Category Archives: About Us

About the American Diversity Report

Authors A-H, Education, Transforming

Intergroup Relations – by Debanjan Barthakur

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Lessons from Life and the Classroom

This year, I had the opportunity to teach Intergroup Relations at the University of Toronto as a part-time instructor. It was a new and enriching experience. While at the University of Rhode Island, I once took a course titled Non-Violence and Conflict Reconciliation—at the request of a friend. Since then, I’ve been deeply interested in issues of social harmony and justice. The question of how we can build peace in our society has often occupied my thoughts. Initially, the plan was to teach a different subject. But quite unexpectedly, I found myself teaching this course at a time when divisions between groups—across the world—are becoming sharper. Conflicts based on ideologies, religions, and identities continue to shape current political realities. The urgency of improving intergroup relations is not just felt in North America, but equally in India and elsewhere, I was born in India and I closely observe the socio-political issues pertaining to both societies. 

Continue reading Intergroup Relations – by Debanjan Barthakur →

DL Opinion columns

Harvard and the Future of Universities – by Deborah Levine

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originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

Reading the emails from Harvard president Alan Garber that accompanied my various 55th reunion invitations was enlightening. It looks like there’s a movement to take Harvard back to its origins in 1636 when Harvard catered to wealthy, White Christians. DEI didn’t exist then, or in the 1900s when Harvard’s president tried to suppress the number of Jewish immigrants like my dad. Fortunately, diversity became an asset with Harvard’s merged with the women’s Radcliffe College in 1967. The bans on Cliffies from campus areas like Lamont Library were lifted. Exciting! But an equitable presence wasn’t easy given the signs defacing library walls: “Cliffies Go Home!”

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Race & Ethnicity

Legacy Museum and the Institution of Slavery – by Terry Howard

Let this sink in before you move on!

Call me stuck in stereotypes, a time warp, “la la” land or whatever, but when I peered out the windshield at the sign “Welcome to Montgomery,” well the truth is that my racial anxieties set in, emotions no different than those when we first approached the Edmund Pettus Bridge crossing into Selma a few years ago. My knowledge of history and caution kicked in so I decided to make sure we adhered to local speed limits.

Okay, to be honest, when I think about Montgomery, Alabama, I think about Rosa Park and her refusal to take a back seat on a bus that led to a yearlong boycott and the rise into preeminence of its chief architect, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I thought about Governor George Wallace’s “segregation now, segregation forever” failed promise. Now all that doesn’t make me delusional; no, it makes me wary. 

So, with that as an entre, this narrative is about our recent visit to the Legacy Museum in Montgomery and the nearby Freedom Monument Sculpture Park and National Museum of Peace and Justice. 

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Transforming

The Difference Between Good and Nice – by Deborah Ashton

It is important to know the difference between being good and being nice. Good people are not always nice. And nice people are not always good. Being nice is easy and being good is fierce hard work. 

The question is, do you choose to be a good person or a nice person?  Pope Francis, who we lost on Easter Monday chose to be a good person he understood that which is preached in 1 John 3:18, good deeds make a difference, in the vernacular talk is cheap. We are what we do, and good people do good deeds.

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Authors A-H, Inclusion

DEI Is Not an American Experiment – by Effenus Henderson

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It’s a Global Imperative

The current assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the United States may dominate headlines, but it doesn’t define the future of inclusive leadership. DEI is not a political liability—it is a strategic necessity. And critically, it is not a uniquely American construct. As one of the architects of ISO 30415:2021 – Human Resource Management: Diversity and Inclusion, I can say with certainty: DEI is a global standard. Literally.

While U.S. politicians fan the flames of culture wars, the rest of the world continues to build more inclusive, adaptive, and resilient institutions. As Paul Klein’s recent piece in Forbes rightly underscores, companies in Europe, Asia, and beyond are doubling down on DEI—not abandoning it. The reason is simple: forward-thinking leaders across borders recognize that equity and inclusion are not just moral positions—they are business imperatives.

From U.S. Retrenchment to Global Resolve

Even as U.S. companies like Booz Allen react to Trump-era directives by gutting DEI programs, international firms such as L’Oréal, BMW, and Tech Mahindra remain steadfast. Their leaders understand what American politicians have willfully ignored: exclusion is expensive. In contrast, inclusion powers innovation, loyalty, market agility, and long-term value creation.

The backlash against DEI in the U.S. has sparked diplomatic pushback abroad. Nancy Levine Stearns points to European governments that swiftly rejected U.S. embassy efforts to discourage DEI programming. This echoes a powerful truth: you cannot export fear where justice is already taking root.

ISO 30415: Proof That the World Sees the Bigger Picture

The creation of ISO 30415:2021 marked a watershed moment: DEI principles are now embedded in the global business fabric. Developed by a multinational working group, the standard provides a consistent, practical framework for embedding diversity and inclusion into organizational governance, leadership, strategy, operations, and relationships.

It was not developed to appease regulators or activists. It emerged from a consensus among global business, labor, and human rights leaders that inclusion enhances performance, safety, innovation, and sustainability. It recognizes that DEI is not about guilt or grievance—it’s about balance, access, and unleashing full human potential.

A Shift in Narrative: From Compliance to Commitment

As the Forbes essay notes, leaders in Poland, Finland, and India are reimagining DEI through locally resonant language. They are shifting from performative checklists to strategic, values-driven engagement. They speak of belonging, barrier removal, and innovation, not just diversity quotas.

Their lesson to U.S. companies? Reframe. Reground. Recommit.

  • Start with why. DEI fails when it is a public relations veneer. It succeeds when rooted in purpose, values, and empathy.
  • Don’t chase consensus. Lead with conviction. As Adamska-Woźniak said, “Every DEI initiative seems like an act of courage.” That is precisely the point.
  • Globalize your lens. The world is not waiting for the U.S. to figure itself out. DEI is already thriving in cultures that see it as essential to their future.

The Real Threat Isn’t DEI—It’s American Exceptionalism

The danger in today’s U.S. DEI retreat lies not in its impact on the world, but in America’s self-imposed irrelevance. While some U.S. firms flinch, the global economy continues to evolve—faster, more diverse, and more interconnected. Companies unwilling to embrace equity and belonging will find themselves unable to recruit top global talent, reach emerging markets, or sustain innovation pipelines.

The dismantling of DEI in the U.S. is not a triumph of pragmatism—it’s a failure of imagination.

Conclusion: This Is Our Leadership Moment

As a global DEI standard-setter and practitioner, I’ve seen what’s possible when inclusion is treated not as a concession but as a catalyst. Let this be a call to action: to global companies with U.S. operations, to courageous leaders inside embattled institutions, and to DEI advocates feeling weary and isolated.

We are not alone. We are not losing. We are part of a larger, global movement.

And the world is watching. Let us rise to meet this moment with clarity, commitment, and courage.

 

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Advisors, Authors A-H

Renewing Diversity No. 8: Updating the Classics – by Carlos Cortés 

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To a great extent, popular culture is a series of remakes.  Remakes of classical theatre.  Remakes of children’s stories.  Remakes of old movies.

There’s nothing basically wrong with that.  Hamlet has been restaged thousands of times, sometimes preserving its original historical context, other times being modernized.  Film director Akira Kurosawa transported “Macbeth” and “King Lear” into Japanese historical reimagining with stunning effect in “Throne of Blood” and “Ran.”  Director John Sturges reciprocated when he repurposed Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” as a rollicking American western, “The Magnificent Seven.” 

But each remake occurs at a specific moment.  Times change and, with those changes, we get altered views of both the originals and the remakes.  Changing views of diversity have deeply influenced that process.

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Authors A-H, Race & Ethnicity, Teams & Leaders

Building Belonging at the Intersections of Identity and Leadership – by Khris Baizen

As industries evolve to meet the needs of a changing workforce, the value of diverse leadership has never been more clear. This is especially true during Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, which invites us to examine the intersection of identity and leadership. In navigating cultural expectations, neurodiversity, and generational shifts, leaders today are called not just to manage teams—but to create spaces where people feel they truly belong.

DL Opinion columns

Don’t let history repeat itself – by Deborah Levine

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Originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

I’ve rarely given in-person presentations since the pandemic. Taking a deep breath, I did speak to Civitan International’s Chattanooga chapter about my documentary: Untold, Stories of a World War Liberator. With Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) on April 23, it was relevant timing for a topic that’s very personal for me. My dad was a U.S military intelligence office during the war assigned to interrogate Nazi POWs. My documentary is based on his wartime letters. 

I’m honored to carry on his legacy, especially for our youth, which is why pre-pandemic, I spoke at a local high school’s Holocaust education elective class. I began by asking the students why they’d chosen this Holocaust elective. One student said, “I wanted to hear both sides of the story,” and added that she’d read online that the Holocaust is just propaganda and didn’t really happen. 

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Generational, Levine articles

Fathers and Mothers Day When They’re Gone – by Deborah Levine

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Fathers and Mothers Days are great American traditions, but I’m not sure I like them. Unhappily, I have a really big problem with these days because I don’t have the goods. My mother and grandmother who were such loving figures in my life are gone. My father, who I take after in so many ways, is gone, too. I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself.  My children live far away but will no doubt call or send a card. I’m grateful for their love but I would really like to call my own parents. Just knowing they were around made life balanced and feel more secure.

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DL Opinion columns

No, Climate Change is Not a Hoax – by Deborah Levine

Originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

I don’t often use AI, but I made an exception over the weekend when severe storms were expected and schools announced closings for Monday. The report echoed the storms of a few weekends ago when 60 tornadoes and 40 deaths came close to us. Was this the new norm?  I couldn’t resist going to my computer and asking AI if this weather was unusual. Here’s the AI response: “Yes, Chattanooga’s weather has a high risk of severe storms, including damaging winds, tornadoes, and large hail…” Unnerved, I asked a native Chattanoogan friend her thoughts on this unusual weather. “There was nothing like this growing up. These severe storms and tornadoes are relatively recent. Same for Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.” When I whispered “Climate Change is real”, we both nodded in agreement.

Agreement that climate change is real science is growing. Earlier this year, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication published the results of a survey on global warming. The national average of believers in global warming is 72%. And 71% of those surveyed worry about the effects on future generations. Some may doubt that the global warming is caused by human action, but even before these storms, 75% of respondents supported funding research into renewable energy.

Unfortunately, the current administrations  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it’s starting the process of undoing 31 environmental regulations. Check out these media blasts: “Trump administration aims to eliminate EPA’s scientific research arm”,“E.P.A. cancels climate grants, intensifying battle over $20 billion”, “Climate group (Breakthrough Energy) funded by Bill Gates slashes staff in major retreat”, and “Trump has fired the scientists who monitor the ocean”.

Does the EPA have regrets over these changes that put our planet at risk? Hardly! This is what EPA administrator Lee Zeldin wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “By overhauling massive rules on the endangerment finding, the social cost of carbon and similar issues, we are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion.”  Supposedly, this “kill” will usher in a new Golden Age.

That “climate-change religion” phrase is intended to demean and is part of the new goal to dismiss the many religious leaders emphasizing our responsibility to take care of the planet. Don’t let that happen! One of my favorite climate-change religious leaders is The Rev. Dr. John Pawlikowski who reported how The Chicago Council of Global Affairs in 2019 brought together 51 mayors & staff to develop a flexible mayoral covenant on climate change. 

Four years later, Pawlikowski wrote about the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) where governments discussed how to prepare for future climate change, including transitioning away from fossil fuels. But given the complex politics over the COP28 which was controversially held in oil-rich Dubai, it’s obvious that our planet’s stability is in the hands of a small group of rich entrepreneurs and their political supporters. Follow the money! 

The EPA now wants to reject saving the planet and humanity in favor of cheaper cars and unregulated industries. But the EPA’s own 2009 endangerment findings block that move.  The findings concluded that human-produced greenhouse gases did threaten public health and welfare and must be regulated. So now what? The EPA will no doubt discredit its own endangerment policies and denigrate its supporters. Are you ready for a vicious storm of attacks on climate change believers and environmental projects?

We must remain strong and persevere. Religious leaders and community organizations must come together regardless of one’s political party affiliation. Reject the “hoax” conspiracies and embrace our responsibility to protect the future of this planet and ourselves. If not us, then who?