Diversity Statements
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Yeah man, that was a joke.
Whether it be West Fork Whiskey / Stave Lounge at Grand Park...Rick's Boathouse over by the Geisse Complex...Whiskey Business out by the Pride Performance Center...Taxman down by SCSA...or even Spencer Farm Winery up by Indy Premier and Hoosier FC...
My credit is good. 😄
I assumed everyone was drinking booze out of their Yetis
That type of diversity is A)valuable and B)not at all what the DEI programs being discussed are pushing.
ETA: If you want to test this theory in your own life, feel free to bring it up in one of these diversity settings. Tell the whole class that having a white person from Germany, a white person from South Africa, a white person from the U.S., a white person from Argentina, and a white person from Australia would probably constitute a more diverse team than having a team of 1 white, 1 black, 1 Hispanic, and 1 Asian individual all born and raised in the same U.S. city. Anyone who has sat through any of that training knows that diversity of thought isn't the thrust and diversity of experience is almost singularly viewed through the lens of race and/or sexuality.
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The popularity of the Yeti has been a game-changer...
That, and the vape pen. 😄
Echoing IUCrazy above...
Were this your self-crafted "Diversity Statement" to get a gig...you'd be laughed out of the room, and probably black-balled from future positions for it not being woke enough.
The NC State Chemistry professor? I have met him before, or at least seen him give a talk, but I don't know him well.
That's simply not true. outside shooter has a really great post alluding to much of what I'd want to say, but we all come with unintended prejudices baked in. In another post you mentioned Mississippi strengthening its early childhood educations programs, which is great.
It'll take at least a generation of consistently high scores and rankings for people from other parts of the country not to hold misconceptions about people from Mississippi. Or the Appalachian region. Or inner cities. The frustrating thing with the Ron DeSantises of the world is that they don't understand the baby they're trying to throw out with the bath water.
He and I are boyhood friends. Still very close.
This is the second time you used the phrase “unintended prejudices.” I’m not sure what that means. I think you are excluding deliberate racism, sexism, etc. So there is that. I guess I’d respond to you in a couple of ways. First, I think you are giving “prejudice” a bad rap. There is nothing wrong with prejudices. I think they serve a useful purpose in upholding standards in life and society. I think most prejudices are unintended . The problem is that for some some people, prejudices serve to suppress, groups, and divide us. In my view, prejudices operate on a macro or group level. Some have prejudices against Blacks as a group, against Trumpists as a group, against elites as a group and on and on. This is why I try to force myself to see individuals instead of groups. The more we see people as a member of a group, the more destructive prejudices flourish. This is a huge problem for blacks because of the outsized statistics of black crime compared to other groups. It’s a tough problem. We all want to believe people will be like the groups we assign them to instead of seeing an individual. Peer pressure and crowd influence is not irrelevant, so seeing people as a group member is justified. Unfortunately, our politics and commercial marketing tends to force us to think in terms of groups. We should at least try to fix politics.
End of ramble.
You said you're not sure what 'unintended prejudices' means and then you define it at the end of your ramble
Your last three to four sentences are exactly why DEI offices exist and what I was getting at. Being sensitive to and acknowledging those peer pressures/crowd influences - or unintended consequences - that are sometimes hard wired due to things often times beyond our control is important.
About 15 years or so ago, I played hoops in Arizona with a doctor who worked at the Mayo Clinic. He was originally from a small town in Kansas and he's the one I heard talk about having prejudices he didn't know he had. Addressing those and understanding everyone's background and where they're coming from is a net-positive for everyone. And essentially what DEI offices are working to do.
I'd like to comment, but before I do I need to see everyone's DEI statements to see who I can comment on.
Of course, it is patently silly to use DEI as a qualifier. One reason, among several, anyone can write anything. One can have ChatGPT write it. It doesn't mean one believes in it in any way.
One point, we get caught up in what all this means and the terms mean more than we often think. One example is inclusion. A lot of older games use red and green as colors, making it so color-blind people cannot play them. 5-8% of males are red-green color-blind. Companies have worked lately to correct this. I consider this inclusion. There are a lot of efforts to make games more playable by people with other conditions. At one time these people were totally ignored. I know other areas of America are working on this sort of inclusion as well. There is a huge push, and has been for 10 years, to get websites more inclusive for people who have visual issues.
It is very possible that many people could meet the criteria of jobs and do a great job, but they have some issue like color-blindness or dyslexia that has given them a disadvantage that can be overcome with just a little effort by everyone.
Of course, it is patently silly to use DEI as a qualifier. One reason, among several, anyone can write anything. One can have ChatGPT write it. It doesn't mean one believes in it in any way.
One point, we get caught up in what all this means and the terms mean more than we often think. One example is inclusion. A lot of older games use red and green as colors, making it so color-blind people cannot play them. 5-8% of males are red-green color-blind. Companies have worked lately to correct this. I consider this inclusion. There are a lot of efforts to make games more playable by people with other conditions. At one time these people were totally ignored. I know other areas of America are working on this sort of inclusion as well. There is a huge push, and has been for 10 years, to get websites more inclusive for people who have visual issues.
It is very possible that many people could meet the criteria of jobs and do a great job, but they have some issue like color-blindness or dyslexia that has given them a disadvantage that can be overcome with just a little effort by everyone.
Disagree.You said you're not sure what 'unintended prejudices' means and then you define it at the end of your ramble
Your last three to four sentences are exactly why DEI offices exist and what I was getting at. Being sensitive to and acknowledging those peer pressures/crowd influences - or unintended consequences - that are sometimes hard wired due to things often times beyond our control is important.
About 15 years or so ago, I played hoops in Arizona with a doctor who worked at the Mayo Clinic. He was originally from a small town in Kansas and he's the one I heard talk about having prejudices he didn't know he had. Addressing those and understanding everyone's background and where they're coming from is a net-positive for everyone. And essentially what DEI offices are working to do.
The essential subtext of DEI perpetuates group identities. While I have not or seen all DEI officials, I can say that 100% of DEI officials I have seen or read about are not white males. I agree that we all should be aware of hidden, unintended and unjustified bias and prejudice. I don’t think DEI is the best, or even a good way to deal with that issue. Conventional DEI efforts lead people like Joe Biden to say to a black guy: “if you vote for Trump then you aren ‘t black.” We need to accept the notion that belonging to a certain group is usually not a job qualification. I understand that we still have remediation to do for past sins. I think quality education is the key which is why is started the Mississippi thread. DEI should be unnecessary among a group of equally well educated individuals.
Tim Scott brought this home when somebody told him he was an exception to typical black experience. He said he was not the exception and thinking he was is racism.
Does him being typical include him saying he has been pulled over 18 times for "driving while Black"?
Tim Scott Says He's Been Stopped 18 Times for 'Driving While Black'
"I personally understand the pain," said the Republican senator from South Carolina on Sunday morning.
www.newsweek.com
A lot of things. Misconceptions about a lot of different types of people who might be from different places and backgrounds.
DEI initiatives are important because we all have blind spots. Even educated populations. Equally educated people also strive for more knowledge and optimal performance. Across various workplaces and institutes of learning, it's a net positive to be aware of cultural differences and the nuances that come with that. That a HUGE part of the DEI initiatives I've been a part of. Reading a book about those things can be a start, but DEI offices help various stakeholders deal with all that in real time.
All the DEI happy talk doesn’t erase the well-worn orthodoxy that in order to empower a marginalized group one must degrade another group. Thus we have seminars about “whiteness” that criticize what is assumed to be white culture and requires apologies for whiteness, and degrading such things as “hard work,” “striving for success,” and “punctuality“ as being contrary to some marginalized cultures. I’m all for the objective of DEI, but the way it’s presented is divisive and destructive. We can do better.
LOL, absolute BS. That has never been even one iota of any diversity training I have ever seen. You're confusing diversity training with the 1619 project
Well, they weren't MY misconceptions, so I'm not really going to talk specifics. He did talk about not questioning stereotypes and assuming things about people from different backgrounds. I'm not sure why specifics matter to you, all I know is that he felt learning about and correcting his views was important to him.
Well, because it sounds exactly like the shitlib gobblygook that hoodwinkers and fundraisers peddle to sell shit no one wants or needs.
OK, fair enough...you don't know what "preconceived notions" this guy stumbled upon...what about you?
You seem to value the need for DEI training. It must have helped you. What "preconceived prejudices" did it help you get a grip on, or better understand? Specifically? What preconceived idea about any minority did you realize just wasn't true when you sat through a DEI class?
You're right; meshing cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, sexes, physical abilities and races never hits any conflict and workplaces and classrooms always work seamlessly, everyone is on equal footing and there are never any issues. <<<insert eyeroll and loud sigh here>>>
I'm not really interesting in tipping my hand on what I do here, but I will share one specific I learned with you. DEI initiatives can be immensely helpful for first gen students, people from rural areas and people with disabilities are also helped by DEI initiatives. At first blush, I don't think a lot of people realize that. Or don't care.
National Nuclear Lab's Employees Sent to Seminar That Claimed 'Rugged Individualism' and 'Hard Work' Are 'White Male Culture'
The seminar for Sandia Labs executives also involved writing apology letters to marginalized people.
reason.com
She left out “ate” in her paypal address.National Nuclear Lab's Employees Sent to Seminar That Claimed 'Rugged Individualism' and 'Hard Work' Are 'White Male Culture'
The seminar for Sandia Labs executives also involved writing apology letters to marginalized people.
The kind of training you are talking about has been abound for almost 60 years for most protected classes and for. 30+years for disabilities. Gay issues has generally been a matter of state law until Gorsuch wrote the Bostock opinion. What you describe as DEI training really isn’t DEI training. It’s the kind of civil rights and HR training that we have lived with for decades.
DEI specific trading is a product of people like Kendi and DiAngelo whose works shift the focus to whiteness and white privilege. This is new and in my view is divisive and destructive let alone it violates the intent and purposes of the civil rights laws because it disparages people based upon skin color.
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I went to a diversity training several years ago "Ending Racism". It was from a group in Minnesota. After 2 days and several disturbing sleepless nights I arose to state I have something to say. The Moderator for the third day session, who had obvious distain for me after days one and two stated make it quick. I stated that I was shocked that the premise of the training supported Senator Barry Goldwater's position on the great Society. Two days' worth of destroying public housing, welfare etc. as destroying black families and blaming the government. The previous day a seasoned social worker broke down crying stating that her entire career she thought she was helping, only to be told she was hurting. The black women cried and needed to be consoled. The poor moderator didn't even know who Goldwater was. The Commissioner of our dept apologized to me afterward for hiring the trainers.
I have been in that kind of training. I argued till the cow's game home that I am not guilty. My kids are not guilty. That just made me a racist for not understanding. These fools provided a path for Trump.National Nuclear Lab's Employees Sent to Seminar That Claimed 'Rugged Individualism' and 'Hard Work' Are 'White Male Culture'
The seminar for Sandia Labs executives also involved writing apology letters to marginalized people.
I find it sad you had to argue that, that it is even considered a possibility and that you might be labeled a racist for thinking it, and that that type of thinking might have, as you said, contributed to the rise of Trump.
Generally speaking to help set them up for success. They provide programs, resources and guidance on how to navigate higher Ed successfully. It could be something as simple as how to dress for a career fair or interview to helping them understand the full array of accommodations the university/college offers.
In addition to working with students, DEI offices work with faculty and staff to help them fully understand how to work with and accommodate underrepresented/underserved populations to best set them up for success. This could be anything from understanding ADA stuff to appreciating certain holidays, customs and traditions that could provide important context into a students’ involvement or engagement at school.
There is a piece of it that helps mitigate misunderstandings or incidents, but mostly those issues aren’t decided by DEI offices. In the rare instance that it could be serious enough. That’s elevated to the dean/president level.
The kind of training you mentioned has been around for decades is exactly the kind of training DEI offices offer - and ultimately what is being threatened on college campuses. It’s been refined and now has an “official” name assigned to it, but that’s essentially what DEI offices do.
I’m sure there are outliers that focus on the anti-whiteness stuff you brought up, but those are generally the exception to the rule. Those are also the red meat that Fox News tosses to their viewers.
That said, I’ve been in discussions where those books/authors have come up. No one shamed me for being white.
If I understand your point, DEI is just the latest buzz-phrase for what we have always done.
Not sure I agree. For some, and I don’t know what percentage, diversity and equity go beyond equality and equal opportunity.
Yes, for the most part DEI is a repackaged version of what's been done historically.
I do think it's a relatively small percentage of DEI offices that are actually teaching that white people are bad. Yes, there are some people who suggest reading books that could be deemed controversial on the topic and yes there are people who champion reparations, but for the most part those people really are the outliers.
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