Introduction
Deborah Levine requested that I join her group on Black and Jewish Dialogue in 2021. Given today’s atmosphere, dialogue is crucial. Levine is the editor-in-chief of the American Diversity Report (ADR). She is a Holocaust documentarian (Courter, 2023; Levine, Untold Stories of a World War II Liberator, 2023), whom I am sure when she launched ADR never anticipated that diversity and DEI would be equated with anti-Semitism. Yet the cry has been aimed at academia and business (Cohen, 2023; Notheis, 2024) I am baffled by the cry to silence and dismantle DEI.
Through my DEI journey and practice since 1991 in corporate America, DEI has been inclusive and provides respect and dignity to all across religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, physical and mental ability, and other demographics. I will provide some examples later in the article.
With the rise in anti-Semitism in the United States and globally since October 7, 2023, the USA is still considered predominantly a Judeo-Christian country. Even though, Gaston would argue that the USA influentially is predominantly Protestant; “… the idea that the United States is a “Judeo-Christian country [exists]. [because] The term, Judeo-Christian, entered the political lexicon in the 1930s.” (Gaston, 2019, p. 1)
And while this article will look at religion, it should be noted that individuals may identify as Jewish based on their religion, ethnicity, culture, or family heritage (DellaPergola, 2021; Pew Research Center, 2021). And according to Volokh, “Is being Jewish a race? A national origin? An ethnicity? A religion? All four? The answer is: It’s complicated.” (Volokh, 2022)
The US Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Shaare Tefila Congregation v. Cobb (1987) Supreme Court decision recognized Jewish people as a race (Volokh, 2022). Racially, in the USA, 92% of the population that identifies as Jewish identify as White Non-Hispanic and an additional 2% identify as White Hispanic (PEW RESEARCH CENTER, 2021). To repeat, it’s complicated.
Additionally, the USA has a close tie to Israel and the Jewish population. Using an operational social scientific definition, the most encompassing definition, globally, the Jewish population is 0.2% of the world population (DellaPergola, 2021). They are approximately 2.5% of the US population (DellaPergola, 2021; Pew Research Center, 2021). Understanding the relationship is to realize that worldwide “Israel and the US, accounted for over 85% of the 2021 Jewish population [globally]…the US… constituting 39.6% of world Jewry in 2021.” (DellaPergola, 2021). Globally, the Jewish population has chosen Israel and the US as their home. And the US was the first nation to recognized Israel as a state, after WWII (U.S. Department of State, 2021).
(Murray, 2023) In contrast, in 2022, 25.8% of the global population affiliated with a religion identified as Muslims, while only 0.6% of the US population identify as Muslim (Statista, 2023; Statista, 2023). Given the contrast, it is understandable why the USA is perceived as a Judeo-Christian country.
It is important to note that the majority of students are not marching in the pro-Palestinian protest. The news coverage of the vocal minority would have people think that most college students have taken a side in the Israeli-Hamas war, which is pro-Hamas. However, when college students were polled, over half of the college students blame Hamas and a quarter of the college students blame other countries in the Middle East. In addition, “67% [of college students] describe the attack as an act of terrorism by Hamas, versus 12% who see it as a justified act of resistance by Hamas. Another 21% describe it as something else.” (Murray, 2023)
The college campuses are not a hot bed of anti-Semitism, as the media portrays. However, there are some students who are out of control and do not respect boundaries! This invasion of personal space and intimidating behavior was also demonstrated with guest speakers at college campuses, for instance, Riley Gaines, a former NCAA competitive swimmer. She was bullied and harassed on college campuses because students disagreed with her views. (Shinde, 2023). Free speech on campuses must be free to all. As I have said in other posts and articles, one can disagree without being disagreeable. Free speech does not give one the right to bully or intimidate.
DEI
DEI is inclusive, not exclusive. Over the last few years, the far-right has equated DEI with the far-left. In DEI’s true sense, DEI is neither far-left nor far-right. Both the far-right and the far-left are opposite sides of the same coin. It is important to understand that research has shown there are hidden tribes that drive the polarization. It is not based on “demographic differences but rather on their core beliefs, sense of group belonging, and political behaviors.” (Hawkins, Yudkin, Juan-Torres, & Dixon, 2018, p. 27)
The far-right villainizes the left (Weiss, 2021) and the far-left villainizes the right. They both believe that they are unequivocally correct, and the other side is unequivocally wrong. Many of those who view themselves as woke have lost sight of that liberalism was the antithesis to tribalism (Neiman, 2023); the them vs us. There is no dialogue. They speak at one another, not with one-another.
They both believe in cancel culture. They both wish to silence the other and see the other as fascist (Neiman, 2023). While you may be ‘woke’, you are not ‘awake’ if you cannot listen and hear the other side. Both sides think that they are polar opposites, however, research has shown that both the far-left and the far-right are amongst the richest, most advantaged, highly educated, and whitest groups in the United States (Hawkins, Yudkin, Juan-Torres, & Dixon, 2018; Adorney, 2022). So actually, the far-left and the far-right meet at a 360° of intolerance. They both want to be in charge and dictate to others.
They both see the other as acting in bad faith based on a flawed ideology and, perhaps, even a flaw in their character. They see themselves on the side of righteousness and simply reacting situationally. It is an ‘us versus them’ phenomenon. Hopefully, we will be able to put new oxygen into this current atmosphere, so we all can take a deep breath, begin a mindful pause, and see us as e pluribus unum, that is, we all belong.
DEI’s focus is to ensure that everyone feels respected, that everyone believes that they belong, that everyone is acting with integrity and transparency, so everyone has the resources they need to reach their full potential. However, according to Kerry Byrne, a reporter for Fox News Digital, conservative historians, such as Victor Davis Hanson and Craig Shirley, postulate that DEI undermines American exceptionalism, “creativity, technical achievement and economic growth.” (Byrne, 2024)
These conservatives promote this belief despite research that demonstrates that DEI is a strategic advantage, energizes innovation and has better performance than homogeneous teams (Miller, 2023; Phillips, Liljenquist, & Neale, 2009; Rock, Gerkovich, & Paulette, 2021). And McKinsey & Company’s 2023 study found that companies in the top quartile for gender and ethnic/racial diversity on their executive teams significantly financially (EBIT) outperform companies in the bottom quartile for gender and ethnic/racial diversity on their executive teams by 39% by gender and ethnic/racial diversity independently. The business case for diversity has been made for years. (Dixon-Fyle, et al., 2023)
So, why DEI rather than simply diversity, equity, or inclusion alone?
The reason for all three is essential; it is based on the intersection of each of the components. The intersection of diversity and equity is the acknowledgement that the resources needed for an individual to reach their full potential may differ based on the experience, background, and training of the individual. The intersection between inclusion and diversity is being open to different styles of presenting thoughts ideas and perspectives and the willingness to exchange thoughts ideas and perspectives to make more informed workplace decisions regarding policies opportunities and promotions. The intersection of equity and inclusion is the equitable consideration of thoughts, ideas, and perspectives in determining strategy and solutions. The intersection of all three brings belonging, where individuals thrive, their full potential is engaged, and their views, values, and beliefs are integrated to generate creative ideas in order to be more productive, efficient, and innovative.
I have found DEI:
- Enhances cultural alignment between employees and the organization.
- Allows companies to better attract, develop, and retain talent.
- Increases team collaboration.
- Accelerates innovation and productivity.
- Improve market share and profitability—a diverse team has a better chance of avoiding a market faux pas and anticipating the needs of a diverse market.
Corporate DEI is cognizance of all its stakeholders and its fiduciary responsibility. I have been in organizations where DEI has been able to flourish as an integral part of the organization, just as safety or quality. At Darden Restaurants, DEI collaborated with Marketing to ensure ad campaigns for targeted markets avoided faux pas. Darden also recognized the DEI team for aiding the year-over-year growth by assisting restaurants to meet the needs of our guests and employees. When DEI is deftly done, the company is able to expand beyond the core customer base without estranging the core market, thereby increasing the company’s market share.
Religion
Even when DEI was simply called diversity, religious diversity was acknowledged and given respect. Deborah Levine endorsed “the idea of competence in religious diversity for well over 30 years” since the time she “created the DuPage/Chicago Interfaith Resource Network.” (Levine, Opinion: Finally, diversity programming is beginning to include faith , 2023) Tanenbaum has “combat[ed] religious prejudice, confront[ed] hate, and [built] respect for religious difference by transforming individuals and institutions.” for over 30 years (Tanenbaum, 2024).
I remember representatives from the Tanenbaum presenting at diversity sessions at The Conference Board, at least 25 years ago. I remember having the privilege to share the dais with a Tanenbaum executive at the Five Star Institute Diversity & Inclusion Symposium in 2019. Respecting religious diversity was an integral part of the panel discussion. In the 2010s, when we, Chief Diversity Officers were the faculty for the American Hospital Association Institute for Diversity and Health Equity’s Certificate in Diversity Management program, religion was addressed as part of the hot topics.
Most hospitals today have a quiet room or a meditation room. At Novant Health, we provided a copy of the Bible, Torah, and the Koran in the hospitals’ rooms of worship. Admittedly, we had some visitors that objected to the presence of the Koran, so we set up a process to safeguard the Koran.
In addition, at Novant, DEI spearheaded and primarily authored the July 2014 online Novant Health Cultural and Religious Considerations: A guide to patient care. The Religion and Healthcare section provided “a general guide to improving [the] understanding and quality of care for our patients based on their religious beliefs.” ( Novant Health, 2014) The specific beliefs covered are Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism, Baptist Church, Christian Science, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints/Mormon Church, Episcopal Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lutheran Church, Methodist Church, Pentecostal Holiness Church, Presbyterian Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church).
In corporations, if a religious group wanted to establish an Employee/Business Resource Group (ERG/BRG), they were subject to the same caveat as every other ERG/BRG. One of the guidelines was regardless of the demographic focus of the group, membership to the group must be open across demographics and the group could not be established as an antithesis to another ERG/BRG.
Tyson Foods, Texas Instruments, and American Airlines are pioneers in the establishment of faith-based ERGs/BRGs. “Today–20% of the Fortune 100 companies have established faith-oriented Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).” (Peel, 2024) While 10% of Fortune 500 companies in 2022 reported having faith-based ERGs, 40% of the Fortune 500 reference religion on their diversity page (Gomez, 2022). I am pleased to state Medtronic is one of the Fortune 500 companies with faith-based ERGs; they are the Christian Employee Resource Group, Medtronic Jewish Community, and Muslims and Friends (Medtronic, 2023).
As I reminisce about Medtronic, in the mid-1990s, Medtronic’s headquarters had a meditation room, so all could contemplate or worship as they saw fit. In addition, while on a business trip, I went to Boca Raton in search of menorahs for all our major Minneapolis facilities. The menorah I found for our headquarters was crystal and about 18 inches high and approximately the same in width. I remember when I saw the menorah, I could not believe how beautiful it was. Medtronic has been respectful of religious diversity throughout their diversity journey.
I have to admit I learnt from the Medtronic experience that some employees were concerned that there were no religious symbols for Christmas, even though there was a huge Christmas tree in the lobby. Because of that experience, when I went to Darden Restaurants, I made sure that there were symbols for all the major world religions displayed at the appropriate high holydays. Religious symbols were displayed at headquarters and our major administrative offices. Diversity is a journey.
The DEI journey has been making progress over the last thirty years in all the multifaceted aspects of an individual’s self-identities. We still have miles to reach our destination of mutual respect for all. Our religion, ethnicity, race, heritage, gender, abilities, sexual orientation are just some of the dimensions that are being cared for on the journey.
Hate Crimes
The most recent data on reported hate crimes to the FBI are the crimes committed in 2022, which were updated on November 14, 2023. “There were 11,634 hate crime incidents involving 13,337 offenses… [of which] 11,288 [were] single-bias incidents.” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023), single-bias hate crimes categories, 59.1% were based on race/ethnicity/ancestry; 17.3% were based on religion; 17.2% were based on sexual orientation; 4% were based on gender identity; 1.5% were based on disability and only 0.9% were based on gender. (We will revisit gender-based hate crimes later in this section.) Fifty-one percent (51%) of the offenders committing hate crimes are White perpetrators. (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023)
Please note the Hate Crime Explorer updated data for single-bias incidents by demographics within categories for 2022 crimes on October 16, 2023. The highest single-bias incidents by the victim’s demographic within a category follows with its comparison to the total.
| Victim’s
Demographics |
Percent of Incidents Within Their Category | Percent of the Total
Single-Bias Incidents |
| Anti-Black/African American | 52% | 30% |
| Anti-Jewish | 55% | 10% |
| Anti-Gay (Male) | 55% | 10% |
| Anti-Transgender | 72% | 3% |
| Anti-Mental Disability | 57% | 1% |
| Anti-Female | 81% | 1% |
Source: Table 1 Incidents, Offenses, Victims, and Known Offenders by Bias Motivation, 2022, Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer, Updated: October 16, 2023.
https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/hate-crime
As a reminder the Jewish population is 2.5% of the US population and the Muslim population is 0.6%. As we look at the percentage of hate crimes to the total hate crimes in the US, reality many times takes a backseat to perception. According to Pew Research, only 19% of Americans knew that the Jewish population is less than 5% of the US population (Adorney, 2022)and only 26% knew that the Muslim population is less than 5% of the US population (Pew Research Center , 2019). YouGov research found that on average Americans believed “that 27% of the country is Muslim, 30% is Jewish …[and] that 21% of the country is transgender” (Rosenfeld, 2022). It should be noted that only 0.6% adults in the US identify as transgender (Herman, Flores, & O’Neill, 2022).
While the plurality of hate crimes in the USA are anti-Black hate crimes, constituting 30% of all reported hate crimes, Black Americans are 13.6% of the US population (Korhonen, 2023).
The anti-Jewish and anti-Gay (male) hate crimes independently constitute 10% of the reported hate crimes in the USA. Please note that the number of anti-Jewish hate crime incidents reported to the FBI increased by 28% from 2021 to 2022 (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023).
And according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 312 antisemitic incidents were reported in U.S. after the massacre on October 7 through October 23, 2023, which equals a 388% in anti-Semitic hate crimes in comparison to the same time period in October of 2022 (Singh, 2023; Howard, 2023). By November 13, 2023, the increase from October 7th was down to a 316% increase compared to the same time period the previous year (ADL, 2023).
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported 774 incidents of anti-Muslim hate crimes between October 7th and October 25th of 2023, including the stabbing death of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy in Illinois (Allison, 2023; Howard, 2023). Given the Jewish population and the Muslim population numbers in the US, the proportion of hate crimes are high. But perception is reality, the average American thinks the Jewish and the Muslim populations are between a quarter or a third of the population each individually.
Please note only the reported incidents are in the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice data base. And I know from personal experience, not all hate crimes are reported. But I find the most confounding is the manner in which hate crimes are defined. Rape is not a hate crime in the U.S. I find that interesting since in 2008 a United Nation Security Council passed a resolution “noting that rape and other forms of sexual violence could constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, or a constitutive act with respect to genocide.” (Jayaraman, 2008)
So, if rape, as a tool of war, is a crime against humanity, why is rape not a hate crime in the United States? Women are the most vulnerable population in the U.S. Yet less than 100 hate crimes against women are reported annually. While the highest reported hate crimes are anti-Black hate crimes and the total number of hate crimes reported in the U.S. for 2022 counting both the single-bias and the multi-bias hate crimes is 11,634 hate crime incidents, in 2022, there were 133,294 reported rape cases in the United States. Unforced statutory rape and other sex offenses are not included. (Statista Research Department, 2023)
The hate crimes have brought me back full circle to DEI. In 1991, R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. wrote Beyond Race and Gender: Unleashing the Power of Your Total Workforce by Managing Diversity (Thomas, 1991). While I respected Dr. Thomas immensely, I always thought the title should have been Broader Than Race and Gender. As the hate crime statistics have shown, we are not beyond race and gender, anti-race/ethnicity/ancestry crimes makeup almost 60% of the reported hate crimes in the US, and anti-Black hate crime is the majority of that category. Perhaps worst, women, who are 51.1% of the US population, six years after launching the #MeToo movement (Torres, 2020), are not counted in the hate crime statistics. The anti-Female hate crimes as 1% of total hate crimes acknowledge by the government is 77 hate crimes (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023). We are not beyond race and gender.
The total number of reported hate crimes (11,634) in the US would have to be multiply by 11.5 to equal the number of rapes in the US. The number of officially recognized anti-Female hate crimes would have to multiply by 1,731. What does that say about respecting women and treating them with dignity? (Statista Research Department, 2023; U.S. Department of Justice, 2023)
When I headed up DEI for one company, like all the new employees, I was going through training to learn the culture, to be oriented. The head trainer for the company was the facilitator. He was giving an example of what not to do because the company was customer centric. Our organization wanted everyone to feel welcome and to feel respected. And as he gave the example of what not to do, as he was wrapping up, he said, “Well let’s face it; she was a real–,” And as he was forming his lips to make the ‘B’ sound, while I normally would have taken someone aside and provided feedback, given it was new employee orientation, I raised both my hands in a timeout fashion and said, “Time out!”
He said, “Excuse me.”
I repeated, “Time out. We do not use the N-word when we refer to Black people. We do not use the F-word when we referred to gay people. We do not use the B-word when we refer to women.”
He said, “You’re right I’m sorry. My bad.”
I know he would not have used a derogatory term for any other group as it related to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etcetera. But women are the exception in our culture. Even on network TV, they will not use a derogatory word for any other group. But they will use the B-word for women. We make women the exception.
We have come full circle to DEI through hate crimes. We need DEI not just because it is the nice thing to do. We need DEI to ensure everyone receives respect and dignity–in the workplace and in academia and beyond. Companies with diverse teams, executives and boards of directors are more innovative and profitable.
Equity does not ensure that everyone has the same outcome. Equity ensures that everyone has the resources they need to reach their full potential. Equity provides a fair playing field. If someone is blind, we may provide them with a book in Braille. If someone has sight, we provide them with a light for a dark room. Or we can provide both an audiobook. We provide people with the resources they need to be the best they can be. They will feel valued, included, and willing to give their best.
It is time to take a breath. To take a mindful pause and work together to find a solution. It is time to stop talking at one another! It is time to see the world from more than our own perspective. We know our sorrow and our pain. We know our hopes. It is time to see others’ hopes and dreams, as well. Let us not be like the naïve woman who asked Buddha for a miracle, to bring her child back to life, oblivious to the suffering of others. We all have our stories, and we all are deserving of dignity and respect.
References
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