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What is it that you fear? Confronting the True Opposition to DEI, Humanity, and Awakening

6 min readMar 6, 2025
“When you say you don’t like DEI, what you’re really saying is you don’t like me. So what is it that you don’t like about me?” — Effenus Henderson

What is it that you fear?

Do you fear the inclusion of marginalized communities as a threat? Does the idea of a world where everyone is given a fair shot make you uneasy? Do you fear the voices of Black, brown, LGBTQ+, disabled, and marginalized individuals finally being heard — because their voices expose truths you would rather ignore?

Do you fear truth itself? The truth that the systems you defend were never built to be fair, only to maintain your comfort? Do you fear being called on the carpet for the lies and deceit you’ve perpetrated — lies that have pitted communities against each other while the true power brokers laugh from their ivory towers?

Do you fear accountability? Do you fear that the moment you are forced to justify your opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion, you will be exposed — not as a champion of fairness, but as a coward clinging to a past where privilege dictated who succeeded?

Do you fear waking up?

Is that why you rage against being woke? Because you know what it means? Because you understand that woke is not the enemy — woke is the awakening. Woke is the moment when people begin to see the truth of the structures you protect…

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Effenus Henderson
Effenus Henderson

Written by Effenus Henderson

President and CEO of HenderWorks Consulting and Co-Founder of the Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion. Convener, ISO Working Group, DEI

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