Ever since the murder of George Floyd led to the largest (and almost entirely peaceful) demonstrations in American history during the summer of 2020, like many people and groups I have been trying to figure out how to think and act more effectively in support of racial justice. At that time I wrote this short blog post, but for the most part I have been quietly trying to find my way through reading, reflection, dialogue, and small acts of solidarity.
My understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (often referred to as DEI) was recently expanded when I read Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives by Minal Bopaiah, the founder of the strategy and design firm Brevity and Wit. I tweeted about two of my favorite quotes from this impressive book: one that says that great organizations “encourage everyone to play to their strengths instead of insecurely asking everyone to fit into the mold of the 'ideal' employee or leader” and another which asserted that “[e]quity is a big ask... But equity gives more than it takes. When we meet it with bravery and humility, equity gives us innovation and opportunity." She proposes that we add accessibility into the mix and redefine DEI as IDEA. I strongly endorse this short and powerful book.
I have also come to believe that diversity on nonprofit boards and staff teams is often thought of mainly in terms of the signal it sends to the outside world that it is not dominated by whites, white males, or some other dominant group. While admirable, I prefer to see groups diversify for an even more important reason: it helps them make better decisions by having more perspectives and experiences at the table.
Furthermore, I have concluded that diversifying in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender is essential but also oftentimes incomplete. Many groups would also benefit from ensuring greater diversity when it comes to age, religious affiliation (or lack thereof), geography, workstyle, political ideology and party affiliation, and sexual orientation. I assume I am not the only one who periodically finds himself in groups where nearly everyone falls in a narrow age range, is of the same religion, is bicoastal, is a Type A (or Type B) personality, is a member of the same political party, and is straight (or gay).
I have written elsewhere about the painful process of being forced to resign from a board of directors due to my workstyle being different from most of my peers. More acceptance of diversity in that aspect could have led to a very different outcome in that case.
My views on DEI were further deepened when, in a recent meeting, race and gender discrimination was brought up. Someone responded by saying that as important as those issues were, there was also an opportunity to embrace the ideas of “radical welcome and radical empathy.”
I had not heard the term “radical welcome” before, but it struck me as something profoundly important. I did a quick web search on it and found the term used frequently in the context of Christianity. I found this definition of the term in the context of being a “radically welcoming” congregation, and it resonated with me. I felt that its distinctions between being inviting, being inclusive, and practicing “radical welcome” were also relevant in many secular contexts.
The document argues that “a radically welcoming community seeks to welcome the voices, presence and power of many groups—especially those who have been defined as The Other, pushed to the margins, cast out, silenced and closeted.”
It later distinguishes between invitation, inclusion, and radical welcome across four dimensions of being welcoming to outsiders: the message, the goal, the effort, and the result. Here are the differences when applied “the message”:
Invitation: “Come, join our community and share our cultural values and heritage.”
Inclusion: “Help us to be diverse.”
Radical Welcome: “Bring your culture, your voice, your whole self – we want to engage in [a] truly mutual relationship.”
In all of the groups that we are part of, let us not only diversify, but do so in the spirit of radical welcome so that we can mine the entire potential of these long-overdue outreach efforts and make those joining us feel not just included, but comfortable.
What does radical welcome mean to you?