon Appétit, but also the nomination of Kamala Harris as vice-presidential candidate. We're watching the aftermath of the protests unfold as we march towards an election where racism will be centerstage. The next three months may be the most critical for dismantling white supremacy, and I'm glad we're committed to making an impact.
We have some new faces here 👋🏾 explore our website to learn more about this project, explore the archives for all 70 issues published since launch, and enroll your office or classroom with our corporate plans.
As always, your donations are greatly appreciated. You can give on our website, PayPal, Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or by subscribing for $5/mo on our Patreon. Thank you for everyone that makes this newsletter possible.
Nicole
TAKE ACTION
Reflect on the following questions:
What's an example of tokenization you've seen in your own community?
How may you have you tokenized someone in the past?
What may tokenization look like at your office? Your school?
GET EDUCATED
Bon Appétit magazine is experiencing an exodus of talent and staff in their video department, Test Kitchen, after accusations of tokenizing people of color. The controversy started in June when a photo of editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport in brownface surfaced online, leading to his resignation. This event sparked more extensive conversations on pay gaps between white workers and people of color at the organization, which the magazine pledged to address (NYTimes). Yet two months later, it looks like their efforts fell short. Three people of color (half of the non-white Test Kitchen staff) stepped down, and three others resigned in solidarity (NYPost). Many remaining staffers refused to appear in Test Kitchen videos until colleagues were paid fairly, and the organization has put the project on pause until September (NYPost).
To fully understand the controversy, we need to understand how tokenization works. Tokenizing is when individuals, companies, the media, and other platforms center a non-white person in a position of power to deflect calls of racism or discrimination. This is similar to “playing the friend card,” a concept we discussed in a newsletter last week. But tokenization is more commonly seen in public figures – like leaders, influencers, executives, lead characters in movies and books, etc. Tokenization is a sinister form of racism because, despite the fact that the individual is represented in a specific space, the system is usually failing them. It provides an illusion of change that’s not yet realized. These scenarios are especially easy to do in cases like Bon Appétit, where placing people of color on video visually depicts inclusivity that’s not fully realized behind the scenes.
A more general example of this is the “Black people in horror movies” trope. Often, the token Black person in a horror film was the most likely to die (TV Tropes). This came from early attempts to diversify movies by adding in a character of color, one who often wasn’t provided with character development and was easy to kill off. So despite what the film looked like, not everyone had the best chance of survival from the start.
The term was popularized in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and explained succinctly by Malcolm X in an interview with Louis Lomax, an African American journalist, in 1963:max
LOMAX: But we have made some gains…
MALCOLM X: What gains? All you have gotten is tokenism–one or two Negroes in a job or at a lunch counter so the rest of you will be quiet. It took the United States Army to get one Negro into the University of Mississippi; it took troops to get a few Negroes in the white schools at Little Rock and another dozen places in the South. It has been nine years since the Supreme Court decision outlawing segregated schools, yet less than ten per cent of the Negro students in the South are in integrated schools. That isn’t integration, that’s tokenism!
(via Teaching American History)
Tokenization is often a way for companies and other organizations to deflect blame or resentment. After criticism for racist hiring practices, companies may be quick to hire a DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) leader at the company to show progress. But that role alone may not be sufficient enough for change. According to the careers site Glassdoor, jobs related to diversity fell 60% between early March and early June due to coronavirus (Washington Post). Budget cuts often affect human resources departments, considering a decrease in staffing and hiring more directly impacts their workload. But, as sources argue in the article, these roles are actually incredibly important for navigating a pandemic disproportionately affecting people of color. But opportunities for these same roles spiked immediately after the protests, demonstrating a renewed urgency in the work – or at least, an urgency to look like the work is happening.
"
Companies use DEI programs for PR strategy and then slash them like they’re deadweight. Yes, some companies are facing difficult financial decisions, but *there could not be a worse time* to reduce the function that ensures your marginalized employees feel seen and heard.
Alex Lahmeyer, former Thumbtack diversity and inclusion lead, for Washington Post
And as we saw with the Bon Appétit example, oftentimes tokenized individuals are elevated as equals, but not treated as such. It’s more insidious to pretend an organization has equitable hiring practices by tokenizing people than not having them at all.
We can also further tokenize people with our words and actions. Consider how people will use the fact that “we had a Black president” as a deflection for racism persisting in America. When we do this, we bypass the harm that marginalized communities experience (more about bypassing in a previous newsletter). We can do this in more damaging ways, too. During his first presidential campaign, Joe Biden referred to Barack Obama, who was a senator at the time, as “the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy” (BuzzFeed). That comment implies that African American men generally are not bright, clean, or nice-looking, which isn’t just incredibly inaccurate. It reinforces the opposite of that statement in people’s minds. And, it takes away from the inherent strengths and talents of Obama himself.
Tokenization is exacerbated when the individual has additional marginalized identities. People that identify as both non-white and LGBTQ+, for example, can be tokenized because of one identity, the other or both. Consider the harmful racist rhetoric that Kamala Harris, whose appointment as a Black, Indian, and female vice-presidential candidate has received in the past 48 hours.
As someone who’s personally been tokenized, I can speak to the burden it imposes on people in that position. I know how it feels to be propped up as an example, even when I know I’m being treated differently than my peers. It can place people of color in an uncomfortable position, perhaps finally in a role they’ve desired and pursuing something they care deeply about, but unsure if their presence is making things better or worse. I know I’ve stayed in roles hoping that I can make a difference, but realizing that I still don’t have the organizational power to create change. Tokenization often forces people’s hands, which is one of many ways white supremacy oppresses people of color.
Instead of tokenizing people, we should first focus on truly celebrating their accomplishments themselves, regardless of how they look in a world of systemic oppression. And we also must ensure that the spaces these people occupy genuinely support them. For example, instead of using the nomination of Kamala Harris for vice president as a deflection, we must acknowledge the challenges that people of color and women have faced historically to gain political leadership – you can read some history on the progress of Black leaders on Pew Research.
And when we see an example of tokenizing happening in front of us, it’s our responsibility to keep listening and learning. Ask more questions at your workplace, do research on companies on their hiring practices, and see if companies making new hires have committed beyond the press release. And if you have power and privilege, you can stand with other people of color taking a stand. Also, we don’t have to wait for an act of tokenization to start this work.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Bon Appétit Magazine is experiencing a talent exodus after paying people of color less than white video talent
Tokenization is when people of color are hired or elevated to deflect accusations of racism or discrimination
Oftentimes tokenization provides the perception of change still yet realized
We must look beyond the person and hold systems accountable
RELATED ISSUES
8/7/2020 | Don't play the friend card.
8/6/2020 | Don't do digital blackface.
8/5/2020 | Avoid spiritual bypassing.
7/9/2020 | Acknowledge the harm of microaggressions.
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
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Travel for diversity and inclusivity.
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It's Tuesday and we're going on a trip! Sort of. Guest writer Renée is guiding us through the lack of representation of Black people in the travel industry, and the danger it brings to both travelers and the industry as a whole.
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TAKE ACTION
Research the diversity and inclusivity efforts of the travel companies you spend money on (hotels, airlines, etc). How are they trying to be inclusive? How did they respond to the protests over the past few weeks?
If you identify as white...
Have you witnessed racism against a BIPOC while traveling? What did you do to stop it? How will you use your white privilege in the travel space to ensure the physical, emotional, and mental safety of BIPOC travelers?
If you identify as Black...
Join the Black Travel Alliance, a group of Black content creators from around the world using three pillars part of their mission: alliance, amplification, and accountability to create a world where Black people are supported and accurately portrayed in the travel industry. Brands who join will have access to a wide range of Black travel creators, including journalists, bloggers, photojournalists, and social media influencers.
GET EDUCATED
By Renée Cherez
When we think about travel, we imagine a worry-free time without interrupting the “real world.” Unfortunately, this level of unadulterated escapism does not ring true for Black travelers.
A quick Google search of the terms ‘traveler’ or ‘solo female traveler’ and pages of young white women against picturesque backdrops of the turquoise ocean with pink sand or famous landmarks like the Taj Mahal appears. Absent are the faces of Black travelers who are most certainly traveling to destinations both near and far. Over the last decade, with the help of social media, the Black travel movement (a movement that encourages Black people – particularly Black millennials – to travel both domestically and abroad to build community while also immersing in other cultures) has grown to unprecedented numbers.
The travel industry, one of the most profitable, fastest-growing industries globally, is worth $8.9 trillion (World Travel and Tourism Council). In 2018, Black travelers spent $63 billion on global tourism, an enormous leap from $48 billion in 2010 (Mandala Research). Additionally, in 2001, the United States Travel Association (USTA) identified African Americans as the fastest-growing segment in the travel industry. With these numbers, it’s clear that Black travelers are ready, willing, and able to spend their money on experiences in their chosen destinations, yet we are treated like we don’t belong.
Over the last few years, more and more Black travelers have been vocal about the anti-Black racism they’ve experienced while traveling in various parts of the world. Black professionals who often fly first-class are notoriously assumed to be in the “wrong line” when they’re on the priority line solely based on their skin color (LEVEL).
Black women have to research their destination and whether or not they will be safe from racialized and gender-based violence. White supremacy has made it so that the sexualization of Black women is worldwide, causing many Black women to experience unwanted advances abroad from men who assume they are prostitutes. Ugandan-American Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman documented to travel the world, shares her experience with safety as a Black woman:
“...[women] of color are in more danger because a lot of people think we are prostitutes… My fear is always that if something happens to me in a European city, no one will care. I could be running down the street screaming in Italy, and onlookers won’t care because I’m Black. I think this is true no matter where in the world we are.”
Jessica Nabongo, world traveler, for the New York Times
For years, Airbnb branded itself as a way for travelers to stay at or with locals in new places; however, said locals have discriminated against Black travelers on several occasions (Fast Company). Whether it was kicking them out without reason or not responding to their inquiries on their accommodations availability (Fortune).
Also worth noting, 15% of Black travelers stated racial profiling played a role in their destination travel decisions (Mandala Research).
In the travel industry, Black people have played a supporting role in the tourism space. In contrast, white travelers have been the lead actors, not only as travelers but also in leadership positions at marketing agencies and press trips, travel media outlets, and tourism boards. Black people, wherever they are in the world, have been painted as the “gracious host,” “the safari guide,” and “the individuals who need ‘saving’ from white volunteers” but are rarely represented as “the adventurers in far-off lands.”
This lack of representation plays a significant role in the anti-Black racism Black travelers face on the road. For example, if locals from a country have limited real-world experience with Black people, they can only rely on what they’ve seen in the media. This misconception is likely to affect Black travelers negatively. A solution to this is simple: real diversity and inclusive initiatives rooted in anti-racism with a commitment to amplifying Black travelers.
Racism in the travel industry stretches beyond the average Black traveler but impacts the entire industry. Black travel agents make up a mere 6% of agents, while white travel agents make up 72% of the space (Data USA). Luxury travel is primarily represented by white travelers, erasing the Black travelers, journalists, and creators who create luxury travel content. In the PR industry, white professionals make up 87.9% of the space, while Black professionals make up 8.3%, Latinos 5.7%, and Asians a measly 2.7% (Harvard Business Review). With the absence of diverse voices, the stories, reporting, and content created from these trips lack the nuance that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) can provide.
Tourism boards must create marketing campaigns that reflect the diversity of the world, not the status quo. Black faces and bodies of all kinds should be represented and celebrated in advertisements, not just light-skinned, slim, able-bodied, cis-gendered people. Diverse advertising in the travel industry has a two-fold result: it allows Black travelers to feel welcome while showing locals that we too travel and deserve respect. Recent research shows travelers who identify as ethnic minorities (64%) and LGBTQ+ (67%) say the companies they book their travels with must be committed to inclusion and diversity practices (Accenture).
Like most industries, the travel industry is undergoing a reckoning with its lack of diversity and is being called to do more than post black squares on social media. Black travelers and industry professionals demand real representation in the industry from the highest levels in leadership to the entry-level positions. Anti-racist policies must be adopted in the travel industry on a global scale to ensure Black travelers and Black locals are treated with the utmost care and respect post-COVID-19.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In 2018, Black travelers spent $63 billion on global tourism and are currently the fastest-growing segment in the travel industry.
Over the last few years, more and more Black travelers have been vocal about the anti-Black racism they’ve experienced while traveling in various parts of the world. It’s not uncommon that Black women are presumed to be prostitutes solely because of skin color.
Black travelers and industry professionals demand real representation in the industry from the highest levels in leadership to the bottom.
RELATED ISSUES
7/9/2020 | Acknowledge the harm of microaggressions.
7/3/2020 | Share these words by Frederick Douglass.
6/15/2020 | Diversify your media consumption.
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.
Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza