Walking the Walk: The Moral Exhibitionism of DEI and Land Acknowledgment

Despite the flash mob mentality of those who look to divide us, DEI initiatives (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) are important and popular in non-profit organizations. 

The roots of the DEI movement are not new and, like so many things, can be traced to the Civil Rights Act of 1957, and the grassroots movements of 1960s. The 1972 Title IX education amendment, and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act added Access to the DEI acronym and private businesses began to create DEAI policies the shield themselves from lawsuits and other actions that would attract an unwanted spotlight.

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement began in the aftermath of the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012. However, it took the filmed murder of George Floyd and the pandemic in 2020 for BLM to earn broad mainstream support.

Land acknowledgements started in New Zealand during the reconciliation efforts with the Māori in the 1990s. They spread to Canada during the reconciliation process there and began to gain momentum in the United States in 2016/2017 after the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe worked to prevent the Dakota Access pipeline. 

So, while it took more than six decades, for many, it seems, DEAI efforts are ‘suddenly’ all the rage, especially among arts and culture non-profits.

The Washington D.C. based Nonprofit Alliance recognized the trend was coming in 2019 when they established a plan to examine their own practices noting, The Nonprofit Alliance believes that the nonprofit sector’s ability to change the world is not possible without diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).  

Before long, 501(c)(3) executive leaders and boards – sometimes pressed most firmly by staff members – were creating statements of equity and land acknowledgement. Many of these statements emerged from work with consultants who led the board and staff members through a process of education and understanding. In some cases, these exercises were even introspective and focused on the various kinds of bias we all carry with us.

Like a short-term financial deficit, or a need for an unexpected capital investment, we faced DEAI and its various challenges with our usual pluck and determination. Or, as The Nonprofit Alliance effort noted, DEAI is both a calling and a responsibility. When the question is asked, “Who can fix this?” our response must be certain and sure. “We will.”

While we should always admire the ‘can do’ attitude of our organizations and the often under resourced and over committed people who work and volunteer for them, there’s a little secret lurking in the background of DEAI: It’s unlikely that our well-meaning pronouncements can ‘fix’ much of anything.

Like Climate Change, our dismissal of others based on race, or any other ‘ism’ has taken hundreds, if not thousands of years to develop. It’s well-established, foundationally structured, and designed to be resilient to most any movement to change it.

‘Fixing’ DEAI issues is no easy task. As they like to say at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s wonderful Learning for Justice program, this is work that you start wherever you are, and it lasts for the rest of your life.

Despite our desire to address the issue and find an appropriate quick ‘fix’, these issues will require constant diligence and attention for the rest of your non-profit’s life as well. Yep, it’s a game changer.

So, you’ve got your DEAI statement and you’re faithfully making your land acknowledgement statement at all public events. Those are fine demonstrations of commitment, but to be impactful, we need to make sure that our statements aren’t just moral exhibitionism. Action steps are needed.

There are several actions you can take. Here are six examples:

1. Talk about it openly and often. We tend to be transactional in our efforts. We see a problem; we make a policy to fix it. You likely have a DEAI policy now in place. Talk about what it means to your organization. How does it affect how you hold meetings? How do you select programs? How do you plan? Who do you partner with? In short, assess how your stated policy has changed the nature of your internal conversations. If you don’t see a change, dig deeper.
2. Embed and center DEAI in your Board recruitment efforts. Make the time to ensure that current and incoming board members understand your efforts. It will likely lengthen your recruitment process but will strengthen your board. Remember, Board culture changes quickly as members term off. You need to place DEAI at the center of the Board’s culture and work to keep it there.
3. Embrace staff development. It’s an issue that transcends DEAI, but many of us have gotten ourselves too far out on the limb with regard to staff development and training. We’re in a precarious position when we have a well-educated leader and board, but a staff that is mostly treated like ‘worker bees.’ We need to strengthen our organizations from top to bottom, and DEAI training is a perfect way to do that. Build a full team who understands and embraces your agency’s mission and views around DEAI.
4. Step out of your comfort zone. To be effective, we must match our actions to your words, and measure the outcomes. Talk is cheap, and so much of what’s going on now seems like empty words. Find ways to take strong action. Whatever your product is – performances, exhibits, events – make sure that once a year you turn your process on its ear. A key part of understanding the concepts of DEAI is to understand that there are people around us who are NEVER in their comfort zone. We must work to address that if our work will ever be successful.
5. Add new lines to your network. Open your doors to a traditionally under resourced leader in your community to develop a program with your full support. Let a staff member set the agenda and lead a meeting – even a Board meeting. Engage some of the people in your neighborhood who you see every day but ignore. Try to understand how your work can be more relevant to them.
6. Make reparations. Yes, the idea of reparations is daunting, but you really need to do more than make a show of your awareness of the debt we owe to Indigenous, enslaved and other ancestors who toiled on these lands before us. Learn about the people who came before you and honor them in some way. Create a policy to amplify the voices of Indigenous and/or Black-led organizations in your community. Share your resources with them and build a relationship. Be humble. If you sell products, reach out to Indigenous and/or Black-led entrepreneurs, and offer to sell their products to your customers without taking your usual percentage cut. Or, best of all, look into programs such as the voluntary land tax movement and pledge to make an annual contribution to an Indigenous tribe in your area.    

Whatever action steps you choose, make sure you follow through. Most of all, ensure that your organization does more than ‘Talk the Talk’ of DEAI and Land Acknowledgement.