Political and cultural commentator David Brooks wrote a column in The New York Times that ran during the holidays while most people were not working. He cited a column in Anthropology Now, which was published in 2018, and asserted that diversity training doesn’t work. I agree. Since starting DiversityInc 23…
Executive columns
The Platinum Plan: How Trump Increased His Black Vote by 50% and What We Can Learn From It
Do you know what Donald Trump’s “Platinum Plan” was? Most Black people I know do. Most white people have never heard of it. The plan — a two-page document released just weeks before the 2020 election — details the four pillars of Trump’s commitment to Black Americans (Opportunity, Security, Prosperity…
Are We Self-Destructive?: What The 2020 Election Cliffhanger Tells Us About Ourselves
A good friend of mine sent me an interesting article two days after Election Day 2020 and asked me what I thought. I’ll warn you: If you’re white and have never read an analysis like this, prepare yourself. It’s tough love — from as early as the headline: “America’s Problem…
How to Solve the “We Can’t Find Them” Problem
Although Wells Fargo has been in the news lately, “we can’t find them” is an excuse I’ve heard hundreds of times over the years as well. The difference between Wells Fargo and other companies whose leadership teams have never even tried (Google, Facebook, Oracle, the Academy Awards) is that Wells…
Ask the Chairman: Is Criticism of Schumer and Pelosi Ageism?
Originally published on January 14, 2019. I received a comment from a reader on my last column. Here’s the gist of it: “I did not tweet or post (your last column) because of the ageist comment/s made about Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. I have no problem with them being…
Why Capitalizing the ‘B’ in Black Still Matters for Cultural Competence and Accurate Representation
With the Black Lives Matter movement still in full force, corporations paying more attention to diversity and inclusion, and leaders of African descent being placed in the forefront, the debate about the capitalization of “Black” in mainstream media has been one of high significance. Cultural identity has been at the…
Lessons to be Learned From Kamala Harris
Joe Biden had a drawn-out process to pick his running mate for vice president, Sen. Kamala Harris. There are excellent lessons to be learned for corporate America:
Practical Advice Regarding Leadership at This Time of Crisis
Minneapolis had a failure of leadership last week, the state of Minnesota did as well. Now cities are on fire across the country. Here’s what needs to happen: Arrest the three police officers who did nothing while Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. It’s not enough that they’re fired. Everyone in…
DiversityInc CEO Carolynn Johnson: Will the Trump Presidency Reality Show Be Renewed for Season Two?
The Chief Executive’s Latest Twitter War with Four Freshman Congresswomen Could Be the Catalyst for a Series Finale in November 2020. This week, four Progressive first-term members of Congress, all women of color and collectively known as the “Squad,” were attacked and ridiculed in a series of tweets by President…