ADR Advisors: 2020 Trends

It’s an annual tradition of the American Diversity Report to share quotes on upcoming trends from ADR Advisors in the new year. Here are the perspectives from several of our advisors, listed alphabetically. In addition, some advisors have written 2020 articles:  CLICK for Carlos Cortez, Mike Green, David Grinberg, Terry Howard, and Dr. Joseph Nwoye.

Marc Brenman“Major trends for 2020 will include more choosing of a Democratic candidate for President, and then an election. If Trump wins re-election, he will be emboldened and feel justified to do more of what he has been doing. The climate situation will continue to deteriorate. The Russian and Chinese Empires will continue to grow. Use of artificial intelligence will continue to grow, with all the concomitant learning of human biases. Emphasis on unconscious bias by diversity practitioners will continue, especially by people who know little or nothing about neurology and hence cannot really do anything about this neurological phenomenon except perhaps make things worse. The nation-state will continue to make a resurgence, for example in the form of Brexit and its offshoots. The US immigration issue will not be resolved. The US health insurance issue will not be resolved. Progressives will continue to practice an extreme form of political correctness. Impeachment will fail in the Senate. Diversity organizations will continue to give awards to corporations whose executive teams are not diverse. Victimization as a belief system on the left will continue, as will on the right, hypocrisy /greed /misogyny/ racism/ ablism/ homophobia. There will continue to be a scarcity of and action resulting from logic/facts/evidence/critical thinking.”
     ~ Marc Brenman

Carlos Cortez

“Maybe this one is a bit out of the diversity trainer mainstream, but it’s a diversity issue that I am deeply involved with — the conversation concerning the possible establishment of ethnic studies as a statewide high school graduation requirement in California.  The state legislature is considering it.  If California takes such a step, it could well become a national movement.  As part of the state’s considerations, I was asked by the state to compose and submit a set of basic principles for high school ethnic studies.  I did so in September.  Since then I have been receiving comments from around the country and my principles are now in their fourth iteration.  If anyone is interested in them, I would be happy to send them to you.  Send your request through the comments below.”
     ~ Carlos E. Cortes

Terry Howard

“I’m concerned about well educated, college debt ridden millennials, many of whom are living with mom and dad and working several part time jobs just to pay everyday bills. Although a widespread concern, the impact of people of color in this general is extra unique since they unlike others are dealing with the additional burden of discrimination since the privileged people take care of their own and use their networks to get jobs for their offspring. I think that folks who care about this real problem should ask themselves this question posed by Langston Hughes “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” I challenge leaders and readers to speculate on their answers.”
~ Terry Howard

Dr. Cynthia JacksonI believe the diversity and inclusion trends of 2020 will focus on gender neutral awareness, sexual abuse (Silence is not an option; MeToo; etc.) capitalism, hate, and how we no longer operate in black or white, “Letter of the Law”, but operate in the gray areas of the Spirit of the Law, which often causes confusion of truly implementing/ interpreting laws like the 1st Amendment, “Freedom of Speech”.
    ~ Dr. Cynthia R. Jackson

Advisory Board - Simma Lieberman“As white supremacy and violence against different groups continues to rise, those of us in the diversity, equity and inclusion field will need to collaborate more and find new ways to bring people together. If not, fear of differences will impact the workplace and there will be an increase in silos by demographics which will reduce productivity. Issues of race, gender and gender identity will be more prominent as well as cross-generation conversations. As consciousness about race, privilege and power spreads to private industry, “cancel culture,” will be more pervasive unless we change the conversation to make it more inclusive and educate people to change. We will need to help leaders build stronger communities at work to prevent fear, distrust and anxiety that impedes creativity and productivity.”
     ~ Simma Lieberman

Joseph Nwoye“We all know that hate crime in on the rise and occurs much frequently. Victims include those who are discriminated against for their religion, for their gender, for their sexual orientation, for their race, and for their race, etc. For instance, we have seen and heard hateful acts perpetrated against victims such as the killing of 11 innocent people at the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, as well as those in recent months.”
    ~ Dr. Joseph Nwoye

George Simons“Trends in 2020? Face reality! Chaos has usurped the throne of public affairs, seeding the earth with uncertainty, blooming into bigoted certainties about what is coming next and what should be coming next. A happily growing urgency of meeting ecological emergency might be lost sight of, as we do not know how seriously we will be inflicted by, or how we will be cured of our worsening case of bellicose veins. The fading illusion of US moral leadership demands public awareness and penitent disappointment, not war on others or each other. Despite size and power, the USA is just another player in the rough and tumble finite games of winner take all. Whose broom will sweep away the Wall Street boom room illusion, the doom that looms over the most disingenuously concealed disproportionality of income and well-being in the developed world? Sorry if these don’t sound like trends. Mine is a homeless hand pleading for mends to my tattered street clothes. We are gasping at the perversity of diversity as we enter these new roaring 20s, a decade begging 20-20 vision that activates our rich potential, sees and shares what’s best in you and me and all our neighbors.”
     ~ Dr. George Simons

Advisor

“Hate is up. Recent current events show alarming high visibility and surprising trends. At Diversity Training Group we see more training demanded by our clients, 360 assessments, executive coaching up in 2020.  Our Sexual Harassment, General Harassment practice area also up thanks to “MeToo” movement and all of the work elevated by social media, divisive politics. Unconscious Bias, Emotional Intelligence also hot.”
     ~ Mauricio Velasquez

Editor-in-Chief

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