Diversity work – like any form of political speech – cannot just focus on what needs to be said, it must also take into account what people are able and willing to hear.
Why is that? Should we really aim to speak in a way that may limit our own expression, tone or message? Is that not asking for self-censorship, or “tone policing”?
In order to answer this, we need to remind ourselves of the purpose of diversity work: it is not about getting people to say the “right thing” or prevent them from saying the “wrong thing.” Words may be important, but they are not everything. Free speech must not be curtailed – the consequences of that would be even worse.
Diversity work is about material reality, measurable discrimination, real existing wealth and opportunity gaps. It is about human rights and human dignity, which means, the rights and dignity of all humans. Everybody can be a target of discrimination. Eventually, everybody will be a target if they live long enough (getting old and sick has never been fun).
If we want to create measurable change, we need to truly change hearts and minds – and sometimes even our own. This cannot happen through censorship, cancel culture, “non-platforming”, shouting down the political opponent etc. Such acts only create resentment.
We are seeing such resentment on the rise currently. This must needs give us pause: no matter the urgency of social justice work, we need to make sure people are given a chance to understand. We need to convince with arguments. We need to listen to each other with respect and honesty – and engage with each other in true dialog. We cannot win through manipulation or nudging or bullying or canceling; these are the oppressor’s tools.
If we believe in our shared humanity and dignity, we need to live up to these ideals even towards people we disagree with. That is difficult, painful and can be excruciating and feel excruciatingly unfair – and sometimes, it even is. But it is the only path.
Commonsense diversity means to work towards the societal understanding that the pursuit of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, democracy and social justice is indeed common sense, and beneficial for all – not just in rhetoric but in practice.
Erratic Attempts 