D.I.D. Framework: The Three Legs of Indoctrination Attacking DEI Efforts
The road towards achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a challenging and often intimidating task, and some people find it threatening to their personal beliefs and values. These people may feel the need to attack DEI efforts with tactics designed to demean, ignore and deceive, bringing forth the D.I.D. Framework. In this blog post, we will delve into how emotional manipulation, linguistic tactics, and media campaigns become the pillars of indoctrination against equity, inclusion, and diversity.
They D.I.D. it to us again. Be alert to these tactics.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become buzzwords in the corporate world. But despite the best intentions of many organizations, there are still forces working against DEI initiatives. One such force is indoctrination, a deliberate effort to manipulate emotions, language, and information to undermine DEI efforts. We’ll explore the three legs of indoctrination and how they work to attack DEI efforts.
DEMEANING
One leg of the D.I.D. Framework is the use of language intentionally designed to diminish and demean DEI efforts and advocates. Those with opposing values can contribute to the establishment of stereotypes, such as claiming the diversity programs are a form of reverse discrimination. In response, DEI advocates must recognize the power of language and continue to push back against this type of rhetoric.
Words like “political correctness”, “cancel culture”, anti-wokeness, and “reverse discrimination” are often used to paint DEI initiatives as unreasonable or even harmful. The goal is to create a negative emotional response to DEI efforts, making it easier to oppose them without considering their merits.
IGNORING
Another tactic involved in the D.I.D. Framework is designed to institute barriers to ignore the lived experiences, history, and stories from marginalized communities, especially African Americans. These barriers may take many forms, from not recognizing the lived experiences and stories from marginalized communities, eliminating books and courses designed to educate, to establishing hiring patterns that limit the number of women and people of color in positions of leadership. Recognizing this framework and its power is crucial in designing DEI efforts that are more effective.
Downplaying or ignoring the impact of systemic racism, minimizing the experiences of marginalized groups, and dismissing the importance of diversity are all ways to create a false narrative that DEI efforts are unnecessary. The goal is to downplay the role of race and other identity factors in our society, making it easier to dismiss DEI initiatives as unnecessary.
DECEIVING
The third and final leg of the D.I.D. Framework is misleading media and marketing campaigns that stoke fears and introduce false narratives. These campaigns are intended to deceive the public about DEI by spreading misinformation and ensuring a lack of understanding for the purpose and power of DEI efforts.
This misinformation can be seen as a hindrance to the DEI mission, fueling the need for those who value equity, inclusion, and diversity to be aware of how media and marketing influences the public agenda. For example, claims that DEI efforts are “anti-white” or “anti-American” are often used to suggest that thinking critically about race or diversity is unpatriotic or even dangerous. Distorting statistics, using misleading information, and playing on people’s emotions are all tactics used to create a false narrative that DEI efforts are somehow harmful or unnecessary.
One significant example of these campaigns in action can be seen through the ways in which the history of African Americans is distorted and disregarded in public spaces. This erasure perpetuates the myth of a healed and unified society and leads to more of a divide. Every marginalized community has a unique history, and the stories of those who have experienced injustice must be told with thoughtfulness and respect.
The three legs of indoctrination (D.I.D.) are powerful tools that are being used to undermine DEI efforts in the workplace. By using language intentionally designed to demean DEI efforts, ignoring the lived experiences of marginalized communities, and deceiving the public about the true nature of DEI initiatives, indoctrination makes it easier for opponents of DEI to oppose it without considering the merits.
Conclusion
The D.I.D. Framework is meant to indoctrinate the public against equity, inclusion, and diversity. This framework consists of three legs — demeaning DEI efforts, ignoring history and experiences of marginalized communities, and circulating disinformation that enforces false narratives. To overcome this framework, it is important to recognize it for what it is and push back against it. Working towards DEI will be a long and challenging journey, but by being vigilant and committed, we can lay down the foundations of a more equitable and inclusive future.
Effenus Henderson
