Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Progression: What's Ahead When Organizations Persistently Ignore Past Mistakes?
Embracing a fresh conversation about DEI, Erin Corine Johnson masterminds the Future of DEI Virtual Summit. far from your conventional professional gathering, this summit offers genuine discourse, global viewpoints, and a robust community of change-makers, united in pursuit of collective freedom.
What sets Johnson apart is her multidisciplinary background as an identity and belonging coach, artist, and community activist. As she points out, the emergence of the summit wasn't spurred by the political climate but by her realization that DEI's performative practices fell short in protecting those they intended to serve. She says, "We've seen a surge of performative policymaking without a sustainable and accountable practice to sustain it. This summit is for those asking, 'What can I do now?'"
Taking place over five jam-packed days, the summit encompasses discussions, panels, and fireside chats, all centered around the question, "What is the future of DEI, and how do we catalyze change outside of unstable institutions?" The speakers hail from diverse backgrounds, from digital educators to antiracist scholars, all who have endured DEI backlash and pushed forward.
On the agenda is Blair Imani, the brainchild behind the popular Smarter in Seconds series, addressing creative approaches to inclusive education. She states, "While harsh policies may seek to stifle equity, we don't have to surrender. We can innovate." On the other side of the pond, Desirée Bela-Lobedde, an antiracism educator and author, addresses the concealed racism in Spain and debunks the myth that DEI is exclusively an American issue.
As parents of Black children, Louis and Arlene Byrd will delve into discussing racial matters with kids, providing practical insights and resources for rearing young minds aware of current societal issues without losing hope.
What sets the Future of DEI Summit apart is its mission to involve the everyday person, aiming to bridge the growing divide between DEI practitioners and the community they serve. Summit organizer Johnson explains, "I noticed a year and a half ago that the divide between DEI practitioners and their audience was widening. This summit aims to bring the people closer by making the work more approachable and relatable."
As Johnson views it, the backlash against DEI isn't an occasion to withdraw but a call to action, to rebuild a better, more compassionate community. She poses, "Anti-DEI activists will always come for us, regardless of what we call it. The question is, what happens when we care for each other, build our own tables, and feed our own communities in spite of them?" Truly embodying Johnson's vision of radical empathy, community building, and relentless activism, each speaker brings their unique perspective to keep DEI alive–not only within corporations and catchphrases, but in the hearts and homes of the community, who've always held the power to make change happen.
Enrichment Data:
The Future of DEI Virtual Summit, occurring from May 12-16, 2025, delves into the evolving DEI landscape amidst social transformation. With a focus on supporting identity, inclusion, and impact, the summit aims to provide practical solutions for tackling organizational challenges and promoting social change.
Key Takeaways:
- Emphasis on Identity, Inclusion, and Impact: sessions focus on integrating DEI into organizational strategies during social change.
- Community Engagement: events encourage participation through various access passes, such as General Access and Legacy Access, facilitating networking and specialized benefits.
Agenda and Sessions:
- The schedule consists of various sessions, although specific event details are not provided.
- One of the sessions, taking place on May 12, is "Identity, Inclusion and Impact in Times of Social Change" with Erin Corine[1].
- Attendees can access live and on-demand content, as well as networking opportunities, along with additional sessions for Legacy Access pass holders[2].
Prominent Speakers:
- While details on all speakers are not given, Erin Corine is confirmed for one session[1].
- Another speaker, elle_two, expresses her excitement for joining the summit[3].
Available Passes:
- General Access Pass: encompasses on-demand replays for all sessions, a free Accomplice Accelerator Community Membership, and lifetime discounts for upcoming webinars[2].
- Legacy Access Pass: includes bonus sessions, pre-summit networking, post-session recaps, and other exclusive privileges[2].
- The Future of DEI Virtual Summit, happening from May 12-16, 2025, explores the evolving landscape of DEI amidst social transformation, focusing on identity, inclusion, and impact.
- This summit provides practical solutions for tackling organizational challenges and promoting social change, offering a robust community of change-makers and sessions that integrate DEI into organizational strategies during social change.
- Erin Corine, the summit's organizer and a renowned identity and belonging coach, artist, and community activist, will lead a session on "Identity, Inclusion and Impact in Times of Social Change" on May 12.
- Attendees can access live and on-demand content, networking opportunities, additional sessions for Legacy Access pass holders, and other benefits like the General Access Pass, which includes an Accomplice Accelerator Community Membership, lifetime discounts for upcoming webinars, and on-demand replays for all sessions.
- Another speaker, elle_two, expresses her excitement for joining the summit, contributing to the diverse lineup of speakers that hail from digital educators to antiracist scholars.
- The summit encourages community engagement with various access passes, such as General Access and Legacy Access, facilitating networking and specialized benefits for all attendees.
- As Johnson posits, the summit's mission is to bridge the growing divide between DEI practitioners and the community they serve, making the work more approachable and relatable.
- Whether discussing lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, books, education-and-self-development, personal-growth, social-media, career-development, entertainment, job-search, pop-culture, sci-fi-and-fantasy, skills-training, sports, sports-betting, weather, or weather-forecasting, each speaker brings their unique perspective to keep DEI alive in the hearts and homes of the community, who've always held the power to make change happen.
