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SHRM

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Civility Does Not Replace Equity

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series ABIDE

SHRM appears to be doubling down on their recent statement on equity. Instead of, you know, listening to their membership as people speak out across publications and social media against the decision to remove equity from DEI. (I even considered adding letters to DEI! Have you heard of ABIDE?) The new SHRM direction appears to focus on civility. But civility does not replace equity.

Voices sticking with the SHRM decision to lump equity under inclusion have called it things like “a strategic move about driving results” and that it “brings more people along for the ride.” 

Someone shared a recent interview with Johnny C. Taylor, and it’s simply solidified my decision that SHRM no longer represents me and my HR and DEI work. 

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In Summary

SHRM, an HR organization, is getting a lot of pushback for removing "equity" from its DEI efforts, now focusing on "civility" instead. The author strongly disagrees, feeling SHRM no longer represents their work. Just being polite isn't enough to fix unfairness. SHRM seems more interested in what bosses want than what HR and DEI people need. They believe SHRM made a bad choice, saying that real change requires more than just talking nicely.

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Not Without Equity

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series ABIDE

If you haven’t yet heard, SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) recently announced the “strategic decision” to rebrand DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as Inclusion & Diversity (I&D), effective immediately. In their words, “by emphasizing Inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash and increasing polarization […] Equity will be integrated under the broader Inclusion framework.”

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what this announcement means in the context of the work that I do. 

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In Summary

SHRM, a big HR group, recently changed its "DEI" program to "I&D". They say they want to focus more on inclusion. However, this change removes "Equity," which is about making things fair for everyone, especially those who've faced challenges. The author argues that without equity, diversity can just be about looks, without real equal chances. They believe getting rid of "equity" ignores that people start from different places and need different support to succeed. Because of this, the author plans to stop being involved with SHRM.