How the Term “BIPOC” Harms Meaningful Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Speaker and Strategist, I often get asked why I focus on the equitable experiences of Black People. Well, my experience is that the DE&I conversation has become a space of one size fits all. What do I mean by that? Well, one example is, the term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) implies that all individuals within that designation have shared experiences as it is related to the quest for DE&I and the fact is, they (we) do not.
Before I go any further, this blog post was derived from someone from our community that reached out to me to share her story. She has asked to remain anonymous, and we protect Black women in this space.
Ok, let’s get into the conversation!
Let’s Talk About BIPOC
Let’s get this straight, at this point we know that race is a social construction that was developed to place people into stereotypical boxes. Ok, because of that, we must know that each ethnicity has their own challenges when navigating social structures. Knowing that, why are we developing a one-size-fits-all programming and interventions for racially and ethnically diverse people? That makes no sense to me! For long lasting change, we must address the individual differences of the groups we are attempting to engage with.
Understanding this seems very simple, well, to me. HOWEVER, one of the concepts that I hear often is, “why do we have to focus on each group individually, Alicia?” I also hear, “each social group has their own Business Relationship Group (BRG), Alicia… Isn’t that enough?” In short, this is my response:
- You tailor make programming and interventions to specific social groups because each group is deserving of that. Forever, each social group has its own tailormade oppression, which means it is going to take tailormade programming and interventions to execute substantial change.
- Yes, each social group has their own BRG, HOWEVER, is that enough? Do BRGs develop interventions and programs to make sure the boardroom and leadership resemble the workforce they support?
These are a few of the questions that I ask my clients that state they want change that is not performative.
The Importance of Individuality in DE&I
Now, that we have laid some foundation, let’s spend this last section discussing the “why” in a little more detail with a real-life example from a Black Woman within our community that we will call “Kenya.”
Kenya has worked in Corporate America for over a decade and has shared her past experiences of not being trusted. Kenya has made statements within meetings and other professional spaces within the organization and has found herself having to go the extra mile for trust from her peers and leadership. This would not bother Kenya if her non-Black counterparts (of multiple ethnicities and genders) had to go the same distance to receive trust from her peers and leadership.
Now, this is probably one of the number one examples of individuality in DE&I. When I say that, I mean, yes, there is a BIPOC “community,” however, the BIPOC “community” does not experience the same type of experiences within the workplace as the Black community. As we continue to fight systematic oppression, we must use critical thinking and reasoning to determine if all groups are being protected and appreciated at the same level. The Indigenous community and “People of Color” holistically do not share the same experiences unilaterally which in short confirms that there is truly individualism when executing interventions and programming within DE&I.
Kenya’s experience is not her own experience, this is the experience of many within the Black community. Unfortunately, these experiences lend themselves in and out of the workplace. Understanding that, it is important for leadership to foster an environment that does not mirror the outside world. You know why because leadership can manufacture an environment that protects their employees.
Please note, when you make your employees feel wanted, valued, AND protected, you will experience loyalty, retention, and return on investment. Doesn’t that sound great!
Contact me for speaker panels and an assessment of your organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion platform! Especially if you do not already have one!
