Is DEI work effective? Is the tide truly turning?

close-up view of waves/tides with sun low on the horizon in the far distance

Lately I find myself wondering if much of the anti-racism work of the last several years has done more harm than good. Admittedly, as the executive director of one of the oldest anti-racism organizations in the United States and as a longtime anti-racist writer and speaker, it may seem strange to hear me say that. …

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When the racists rally together: The real grifters

a multitude of white hands palms out, held close to each other with a heart image painted in red across them like they were a canvas

It is common for people who do anti-racism work to be referred to as grifters, and it’s one of the more commonplace insults that has been hurled at me over the years. Depending on my mood, it can actually make me chuckle, since I can say with certainty that anti-racism work is not exactly lucrative. …

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When discomfort is racial…and deadly

a pair of hands warding off something unseen

On May 1, Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old unhoused Black man—who struggled with his mental health—was killed by a fellow passenger on a New York City subway after he reportedly caused a ruckus and loudly proclaimed to be in need of food and water. By all accounts that I have read, Jordan’s behavior in the moments …

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