Belonging – DEIJ¿B?

Hello, Imani,

I wanted to reach out to get your input on a question that was raised to us by the consultant we’re working with for [a pilot program for professional development].  They inquired as to why we didn’t include B for belonging in our DEI work – it’s their norm to do so, and folks serving on [our organization’s] DEI committee for that initiative were receptive to including it.  When I brought it up to [our CEO] she suggested that I reach out to you about it [as our DEI consultant], to ensure that we have a clear organization-wide decision about terminology.

Can you let us know what your thoughts are on the addition of that term?

Thanks very much,

[C-Suite Executive]

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Good Morning,

There are a few things that would likely benefit more from a conversation than a monologue, but I will do my best with this forum.

When I began my work as a consultant, it was in the 90’s where this work was in a stage referred to as “multiculturalism”.

Then it moved to “diversity work”.

Then “inclusion”.

Then “equity” (because diversity and inclusion don’t really address power imbalance). 

In the early 2000s, “anti-bias” work became popular. People with a power/systems analysis wanted it to be called “anti-oppression”.

Then the acronym “DEI” emerged which made all three indiscernible and, by virtue of being an acronym, obscured the profound meaning of them all.

In the mid 2000s, I began to tune into the work of antiracism. What I like about it is that antiracism addresses head-on a critical wedge issue that has divided many movements for change (women’s movement, environmental movement, etc). What people critique about it is that it is negative (anti) and not inclusive enough (what about the rest?)? Independent of the critiques, the term antiracism didn’t become popularly sayable in most organizations until after the murder of George Floyd in 2023. (And even since then, it has moved out of favor/to the fringe/is being considered radical again now.) 

In 2019-ish people started to use the word belonging. At first I balked. It felt like a softening of the already softened DEI. Then someone pointed to Maslow’s pyramid and I appreciated that it had some actual sociological roots that I respected (though there was critique of the pyramid that without “Love and Belonging” even one’s “Physiological Needs” could not be met).

So, to answer the question straight on, there are three reasons:

(1) I think you all don’t use the B because it wasn’t pervasively popular at the time we began to work together;

(2) I don’t use the B because I believe that when DEI work is being done well and where each of the elements are being done in concert with each other, the B work is part of it (eg this graphic).

(3) I don’t use the B because (like with viewpoint diversity), while I *absolutely* believe in and support and depend upon belonging and diversity of thought, they have been co-opted by people who oppose liberatory/anti-oppressive work to undermine those working toward liberation and to confuse those good hearted people who don’t have a deep enough analysis to see the maneuver for what it is.

(4) I  don’t use B because belonging is an internal state (inside of one person) and is much more challenging to measure directly (though there are proxies for it) than diversity, equity or inclusion.

You didn’t ask my opinion, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with you adding the B, if it feels meaningful to you-all.

I hope that’s helpful. And I’m open to questions, or, even better, a conversation.

Thanks,

Imani