It's 2019. If your organization is still putting up job postings or blurbs on their website with lines like "we actively seek diversity in our programs and employment practices” and/or “we welcome and encourage applicants from historically underrepresented minority groups to apply to our jobs" then it's time to re-evaluate how welcoming and open to diversity, equity, and inclusion your organization actually is. Truth be told, this kind of language usually denotes that someone in your department or organization REALLY wants to hire "other” or “different people" but doesn't actually have the capacity or drive to truly build a better culture and environment that supports all people. On top of that it also screams of pandering to the masses and trying to present yourself as something that you're not. A diversity statement, or a section of your website and company social media dedicated to your efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the community and your organization, is one thing. But base statements like the aforementioned sound insincere.

Think about it: if you really were an equitable and inclusive workplace, or had a reputation as one, you wouldn’t have to use all of the jargon and buzzwords to grab “other” and “different” applicants, would you?

So I’m currently reading Robin DiAngelo’s impeccable book White Fragility. I’m 1/4 of the way through and I can’t recommend it enough, not just for White people but for people of color as well. Why, you ask? I view reading material of this nature as another tool, another layer of understanding, for both Whites and POC to take into conversations with White people about race. Race is a social construct; in order to effectively connect with Whites and POC alike concerning race I believe one needs to have as much understanding of the mental and emotional aspects of race as they can acquire.

DiAngelo’s book extends beyond the basics of White fragility that many POC are familiar with and adds psychological context and extra insight...from a White person who admits they will forever be doing their own work to be better. The insights I’ve come across in this book and the candor with which they’re shared has already got me re-evaluating and building upon my approaches to conversations about race.

To make change happen one has to be willing to change themselves. That’s the only way we build a deeper understanding in White America of the way race factors into every part of our lives and how they too have to be active and evolving participants in things being better.

I feel like I say this a lot in my personal and professional lives but it always seems to bear repeating: just because you can hire a person of color, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, a person with a disability, a cisgender woman, or anyone from a marginalized group does not mean you SHOULD hire a person of color, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, a person with a disability, a cisgender woman, or anyone from a marginalized group. Get your organizational culture, environment, and staff aligned with empathy, equity, and inclusion THEN revisit if you're even remotely ready to begin building a staff that reflects the community you serve.