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Canaries in the mine: centering the voices of Black women DEI practitioners in a period of DEI resistance

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Canaries in the mine: centering the voices of Black women DEI practitioners in a period of DEI resistance

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Content Canaries in the Mine:
Centering the Voices of Black Women DEI Practitioners in a Period of DEI Resistance
by
Porsia Lynette Curry
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of
Doctor of Education
May 2024

© Copyright by Porsia Lynette Curry 2024
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Porsia Lynette Curry certifies the approval of this Dissertation.
Antwanisha Alameen-Shavers
Briana Hinga
Esther Kim, Committee Chair
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
May 2024

iv
Abstract
While it may not be difficult to grasp how organizational resistance to DEI has negatively
impacted organizational effectiveness and stakeholder experiences, in focusing on the
organization, many forget the impact to those who are responsible for the work. The purpose of
this study is to explore and demarginalize the voices of Black Women DEI Practitioners
(BWDP)- the Black women who lead diversity, equity, and inclusion work for organizations in
the United States, especially as they relate to the period following the concurrent height of the
Covid-19 pandemic and Racial Reckoning of 2020. The study utilizes Black feminist thought
(Collins, 1990) to center Black women as the epistemological authority on the experiences of
their and other minoritized groups’ experiences. Additionally, it employs Afro-pessimism theory,
which offers BWDP an opportunity to interrogate whether leading DEI under the current
circumstances is personally beneficial, as the systems are fundamentally anti-Black and sexist at
their core (Wilderson III, 2010; Lorde, 1984). Qualitative research was conducted by utilizing
semi-structured, narrative interviews for 12 Black women, who lead DEI at organizations
throughout the U.S. The study found that because of their compound oppression, and the
deteriorating status of DEI in the workplace, BWDP are in a compromised position daily, with
little support and resources, and it is having a substantial impact on them and their lives.
Nevertheless, they are seeking support from each other, operationalizing strategy, and
prioritizing authenticity and their own self-care. Considering these findings, Black women DEI
practitioners should make their health and happiness their number one priority and make career
decisions about how or whether they continue to lead DEI work based on what is best for them.

v
Dedication
God, all of the glory belongs to you. I have yet to see what you have been preparing me for over
three of the hardest years of my life, but you have kept, sustained, and comforted me.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” Romans 8:37
To Zion, my inspiration- I pray that Mommy’s work to foster safe and affirming spaces for
Black women will be a catalyst for you and other Black girls to experience more light, more fun,
more success, more love, more rest. More than we could ever imagine. Amen & Ashe.
To my Mom, you gave everything that you have and are so that we could be who we want to be.
Your love, sacrifice, and survival have created the foundation for the woman I am today and
there are not enough words to thank you. Thank you for growing with us and being the mom we
have needed at every stage of our lives. For being a constant source of love, support,
encouragement, and friendship. I love you!
To my angels, Dad, Antoinette, and Mimi, when I lost the three of you within a month during
my first year in this program, I was devastated. You used every opportunity you had to express
your love and belief that I could do anything, and you all had great expectations for me. It’s hard
to believe that you will not be with me as I finish this journey, but your love carries me through.
To the 12 participants of this study, who willingly shared your stories with me, thank you!
Thank you for allowing my story to live through yours. Thank you for the work you do daily to
uplift and affirm others; for being the change you want to see in the world. I see you. You are
appreciated.

vi
Acknowledgements
I acknowledge my family and friends for the love you have always given me! Even when
I was unsure that I would finish, your unwavering faith reminded me I could. Thank you!
Wade, my love, I could have never done this without you. Thank you for all of the
sacrifices you have made that have allowed me to complete this degree. You have been
supportive from the start but have shown that support in everything you have said and donefrom Zion to the house, to the meals, to the space for quiet work, to the hugs, and cards. I love
you and appreciate you!
Toni, my sister, you have no idea how much I appreciate our relationship. You are not
only my sister, but my first best friend. Our daily talks, whether we laugh, cry, or sit in silence,
are some of the best parts of my day.
My giiirrlllfriends- Joon, Jas, Quin, Nish, Amari, Andra, Vanessa- my relationship with
each of you has been a gift. If you don’t make it into Chapter 4, lol, one of the most important
findings of my research is that for Black women, having other Black women who love, support,
validate, understand, and affirm you is critical. The joy from crab legs, wine, Beyonce, and talks
with you has powered me through this process. Thank you for being you and for loving me!
Aj, Aralynn, Shaun, Kaleah, Thomases, Currys, Grannies, Aunties, Uncles, Cousins,
Framily- Thank you for the unconditional love and for always believing in me.
Dr. Stacia Solomon, Dr. Ashanti Hands, Dr. Shaun Travers, Dr. Becky Petitt, Dr. Diane
Forbes Berthoud, my mentors and colleagues who supported me through this journey, who
checked on me and encouraged me along the way. You talked me off ledges and through
concepts with patience and love, and I cannot be more grateful.

vii
I acknowledge my friends and writing group- Nicole and Josie. Going through this
process with you too has made it a little easier, a little more (and sometimes less) productive, but
a lot more affirming and fun! I cannot wait to see the wonderful things each of you do with you
research and thank you both for your companionship along the way.
And last, but certainly not least, I acknowledge my committee members for being a
wonderful source of guidance and support as I have navigated through this dissertative
experience. Each of you, in different ways, have shown up for me and validated both me and my
research, and I cannot be more grateful.
Dr. Kim, thank you for the guidance and encouragement; for helping me resonate with
my scholarly identity, and for helping me increase my confidence as a writer.
Dr. Hinga, what has been most encouraging about your presence on my committee is that
you have shown up as an ally, modeling the ways non-Black women can show up for and affirm
Black women. Thank you for exposing me to Afro-pessimism and for your help along the way.
Dr. Ashe, my tre-mendously real friend. Your sisterhood and support as I have grown-up
in my activism, resistance, and power cannot be overstated. From encouraging my musings
around starting a doctoral program, to processing with and challenging me as I navigated through
the process- Thank you!

viii
Table of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication....................................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................ vi
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... xiv
List of Figures............................................................................................................................... xv
Prelude .......................................................................................................................................... 14
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study........................................................................................ 15
Context and Background of the Problem...................................................................................... 16
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions.............................................................................. 17
Research Questions................................................................................................................... 17
Importance of the Study................................................................................................................ 18
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology .............................................................. 19
Black Feminist Theory.............................................................................................................. 20
Afro-Pessimism Theory ............................................................................................................ 20
Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 21
Definition of Terms....................................................................................................................... 21
Organization of the Study ............................................................................................................. 34
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ........................................................................................ 35
The History of the U.S. Workplace for Black Women................................................................. 36

ix
Whiteness in the Founding of the U.S. Workplace ................................................................... 36
Black Women in the U.S. Workplace ....................................................................................... 38
Black Women’s Intersectional and Contemporary Experiences in the U.S. Workplace .......... 39
Black Women as Caretakers ..................................................................................................... 40
The DEI Practitioner Role ............................................................................................................ 41
Black Women as DEI Practitioners .............................................................................................. 42
Impact of the Workplace on the Lives of Black Women.......................................................... 43
Experiences of Black Women as DEI Officers......................................................................... 45
Reasons for Organizational Resistance to DEI............................................................................. 46
Whiteness and white supremacy ............................................................................................... 47
2020 as a Turning Point ................................................................................................................ 48
2020 Covid-19 Timeline ........................................................................................................... 48
The Impact of the Pandemic on Black Women......................................................................... 50
Racial Reckoning ...................................................................................................................... 52
DEI Practitioners in since 2020................................................................................................. 55
Conceptual Framework................................................................................................................. 57
Black Feminist Theory.............................................................................................................. 58
Compound Oppression.......................................................................................................... 58
Black Feminist Standpoint Epistemology (BFSE) ............................................................... 59
Activism and Resistance ....................................................................................................... 60

x
Afro-Pessimism Theory ............................................................................................................ 61
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 63
Chapter Three: Methodology........................................................................................................ 65
Research Questions....................................................................................................................... 65
Overview of Design ...................................................................................................................... 65
Research Setting............................................................................................................................ 66
The Researcher.............................................................................................................................. 67
Data Sources ................................................................................................................................. 68
Narrative Interviews.................................................................................................................. 69
Document and Artifact Review................................................................................................. 69
Participants.................................................................................................................................... 70
Instrumentation ............................................................................................................................. 71
Data Collection Procedures........................................................................................................... 71
Data Analysis................................................................................................................................ 71
Narrative Interviews.................................................................................................................. 71
Document and Artifact Review................................................................................................. 72
Trustworthiness and Credibility.................................................................................................... 72
Ethics............................................................................................................................................. 73
Chapter Four: Findings................................................................................................................. 74
Participants.................................................................................................................................... 74

xi
Research Question One: What are the Experiences of Black Women who Lead DEI Work in the
U.S. Workplace Post-2020?.......................................................................................................... 76
Systemic Resistance Hinders DEI Efforts and Impact BWDP ................................................. 76
BWDP Isolation is Pervasive................................................................................................ 77
BWDP are Under-resourced in Their Roles ......................................................................... 77
Oppression is Amplified as Black Women Navigate DEI Roles.......................................... 78
There is a Lack of Diversity in Leadership........................................................................... 80
Organizational Engagement with DEI is Performative ........................................................ 81
Emotional Labor and Stress at Work are Personally Affecting BWDP.................................... 83
Some BWDP are Experiencing Progress.................................................................................. 85
Research Question Two: What strategies and interventions effectively support Black women
who lead DEI work? ..................................................................................................................... 87
Support from Other Black Women is Invaluable...................................................................... 87
BWDP are Strategic in Their Approach.................................................................................... 88
Coalition and Collaboration with Non-Black Women Allies can be Valuable......................... 89
Authenticity is Affirming in Advocacy Work........................................................................... 90
Research Question Three: How can Black Women Develop a Healthy Framework for
Facilitating DEI Work?................................................................................................................. 92
BWDP are Setting and Sustaining Boundaries......................................................................... 93
They are Reclaiming their Time ........................................................................................... 93

xii
They are Managing Their own Capacities............................................................................ 94
BWDP are Rejecting Misogynoir in Coping Methods.............................................................. 94
They are Engaging in Spiritual Practice ............................................................................... 95
They are Seeking Personal Growth Resources..................................................................... 97
They are Engaging in Intentional Movement and Exercise.................................................. 98
They are Coping and Relaxing with Wine and Weed........................................................... 99
BWDP are Seeking Guidance from Ancestors and Leaders................................................... 100
BWDP are Still Working to Heal............................................................................................ 101
Summary..................................................................................................................................... 101
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................ 103
Discussion of Findings................................................................................................................ 104
Discussion of Research Question One Findings..................................................................... 106
Discussion of Research Question Two Findings .................................................................... 107
Discussion of Research Question Three Findings................................................................... 109
Recommendations for Practice ................................................................................................... 110
Recommendation 1: Identify and Protect Affirming Self-care ............................................... 111
Recommendation 2: Surround Yourself With a Network of People who Understand, Support,
and Ride for you...................................................................................................................... 113
Recommendation 3: Walk Away if and When it no Longer Serves you. (Go Ahead and Free
Yourself).................................................................................................................................. 114

xiii
Implications for Future Research................................................................................................ 114
Limitations and Delimitations..................................................................................................... 116
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 117
References................................................................................................................................... 119
Appendix A: 2020 Covid-19 Timeline ....................................................................................... 135
Appendix B: Interview Protocol ................................................................................................. 139

xiv
List of Tables
Table 1: Data Sources.................................................................................................................. 66
Table 2: Demographics of Interview Participants........................................................................ 75

xv
List of Figures
Figure 1: Pew Research on Black Social Media Users ................................................................ 54
Figure 2: Chief Diversity Officer Demographics and Statistics in the US .................................. 57
Figure 3: Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................ 63
Figure 4: The Secret to Increasing Diverse Representation in Senior Leadership ...................... 80
Figure 5: Black Americans More Religious Than the U.S. Public Overall ................................. 96

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Prelude
This work has had a major toll on my mental health because you’re having to suppress so much
for so many hours in your day to the point of needing to take time off from work because I was
seeing physical manifestations of the stress, and my body not functioning correctly because it
was under way too much stress. Having to come to terms with the fact that the work is important,
but the sacrifice of your physical and mental health is... And I think that this happening while
two Black women in higher education died on the job, that context of like, “Oh yeah. If I stay in
this work as long as they did, this is the long-term impact.” I want something different for myself.
I would say it has had a massive toll on my partnership - my relationship with my partner and
with my family because they get the most exhausted version of me. That has looked like my
partner giving me feedback like, “When you're here, you're not actually here” because I’m just
too drained to give more energy out of myself. Thankfully, I have a very understanding partner,
but I can see how this could end folks’ relationships if you can’t fix or better balance your life.
And I don’t think it’s just about balance because I think it’s like as Black women who are doing
DEI work, it's not a 9 to 5. It's not a clock in, clock out. The work is my responsibility in the
workplace and it's my lived experience outside of the workplace. It's like how I navigate every
entity that I have to engage with from driving to work after… I remember after Sandra Bland
(was killed), the level of anxiety I had driving to work every single day. Just driving period was
so intense. It's like people don't understand that extra layer that you’re having to navigate in the
midst of this. So, you don’t turn it off. It goes from your lived experience to both your lived
experience and what you're advocating for, but there is no turning off - ever. So, I had to think
about how do I get more intentional about joy and rest as a result.
- Maya, study participant

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Chapter One: Introduction to the Study
If you asked organizational leaders in the second half of 2020 what the most important
organizational focus was, many of them would have indicated that it was diversity, equity, and
inclusion (DEI) (Pulse, 2023). However, it became clear over the following three years that
many organizational responses to the racial reckoning of 2020 (Chang et al., 2020) were
ceremonial and hollow. Leaders made commitments to shift their and their organization’s
practices, but when it came time to prove that attitudes and practices had changed, it was clear
that they had not (Maurer, 2022). One of the most powerful elements of DEI work is the people
who facilitate it. Of these, Black women have always been a central force for elevating and
driving the progress and success of DEI, even when it had yet to manifest, and was known in the
form of activism, resistance, and movements (Hartman, 2019). However, Black women, like
canaries in coal mines (Haldane and Smith, 1896), are hyper-sensitive to and detrimentally
impacted by toxic environments (Nadal, et al., 2020). The U.S. workplace is such that the
intersection of white supremacy and patriarchy quietly thrives. Black women DEI practitioners,
who concurrently experience the perils of the workplace because of their identity and are
responsible for offering solutions to eradicating said perils because of their roles, are incredibly
vulnerable to the physical, mental, and emotional traumas of the workplace (McGirt, 2017).
The problem of practice is that organizational resistance to DEI is having a deep and
disproportionately dire impact on DEI practitioners who identify as a Black woman (Kluch et al.,
2023). Black women DEI practitioners, living at the intersection of gender and race (Crenshaw,
1989), are poised to lead organizations toward creating more diverse, equitable, and inclusive
work environments for employees from minoritized communities (Green, 2020). Yet, while

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Black women take on the mental and emotional labor of the work, they are generally overlooked
(Hooks, 2021) and excluded from decision making processes (Erskine et al., 2021).
Context and Background of the Problem
Racism and sexism work in tandem to marginalize Black women’s experiences
(Crenshaw, 1989), and therefore, there is not much research prioritizing their narrative (Collins,
1990) in workplace focused research. Historically, in the U.S. workplace, Black women have
been exploited and oppressed (Collins, 1990; Hurston, 1969), and even as they have poured
purpose and passion into the progress and development of the United States, including its
workplaces, they have been underpaid and underappreciated (Erskine et al., 2021; hooks, 2004).
The year 2020 was marked by a devastating syndemic, which refers when diseases co-occur with
harmful social conditions (Singer, 2009). When the Covid-19 pandemic and the “Racial
Reckoning” happened concurrently that year, DEI practitioners, including Black women, were
mobilized to support organizations and their employees through an unprecedented and traumatic
period (Pulse, 2023). However, because of the systemic oppression Black women face, they were
impacted by the events personally, as well as professionally in their roles as DEI practitioners.
Moreover, we, as Black women, had much to hope for and potentially gain from organizations
finally prioritizing our and other minoritized groups’ needs. However, the subsequent divestment
in DEI has had an equally pernicious effect on us and our communities.
Black women in the United States have carried generational trauma since the kidnapping
and enslavement of African people over 400 years ago (Hannah-Jones, 2019), and trauma has
impacted our positionality and experiences in the workplace. Black women were already
disproportionately impacted by physical and mental health issues, but the events since 2020 have
compounded those issues and introduced new ones (Javaid & Cole, 2022). As with many

17
circumstances in the past, the labor they employed over the last three years- their blood, sweat,
and tears- have been siphoned to sustain the organizational structures that oppress them, and left
them with disappointment and exhaustion (Carter et al., 2022). Consequently, there is no one
organization or field of focus for this project, as the oppression of Black women in the workplace
is pervasive. Furthermore, this situation is so common and normalized that many people,
including Black women, are relegated to believe that it is what it is.
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions
The purpose of this study is twofold. First it is to tell the stories of Black women in DEI
officer roles by offering an opportunity for us to transparently articulate the experiences we have
had navigating our lives and roles since 2020. In our positionality at work, in our families, and
communities, we have assumed the position of caretaker and way maker, but often, the energy
we exude has not been reinvested back into us. While many of us are steadfast in seeing
liberation for ourselves and our communities, history serves as a model for how this pattern will
continue and repeat unless we adjust. This study will offer us the space to consider our situation
and deliberate on the next steps, while demarginalizing our experiences within the greater
organizational narrative. Second, in our roles as DEI practitioners, we have first-row seats to the
detrimental impact of organizational divestment from DEI on not only minoritized groups but the
organizations themselves. This study will center our authority, based on skill, intellect, and
experience, as we offer the uninhibited truth about what leaders must do to achieve success in
DEI, and therefore the entire organizational framework.
Research Questions
The following research questions will be employed to illuminate how organizational
resistance to DEI impacts Black women DEI officers:

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1. In what ways do organizational barriers and resistance to DEI in the U.S. workplace
post-2020 impact Black women who lead DEI work?
2. What strategies and interventions effectively support Black women who lead DEI
work?
3. How can Black women develop a healthy framework for facilitating DEI work?
Importance of the Study
This study is important because it calls attention to the regression of DEI work in two
central ways. The first is that the regression of DEI work is a threat to the progress of
organizations as a whole. Irrespective of the reason why it is happening, many organizations are
deprioritizing DEI work and therefore creating liabilities for the organization. According to
Benevity (2023), 62% of employees believe employers should dedicate more effort to DEI,
especially during periods of economic uncertainty. However, even as of early 2023, CEOs rarely
engage with senior DEI officers, executives do not consult DEI officers in organizational
problem solving, and at many organizations, DEI is not considered high stakes or mission critical
(Harper, 2023). If it is a research-grounded and widely accepted notion that DEI enriches the
workplace by offering greater resources for problem resolution and employee retention, and
therefore increases innovation, productivity, and revenue, then it must be important for
organization leaders to listen to the subject matter experts who are leading this work, and center
it as a business imperative (Colvin, 2023; Cox, 2001; Herring, 2009). This study will provide an
opportunity for listening.
The second, but most germane reason this study is important is that it is creating a safe
space for DEI practitioners who self-identify as Black women to tell their stories. As a highly
marginalized and minoritized group, Black women are negatively impacted by the regression of

19
DEI work. Though they are often in roles of leadership, they are still marginalized as their
knowledge is often dismissed or devalued (Erskine et al., 2021). They must simultaneously
navigate the emotional labor (Hooks, 2021) of personally experiencing multiple compounded
oppressions while being the person responsible for mitigating them in the workplace. As
fulfilling and purpose driven as the work is, it is difficult (Simien, 2020), unrelenting, and
exhausting (Carter et al., 2022). This study is important because Black women act as the
proverbial canary in the mine, sensitive to the impacts of a toxic environment, and doing their
best to warn others of imminent danger. However, even if no organizational leaders outside of
the Black community read and learn from this work, it would still have offered us a space to be
affirmative in telling our truth- which is the truth, and as someone navigating this work on a dayto-day basis, I know that is invaluable.
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace are gaining attention
globally as more organizations realize the importance and benefits of a diverse and inclusive
workforce. However, there is still a lack of true commitment to these initiatives, which is a threat
to the progress achieved so far. Black feminist theory and afro-pessimism theory offer valuable
frameworks for understanding the experiences of Black women in DEI officer roles and the
potential futility of Black people, and for the sake of this research, Black women participating in
DEI efforts. The following sections will briefly recap these two theories, but further discussion
will occur in chapter two, where both theories will be connected to my conceptual framework.

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Black Feminist Theory
Black feminist theory and thought posit that Black women are and should be considered
an authority on their and other minoritized employees’ experiences in the workplace.
Concurrently, DEI officers have the vantage point of seeing the way that oppressive systems are
grounded within the workplace. Because Black women in DEI officer roles operate at the
intersection of these experiences, they have an anomalous role in informing what work
organizations need to do to achieve their DEI aspirations. They are also perfectly positioned to
experience the ramifications of organizations deprioritizing this work.
Black feminist theory is rooted in the idea that Black women are experts on their
experiences in the workplace and should be at the forefront of telling their stories and informing
what is needed to improve their experience. By centering the thoughts of Black women,
organizations not only appreciate their value, but also create a space for all minoritized
communities to find belonging and affirmation (Collins, 1999). Black women have always
resisted oppression and fought against economic exploitation and historical exclusion from the
workforce (Beal, 1969). Grounding the analysis of the U.S. workplace using the ideals of Black
women affirms their power and intellectual community (Collins, 1990).
Afro-Pessimism Theory
Afro-Pessimism Theory, on the other hand, challenges the notion that DEI initiatives can
bring about meaningful change in the workplace. According to Afro-pessimism theorists, efforts
to improve the U.S. workplace are a futile task to engage in. Furthermore, for Black women, it
can also be harmful. In an effort to, “build theory about how whiteness permeates workplaces by
advancing our understanding of the mechanisms and practices that authorize control over those
who deviate from whiteness,” Rabelo et al. (2020) offer a circumstance that highlighted how

21
insidious, yet substantial this issue is. In 2017, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and veteran
White House Correspondent April Ryan were chastised on national television in response to the
bold and audacious way they publicly challenged white supremacy. Following this event,
Brittany Packnett Cunningham started the hashtag #BlackWomenatWork on Twitter and
encouraged Black women to share their “Maxine and April moments, so people don’t think this
is rare” (p.2). Within forty-eight hours, the tweet went viral, and there were over 200,000
original posts of Black women speaking up about their own experiences. It confirmed what
Black women already knew, but exposed to the rest of the world how arduous working at the
intersection of Black and woman could be. It provides support to the fact that to participate in
this work, Black women must survive in white-dominated workplaces by watching, adjusting,
and assimilating when necessary. Afro-pessimism suggests that it is crucial to consider whether
it would serve Black women more to spend their time creating ways to live in a new reality
(Lorde, 1984). Black people living in white-dominated workplaces often experience feelings of
inferiority and self-hatred, which can negatively impact their mental health. Fanon (1967) argues
that the only way to find psychological safety and liberation is through radical self-assertion, not
engaging in their oppression.
Methodology
The study is qualitative, with 12 to 15 participants. The interview protocol contains 17
open-ended questions, with the potential for nine additional probing questions. Further details of
this study’s methodology are in chapter three.
Definition of Terms
Diversity, equity, and inclusion work uses many different terms in our language to
describe the experiences of people individually and socially. This list of terms offers definitions

22
for shared understanding, and clear articulation of what is meant by each term to mitigate
confusion. Lastly, these definitions prioritize the linguistic labor of communities that have
defined their own experiences, as I am to center them in this study.
Affirmation
To acknowledge, respect and support a person's identity regarding race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, gender identity, experiences, ideas, or beliefs or encouraging the
development of an individual (Edwards, 2022).
Ally
Someone who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on
gender, class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in
the struggle for justice. Allies understand that it is in their own interest to end all forms of
oppression, even those from which they may benefit in concrete ways.
An action, not an identity. Members of the advantaged group recognize their privilege
and work in solidarity with oppressed groups to dismantle the systems of oppression(s)
from which they derive power, privilege, and acceptance. It means taking intentional,
overt, and consistent responsibility for the changes needed in our society, and often
ignore or leave for others to deal with; it does so in a way that facilitates the
empowerment of persons targeted by oppression. This framework can be used to imply
that one does not feel directly implicated by the oppression (Racial Equity Tools, 2022).
Belonging
A sense of being secure, recognized, affirmed, and accepted equally such that full
participation is possible (Edwards, 2022).

23
Black
The preferred term when referring to the race of persons with any Black African lineage,
not just for unmixed members of populations from sub-Saharan Africa. The term should
be capitalized and used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example: “Benjamin Robinson
was a Black soldier in the U.S. Army.” Note that Blacks and the Blacks are both
considered offensive and should not be used. Black people is the preferred plural form of
Black.
African American (pl. African Americans) is also acceptable, but it is not necessarily
interchangeable with Black. Black can be used regardless of nationality, while African
American is specific to Americans of Black African descent. Some individuals in the
United States self-identify with both terms, while others prefer one term over the other;
some may prefer a different but related term (e.g., Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino).
Descriptions of individuals should use the individual’s preferred self-identifier, if known
and a current, non-harmful term (National Archives, 2023).
In the case of this research, Black is intentionally and affectionately used as an inclusive
and affirming way of referring to all people of the African diaspora, who by living in the
U.S. context are racially, and therefore socially, categorized as Black. It speaks less to
nationality or the method through which individuals came or were brought to the United
States, but more specifically to the lived experience of being Black in America.
Diversity
Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, and it encompasses all the
different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. It is allinclusive and recognizes everyone and every group as part of the diversity that should be

24
valued. A broad definition includes not only race, ethnicity, and gender—the groups that
most often come to mind when the term “diversity” is used—but also age, national origin,
religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status,
language, and physical appearance. It also involves different ideas, perspectives, and
values.
It is important to note that many activists and thinkers critique diversity alone as a
strategy. For instance, Baltimore Racial Justice Action states: “Diversity is silent on the
subject of equity. In an anti-oppression context, therefore, the issue is not diversity, but
rather equity. Often when people talk about diversity, they are thinking only of the ‘nondominant’ groups.” (Racial Equity Tools, 2022).
Ethnicity
A social construct that divides people into smaller social groups based on characteristics
such as shared sense of group membership, values, behavioral patterns, language,
political and economic interests, history, and ancestral geographical base.
Examples of different ethnic groups are: Cape Verdean, Haitian, African American
(Black); Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese (Asian); Cherokee, Mohawk, Navaho (Native
American); Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican (Latino); Polish, Irish, and Swedish (White)
(Racial Equity Tools, 2022).
(In)Equity
The proactive reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes and actions that produce
equitable power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes for all terms of
equity (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, 2020).

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(In)Equality
In the context of diversity, equality is typically defined as treating everyone the same and
giving everyone access to the same opportunities. It means each individual or group of
people is given the same resources or opportunities (Edwards, 2022).
Gender
Broadly, gender is a set of socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes
that a given society considers appropriate (Racial Equity Tools, 2022).
Hegemony
The authority, dominance, and influence of one group, nation, or society over another
group, nation, or society; typically through cultural, economic, or political means (Bell,
2013)
(Ex)Inclusion
Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into
processes, activities, and decision/policy making in a way that shares power (Racial
Equity Tools, 2022).
Intersectionality
Intersectionality is simply a prism to see the interactive effects of various forms of
discrimination and disempowerment. It looks at the way that racism, many times,
interacts with patriarchy, heterosexism, classism, xenophobia — seeing that the
overlapping vulnerabilities created by these systems actually create specific kinds of
challenges. “Intersectionality 102,” then, is to say that these distinct problems create
challenges for movements that are only organized around these problems as separate and
individual. So when racial justice does not have a critique of patriarchy and homophobia,

26
the particular way that racism is experienced and exacerbated by heterosexism, classism
etc., falls outside of our political organizing. It means that significant numbers of people
in our communities are not being served by social justice frames because they do not
address the particular ways that they’re experiencing discrimination (Crenshaw, 1989)
(De)Marginalization
A social process by which individuals or groups are (intentionally or unintentionally)
distanced from access to power and resources and constructed as insignificant, peripheral,
or less valuable/privileged to a community or “mainstream” society. This term describes
a social process, so as not to imply a lack of agency. Marginalized groups or people are
those excluded from mainstream social, economic, cultural, or political life. Examples of
marginalized groups include, but are by no means limited to, groups excluded due to
race, religion, political or cultural group, age, gender, or financial status. To what extent
such populations are marginalized, however, is context specific and reliant on the cultural
organization of the social site in question (Racial Equity Tools, 2022).
Minoritized
Recognizes that systemic inequalities, oppression, and marginalization place individuals
into “minority” status rather than their own characteristics. These systems sustain the
overrepresentation and dominance of historically privileged social identities (SottoSantiago, 2019)
LGBTQ(IA)+
LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning, intersex, asexual, and more. These terms are used to describe a person’s

27
sexual orientation or gender identity. See below for a more detailed definition of each
term:
LESBIAN is a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is
to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay or as gay women.
GAY, the adjective, describes people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or
emotional attractions are to people of the same sex. Sometimes lesbian is the preferred
term for women.
BISEXUAL is a person who can form enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional
attractions to those of the same gender or more than one gender. People may experience
this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not
have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; they need not have had any sexual
experience at all to identify as bisexual.
TRANSGENDER is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender
expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at
birth. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more
of a wide variety of terms— including transgender or nonbinary. Some transgender
people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to bring their bodies into alignment with
their gender identity. Some undergo surgery as well. But not all transgender people can or
will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon physical
appearance or medical procedures.
QUEER is an adjective used by some people whose sexual orientation is not exclusively
heterosexual or straight. This umbrella term includes people who have nonbinary,
gender-fluid, or gender nonconforming identities. Once considered a pejorative term,

28
queer has been reclaimed by some LGBTQIA+ people to describe themselves; however,
it is not a universally accepted term even within the LGBTQIA+ community.
QUESTIONING is sometimes what is meant when the Q is seen at the end of LGBT.
This term describes someone who is questioning their sexual orientation or gender
identity.
INTERSEX is an adjective used to describe a person with one or more innate sex
characteristics, including genitals, internal reproductive organs, and chromosomes, that
fall outside of traditional conceptions of male or female bodies. Do not confuse having an
intersex trait with being transgender. Intersex people are assigned a sex at birth — either
male or female — and that decision by medical providers and parents may not match the
gender identity of the child. Not all intersex folks identify as being part of the
LGBTQIA+ community.
ASEXUAL, the adjective, describes a person who does not experience sexual attraction.
Sometimes shortened to “ace,” it is an umbrella term that can also include people who are
demisexual, meaning they do experience some sexual attraction; graysexual, meaning
those who may not fit the strictest definition of the word asexual; and aromantic, meaning
they experience little to no romantic attraction and/or has little to no desire to form
romantic relationships.
NONBINARY, the adjective, describes a person whose gender is not male or female and
uses many different terms to describe themselves. Other terms include genderqueer,
agender, bigender, genderfluid, and more. None of these terms mean exactly the same
thing – but all speak to an experience of gender that is not simply male or female.

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+ PLUS is used to signify all of the gender identities and sexual orientations that letters
and words cannot yet fully describe. (GLAAD, 2023)
Liberation
The creation of relationships, societies, communities, organizations, and collective spaces
characterized by equity, fairness, and the implementation of systems for the allocation of
goods, services, benefits, and rewards that support the full participation of each human
and the promotion of their full humanness (Love et al., 2007)
Oppression
The systematic subjugation of one social group by a more powerful social group for the
social, economic, and political benefit of the more powerful social group. Rita Hardiman
and Bailey Jackson state that oppression exists when the following four conditions are
found:
● the oppressor group has the power to define reality for themselves and others,
● the target groups take in and internalize the negative messages about them and
end up cooperating with the oppressors (thinking and acting like them),
● genocide, harassment, and discrimination are systematic and institutionalized, so
that individuals are not necessary to keep it going, and
● members of both the oppressor and target groups are socialized to play their roles
as normal and correct.
Oppression = Power + Prejudice (Dismantling Racism, 2021)
Positionality
Positionality refers to how differences in social position and power shape identities and
access in society (Misawa, 2010).

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Race
For many people, it comes as a surprise that racial categorization schemes were invented
by scientists to support worldviews that viewed some groups of people as superior and
some as inferior. There are three important concepts linked to this fact:
● Race is a made-up social construct, and not an actual biological fact.
● Race designations have changed over time. Some groups that are considered
“white” in the United States today were considered “non-white” in previous eras,
in U.S. Census data and in mass media and popular culture (for example, Irish,
Italian, and Jewish people).
● The way in which racial categorizations are enforced (the shape of racism) has
also changed over time. For example, the racial designation of Asian American
and Pacific Islander changed four times in the 19th century. That is, they were
defined at times as white and at other times as not white. Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders, as designated groups, have been used by whites at different
times in history to compete with African American labor (Racial Equity Tools,
2022).
Standpoint Epistemology
This idea fits in well with the most celebrated thesis of standpoint theory, namely, that
there is a cognitive asymmetry between the standpoint of the oppressed and the
standpoint of the privileged that gives an advantage to the former over the latter. As
Harding (1983, 1991), among others, has argued, the perspectives from the lives of the
less powerful can offer a more objective view of the social world, a view based on their
experiences of being underprivileged that captures real disparities, instead of a view that

31
ignores (or even erases) experiences of oppression and is more likely to be oblivious or
blind to disparities and insensitive to injustice (Medina, 2013).
Whiteness
The term white, referring to people, was created by Virginia slave owners and colonial
rules in the 17th century. It replaced terms like Christian and Englishman to distinguish
European colonists from Africans and indigenous peoples. European colonial powers
established whiteness as a legal concept after Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676, during which
indentured servants of European and African descent had united against the colonial elite.
The legal distinction of white separated the servant class on the basis of skin color and
continental origin. The creation of ‘whiteness’ meant giving privileges to some, while
denying them to others with the justification of biological and social inferiority.
Whiteness itself refers to the specific dimensions of racism that serve to elevate white
people over people of color. This definition counters the dominant representation of
racism in mainstream education as isolated in discrete behaviors that some individuals
may or may not demonstrate, and goes beyond naming specific privileges (McIntosh,
1989). Whites are theorized as actively shaped, affected, defined, and elevated through
their racialization and the individual and collective consciousness formed within it.
Whiteness is thus conceptualized as a constellation of processes and practices rather than
as a discrete entity (i.e., skin color alone). Whiteness is dynamic, relational, and operating
at all times and on myriad levels. These processes and practices include basic rights,
values, beliefs, perspectives, and experiences purported to be commonly shared by all
people, but which are actually only consistently afforded to white people (Racial Equity
Tools, 2022).

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White Privilege
Refers to the unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements, benefits and
choices bestowed on people solely because they are white. Generally white people who
experience such privilege do so without being conscious of it.
Structural white privilege is a system of white domination that creates and maintains
belief systems that make current racial advantages and disadvantages seem normal. The
system includes powerful incentives for maintaining white privilege and its
consequences, and powerful negative consequences for trying to interrupt white privilege
or reduce its consequences in meaningful ways. The system includes internal and external
manifestations at the individual, interpersonal, cultural and institutional levels.
The accumulated and interrelated advantages and disadvantages of white privilege that
are reflected in racial/ethnic inequities in life-expectancy and other health outcomes,
income and wealth, and other outcomes, in part through different access to opportunities
and resources. These differences are maintained in part by denying that these advantages
and disadvantages exist at the structural, institutional, cultural, interpersonal, and
individual levels and by refusing to redress them or eliminate the systems, policies,
practices, cultural norms, and other behaviors and assumptions that maintain them.
Interpersonal white privilege is a behavior between people that consciously or
unconsciously reflects white superiority or entitlement.
Cultural white privilege is a set of dominant cultural assumptions about what is good,
normal or appropriate that reflects Western European white world views and dismisses or
demonizes other worldviews.

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Institutional white privilege is policies, practices and behaviors of institutions—such as
schools, banks, non-profits or the Supreme Court—that have the effect of maintaining or
increasing accumulated advantages for those groups currently defined as white, and
maintaining or increasing disadvantages for those racial or ethnic groups not defined as
white. The ability of institutions to survive and thrive even when their policies, practices
and behaviors maintain, expand or fail to redress accumulated disadvantages and/or
inequitable outcomes for people of color (Racial Equity Tools, 2022).
White Supremacy
The idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of
white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and
actions. While most people associate white supremacy with extremist groups like the Ku
Klux Klan and the neo-Nazis, white supremacy is ever present in our institutional and
cultural assumptions that assign value, morality, goodness, and humanity to the white
group while casting people and communities of color as worthless (worth less), immoral,
bad, and inhuman and “undeserving.” Drawing from critical race theory, the term “white
supremacy” also refers to a political or socio-economic system where white people enjoy
structural advantage and rights that other racial and ethnic groups do not, both at a
collective and an individual level (Racial Equity Tools, 2022).
Woman
“The term “woman” as used in CEDAW should be interpreted to mean all of the above:
biological, anatomical, genetic, gender performance, and/or gender identity working with
any combination or standing alone.”... “When ‘woman’ is used in ordinary speech, it very
often means a combination of some or all of the definitions included in sex and gender.

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This definition is inclusive of butch women, women who have undergone FGM,
hysterectomy, sex reassignment surgery, and menopausal women. It includes cisgender
women and transgender people” (Meyer, para 4, 2016)
Organization of the Study
This study is stratified into five chapters. Within Chapter One, there is the problem of
practice, including the context and background of the problem, the purpose of the study, research
questions, a list of definitions and terms, and my research methodology. Chapter Two is an
exhibit of the relevant research I have reviewed to support and validate the study. Chapter Three
draws a connection between the methodology and data analysis to the problem of practice based
on the literature review. Chapter Four presents the findings from semi-structured interviews
about the lived experiences and organizational analysis of study participants. The final chapter,
Chapter Five, offers recommendations for self-care and persistence for DEI practitioners who
self-identify as Black women, but potentially also recommendations for organizations to begin
prioritizing DEI.

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Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
This literature review aims to interrogate the lack of commitment to Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace by looking at the problem through the lenses of
DEI practitioners who self-identify as Black women or Black women DEI practitioners (BWDP).
While this research will not be an anthropological study about Black women themselves, it will
honor their authority as subject matter experts in the field of DEI, and as individuals who, as
Patricia Hill Collins (2000) argues, experience intersectional forms of oppression in the
workplace. She posits that centering their experiences is necessary to create more inclusive and
equitable workplaces. Black women in the United States have always had a tenuous relationship
with the U.S. workplace, as it was originally founded on whiteness and white supremacy.
The concept of whiteness in the workplace in the United States has a long and complex
history, rooted in the country's history of enslavement, discrimination, and segregation of Black
people (Hannah-Jones, 2019). As the United States has not reckoned with that history, the
workplace continues to perpetuate the whiteness and white supremacist ideals it was built on and
is, therefore, an inhospitable space for minoritized individuals and DEI. While Black feminist
thought argues that Black women are perfectly positioned to identify the barriers to the success
of DEI in the workplace and develop effective solutions, Afro-pessimism theory questions
whether it is a worthwhile effort for Black women. This study juxtaposes these two theories to
ensure that both spectrums are covered in the analysis.
Much research has been done on the experience of Black women in the workplace and
what they need to thrive. Additionally, it is well-documented how instrumental whiteness is in
creating disproportionately negative experiences for minoritized groups in the workplace.
However, it is important to study this topic because there is little research linking the impact of

36
whiteness in the workplace to the experiences of Black women, who, in the role of DEI
practitioner, are “checking both boxes” in aiming to create safe and affirming work environments
for all minoritized employees, while concurrently being representative of both those groups.
Lastly, there have yet to be significant studies interrogating the experience of navigating DEI
work post-2020, and how navigating the socio-political organizational environment is impacting
not only the work but the people driving it.
This chapter begins with establishing a rudimentary understanding of the history of the
U.S. workplace. It explains how whiteness was central in the founding of the workplace, how
whiteness drove Black women’s origin, experiences, and oppression, and how all of these are
central to impacting Black women’s experience through today, including their experiences as
DEI practitioners.
The History of the U.S. Workplace for Black Women
Black women's experiences in the workplace have been interlinked with exploitation and
oppression since the enslavement of Black people in the United States (Collins, 1990; Hurston,
1969), and the acknowledgment that the underlying system shifted in structure but continued in
function, even through today (Dumas, 2016). Despite progress in recent decades, Black women
continue to face significant challenges and barriers in the workplace due to their intersectional
identities (hooks, 2004; Roberts, 2019). Therefore, it is important to recognize and address the
unique challenges Black women face in the workplace to create a more inclusive and equitable
work environment (Amott & Matthaei, 1996).
Whiteness in the Founding of the U.S. Workplace
Despite efforts to address the disparate experiences of minoritized groups in the
workplace, many organizations still struggle with a lack of commitment to these initiatives. One

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reason is the entrenched history of whiteness in the U.S. workplace, which has perpetuated
inequality and exclusion for people of color. A racial caste system was established during the
early years of the nation, which positioned white people as superior and excluded people of
color, including Black women, from economic opportunities and employment (Alexander, 2010).
Through the enslavement of Black people, a precedent for the U.S. workplace was set that Black
labor was not only paramount to a thriving economy but should still be as close to free as
possible. This is evident in that even after slavery was abolished, economic systems and
structures, informed by systemic and structural racism, continued to uphold the standard. The
Center for American Progress helped to define the historical relationship between Black and
white people in the U.S. workplace by offering that “from slavery to Jim Crow, from redlining to
school segregation, and from mass incarceration to environmental racism, policies” which we
understand are created and upheld by white people “have consistently impeded or inhibited
African Americans from having access to opportunities to realize the American dream” (2018).
According to Isabel Wilkerson (2020), the caste “gets at the underlying infrastructure that often
we cannot see, but that is there undergirding much of the inequality and injustices and disparities
that we live with in this country.” This legacy has continued to inform workplace culture and
practices, with whiteness operating as an invisible norm perpetuating inequality and exclusion
(Hollander, 2019).
To effectively address diversity and inclusion in the workplace, it is essential that leaders
grapple with the historical processes that created racial identities and relations (Omi & Howard,
2015). In other words, an acknowledgment of the role of whiteness in shaping workplace culture
and practices must happen to work towards dismantling the structures that perpetuate inequality.
However, this is an arduous task, as whiteness operates invisibly and unacknowledged in many

38
workplace environments (Wilkerson, 2020), making it difficult to address and overcome
(Hollander, 2019).
Despite these challenges, there are steps that organizations can take to address the legacy
of whiteness in the U.S. workplace and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may
include implementing policies and practices that operationalize equity, creating safe spaces for
employees from minoritized backgrounds to share their experiences, and actively engaging in
dialogue and education around issues of race, racism, and other forms of oppression (Bell &
Nkomo, 2001). By taking these steps, organizations can work to create a more equitable and
inclusive workplace culture that values and respects the contributions of all employees,
regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other identifying factors.
Black Women in the U.S. Workplace
Black women’s experiences in the workplace can be linked to the historical development
of the U.S. economy and the workplace within, which are shaped by a long and complex history
of oppression and exploitation, dating back to the country's history of slavery; that is through the
enslavement of Black people, including Black women. Black women's bodies were often
commodified and used for labor, further creating stereotypes that portray them as strong,
resilient, and meant for back-breaking work (Collins, 1990; Davis, 1981). The relationship
between Black women and the US workplace has become interlinked with exploitation and an
intentional framing of inhuman strength to justify Black women's concurrent overload and
underpayment (Collins, 1990). Zora Neale Hurston famously described Black women as the
mules uh de world, emphasizing the centrality of Black women's labor in the U.S. economy
(Hurston, 1969). Patricia Hill Collins also highlights the importance of Black women's labor in

39
developing capitalist class relations, arguing that Black women's reproductive capacities were
essential to the creation and perpetuation of this system (Collins, 1990).
Despite their key role in the success of the U.S. economy, Black women have fought
incessantly against the persistent barriers to their economic freedom. As Amott and Matthaei
note, women of color, working-class women, and other marginalized groups have played a
critical role in this struggle (Amott & Matthaei, 1996). The experiences of Black women in the
workplace are further shaped by their historical exploitation and their ongoing efforts to
challenge systems of oppression and fight for greater equality and inclusion.
Black Women’s Intersectional and Contemporary Experiences in the U.S. Workplace
Though there has been progress in several movements in recent decades, Black women
still face significant challenges and barriers in the workplace due to a complex intersection of
factors, including gender, race, sexual orientation, disability status, class, and other social
identities. Kimberle Crenshaw (1989, p. 140) defines Intersectionality as a “metaphor for
understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage sometimes compound
themselves and create obstacles that often are not understood among conventional ways of
thinking.” Hence, it would be a disservice to intersectional Black feminism not to emphasize that
with Black women having several different identities that overlap, we share many of the same
experiences, but there are various ways in which our experiences differ- ways our challenges and
traumas are compounded by multiple layers of oppression. For example, Black LGBTQ+
employees face career limitations, harassment, and are paid less than non-Black employees for
being perceived as LGBTQ+ (Cusick et al., 2022). Class has a significant impact, as Black
women who experience poverty or a low socio-economic status are often expected to work in
low-wage, service-oriented jobs (Amott & Matthaei, 1996). According to Mikki Kendall in Hood

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Feminism (2020), marginalized workers in rural and urban areas are dually subjected to “higher
than normal rates of sexual harassment and assault” while being excluded from leadership roles
and the ability to make decisions about their own experiences. Lastly, young Black women with
disabilities are disproportionately denied access to educational preparation (National Council on
Disability, 2004) and vocational rehabilitation, which reduces their ability to be “employed in
professional, technical, and management positions” (Brown, 1997).
The contemporary experiences of Black women in the U.S. workplace are shaped by the
legacy of historical injustices and systemic oppression, based on factors that separate what is
“normal” and preferred from what is not. Whiteness operates invisibly and unacknowledged,
consistently informing workplace culture and practices, and as Black women reside far from
whiteness, their experience is negatively impacted (Hollander, 2019). Laura Morgan Roberts
(2019) argues that intersectionality is critical to understanding and addressing the challenges
faced by Black women in the workplace. They are often subjected to a type of double, or in some
cases multiple, marginalization in the workplace, as they face discrimination based on systems
such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism. This intersectional experience
makes them more likely to experience workplace harassment, pay inequity, and limited
opportunities for advancement, and making it difficult for Black women to succeed in corporate
America (hooks, 2004).
Black Women as Caretakers
Oddly, while Black women’s supposed lack of femininity, especially as compared to
white women, has been argued as a reason that it is acceptable for Black women to be an integral
part of the U.S. labor market, they have historically and contemporarily been required to fulfill
the role of caretaker as well (Hattery, 2001). Grounded in narratives created to support the

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enslavement of Black people, Black women were required to work regardless of their
positionality in motherhood, including pregnancy (Amott & Matthaei, 1996). The strong Black
woman trope has led many to believe that Black women have the ability to take on significantly
more than other women (Simien, 2020). Black women have been held responsible for caring for
white women’s children and their own families, sometimes including not only their own, but also
other family members’ children as needed, as well as parents or other adults who require care,
and lastly the Black community as a whole. Simien further argues that the “belief that Black
women are tireless, deeply caring, and invulnerable has arguably helped maintain exploitive
hierarchical arrangements at home and in the workplace” (2020, para. 2). Additionally, while
Black women are required to facilitate such labor, they are also framed as unqualified for
mothering and making the right decisions for themselves and their families (Kendall, 2020). It is
a contradictory position Black women navigate that further impacts their ability to excel in any
of the roles they fill, or most importantly, show up for themselves in a fulfilling and affirming
way.
The DEI Practitioner Role
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or DEI practitioners are individuals who, through
knowledge, training, and experience, specialize in developing, executing, and re-evaluating
initiatives that promote DEI, and, in some cases, justice, belonging, and equality. DEI
practitioners work to create environments where all employees feel valued, respected, and
empowered regardless of their background, identity, or characteristics (Rosencrance, 2022).
Their role is crucial for fostering a workplace culture that embraces diversity and ensures fair
treatment for all, but also guiding organizations through recognizing inequality and consequently
operationalizing equity as a tool for eventually achieving equality.

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Though there is much work to be done within organizations to demystify DEI work for
people from executive leaders to individual contributors, there is a general consensus that DEI
work includes:
● creating diversity and inclusion messages;
● crafting and implementing new diversity programs;
● supporting diversity and inclusion strategies;
● promoting collaboration between management and department heads;
● managing employee discrimination and harassment complaints; and
● addressing issues of diversity that underrepresented groups face in the company.
(Rosencrance, 2022)
However, DEI practitioners do much more to enable and maximize success by facilitating
the work that presents a “competitive asset organizations cannot afford to ignore” (Robinson,
2002). DEI is proven to be a driver for accomplishing organizational outcomes, and data backs
the fact that more diverse organizations outperform less diverse peers around profitability
(McKinsey, 2023). Furthermore, “in 2019, top-quartile companies outperformed those in the
fourth one by 36 percent in profitability, slightly up from 33 percent in 2017 and 35 percent in
2014” (2022). DEI practitioners reactively respond to stakeholders' needs and proactively lead
organizations into the future. They are responsible for illuminating opportunities and helping
leaders center their work, from Marketing to Finance, through a DEI lens. They are
simultaneously the conscience and the amplifier, integral to a thriving organization.
Black Women as DEI Practitioners
DEI practitioners often serve as advocates for marginalized groups within their
organizations, which can involve having difficult conversations and confronting uncomfortable

43
truths (Acho, 2021). For Black women, this work can be particularly exhausting, as it requires
them to continuously navigate and challenge the systemic barriers they face in the workplace.
BWDP also face tokenization, where, in some cases, they may be brought in solely to fulfill
stakeholder expectations but are eventually made organizational pariahs when she “starts
addressing the systems or issues that other people in the organization are afraid to discuss”
(Bright, 2021), effectively doing her job without being given the support or resources needed to
make meaningful change. This can create a sense of isolation and frustration as well as a sense
that their contributions are not valued.
Impact of the Workplace on the Lives of Black Women
The workplace can also impact the mental and physical health of Black women.
Experiences of discrimination, harassment, and microaggressions can take a toll on their mental
health and well-being. Moreover, even as Black women have taken on a significant portion of
organizational labor, their careers are also disproportionately impacted (Mays, 1995). Black
women are also generally underpaid, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace (Erskine
et al., 2021). If women generally experience the glass ceiling (Morrison et al., 1987, p. 13),
Black women experience the black or concrete ceiling, which “comprises complex attitudinal
and organizational barriers that constrain Afro-Diasporic women from rising to senior
leadership” (Erskine et al., 2021). McGirt (2017) suggests that Black women are “double
outsiders” in that they are neither white nor men, which prevents them from accessing the
informal networks that allow all individuals within those in groups to gain access to preferred
opportunities, including jobs, mentors, and career shifting networking spaces. According to Bell
and Nkomo (2001), a similar phenomenon, the concrete wall, manifests for Black women in the
following six ways:

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1. Enduring daily doses of racism;
2. Being held to a higher standard than their white colleagues;
3. Being caught simultaneously between a visibility/invisibility vise;
4. Being excluded from informal networks;
5. Having their authority challenged simply because of their race; and
6. Being subjected to hollow company commitments to their advancement or improved
diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Moreover, Black women are more likely than others to experience workplace stress and burnout,
which can lead to physical health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and
diabetes (Tipre & Carson, 2022). The lack of commitment to DEI initiatives in the workplace
can have significant psychological impacts on Black women. According to Nadal, Erazo, and
King (2020), the psychological impact of microaggressions is often underestimated, and these
experiences can have a drastic and traumatic impact on Black women's mental health. Ponce de
Leon and Rosette (2022) found that “Black women’s gender and racial discrimination claims
[are] believed less than those made by white women and Black men.” Their experiences are
often questioned or minimized (Carter et al., 2022). However, research shows that because of
Black women’s socio-political position, when they experience trauma, there are not many
resources to aid in their coping and perseverance (Carter et al., 2022; Hall et al., 2012; Holder et
al., 2015).
Black women's workplace experiences can significantly impact their physical and mental
health, as they are often scrutinized and highly regulated based on their race and gender. As a
result, they experience higher levels of work-related stress than other groups, which can be
attributed to numerous factors, including discrimination, job demands, and lack of support

45
(Mays, 1995). They further note that Black women are also underpaid, undercelebrated, and
underutilized as leaders. Moreover, Black women have historically made up more of the
workforce than white women and other women of color, yet they are paid 13 percent less (Lean
In, 2023). They also populate a higher rate of sub-minimum wage jobs (Banks, 2019). This
disparity in pay can significantly impact Black women's financial stability and overall wellbeing.
Experiences of Black Women as DEI Officers
Although there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of DEI initiatives in the
workplace, there is still a lack of commitment from organizations to fully integrate these
initiatives into their operations (Kluch et al., 2023). This lack of commitment is particularly
evident in the experiences of Black women DEI practitioners, who often carry an “invisible
burden” of emotional labor (Hooks, 2021). This emotional labor includes managing the
emotional reactions and resistance of others to issues of diversity and inclusion, which can, in
ways, feel like both a personal and professional attack. This can be particularly challenging when
working in predominantly white or male-dominated spaces, where Black women, and their
knowledge, may also be dismissed or devalued. Hooks (2021) argues that Black women's
expertise in DEI is often overlooked or underutilized, despite their unique perspective and skill
set, which can be an asset in DEI work. Instead, Black women are often relegated to lower-level
roles or completely excluded from decision-making processes (Erskine et al., 2021). This is a
missed opportunity for organizations to benefit from the insights and leadership of Black women
in advancing DEI initiatives and improving organizational effectiveness.
Regardless of the level of organizational acceptance, Black women have been at the
forefront of resistance and movements, historically and in the present day, even before it was

46
framed as DEI (Hartman, 2019). From leading union strikes to fighting for workplace equity,
Black women have been instrumental in shaping the conversation around DEI in the workplace
(Green, 2020). Their contributions and leadership have paved the way for many of the DEI
initiatives we see today. They have also created a more inclusive work environment for Black
women and all other minoritized groups. Nevertheless, DEI practitioners still face several
challenges in their work, including limited resources, lack of support and buy-in from senior
leadership, resistance to change, and limited influence over decision-making processes (Kluch et
al., 2023). These challenges, combined with the unique emotional labor that BWDP must
navigate, make it difficult to fully integrate DEI initiatives into the workplace. Diangelo (2011)
argues that white fragility protects those who identify as white or have proximity to whiteness
from having to deal with racial discomfort. Additionally, in many work environments, it is
professionally unsafe for Black women to show their frustration or discontent (Kilgore et al.,
2020; Rabelo et al., 2021). Therefore, Black women in the workplace are required to quietly
navigate the distress of their oppression, while holding space to support their oppressor (Geyton
et al., 2022).
Reasons for Organizational Resistance to DEI
Whiteness and white supremacy continue to profoundly impact the workplace,
perpetuating racial inequalities and systemic disadvantages for people of color, including Black
women. As Dobbin and Kalev (2016) note, whiteness operates as a cultural norm through
hegemony, offering a source of power in the workplace for those with proximity to whiteness.
This power dynamic perpetuates racial inequality and creates barriers for people of color to
advance in their careers. Unfortunately, efforts to shift this dynamic are often met with
resistance, making it difficult to make progress toward DEI goals.

47
One of the key challenges in advancing DEI in the workplace is that organizational
cultures often position themselves to respond to ardent calls for racial justice through perfunctory
statements rather than interrogating their complicity in the systems and structures that create
injustices (Mccoy-Simmon et al., 2022). This approach is insufficient in addressing systemic
inequalities and undermines progress toward racial justice in the workplace.
Whiteness and white supremacy
Afro-pessimism provides a lens through which we can analyze leaders’ resistance to DEI
efforts in the workplace. Wilderson III, (2010) argues that, due to the inherent anti-Blackness in
Western society, Black people will always be excluded and oppressed in white-dominated
workplaces. As a result, the efforts to improve DEI in the workplace can be seen as futile, as they
are ultimately unable to change the fundamental structures that perpetuate anti-Blackness.
Leaders' resistance to DEI initiatives can also take the form of white fragility (DiAngelo,
2018) as discomfort with discussing the impact of oppressive systems manifests in attempts to
minimize the impact of systemic racism. However, deeply entrenched power and white privilege
continue to perpetuate racial inequalities in the workplace, and efforts to address this dynamic
are often met with resistance. This is not only because of fear and discomfort to participate in the
discussion, as some white people are more afraid of what could happen if minoritized
communities are freed from systemic oppression. According to Riley and Peterson (2020) Racial
Resentment is a form of racism that derives from the belief that Black people violate American
work ethics and is predicated on the idea that Black people’s social and political status is a result
of Black people being lazy and not systemic issues. Some non-Black leaders are therefore less
than interested in investing any organizational energy or resources to improve this situation.
Furthermore, in the last few years, since the racial reckoning (Chang et al., 2020) and the

48
increase in prominence in the public consciousness for DEI, leaders are more aware of how
damaging the perception of anti-Blackness and racial resentment are. However, what seems to be
a more overwhelming concern is the understanding that “things not going to be the way they
were in the past, but the things that (they) value highly are not going to be valued highly
anymore” (Lempinen, 2022). In this situation, they are motivated to veil these sentiments under
the guise of corporate culture and the aim to focus on mission or “business critical” matters. This
shows up in some leaders’ argument that DEI is unnecessary because it is the outcome of a
liberal agenda that is irrelevant to matters important to investors (Scott et al., 2022). It also
appears in leaders espousing values, which attract mission driven employees (Hussain et al.,
2023), but in some cases, they have no intention of aligning with.
2020 as a Turning Point
This section includes an overview of the events of 2020 that created a turning point for
DEI work. This overview is meant to better contextualize what was happening during that year
and offer deeper understanding of how BWDP have been impacted. The section begins with an
abbreviated timeline with the significant and related moments of the Covid-19 virus in the
United States; an explanation of how Black women were impacted by the Covid 19 virus; an
overview of the racial reckoning of 2020; and the experiences of DEI officers since 2020.
2020 Covid-19 Timeline
The complete timeline is provided in Appendix 1
December 31, 2019
The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in China is informed of several
cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (cause) with symptoms including shortness of
breath and fever occurring in Wuhan, China.

49
March 11, 2020
After more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths, the WHO declares
COVID-19 a pandemic.
March 13, 2020 The Trump Administration declares a nationwide emergency and issues
an additional travel ban on non-U.S. citizens traveling from 26 European countries due to
COVID-19.
March 15, 2020
States begin to implement shutdowns in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The
New York City public school system— the largest school system in the U.S., with 1.1
million students— shuts down, while Ohio calls for restaurants and bars to close.
May 9, 2020
The unemployment rate in the U.S. is 14.7%— the highest since the Great Depression.
With 20.5 million people out of work, the hospitality, leisure, and healthcare industries
take the greatest hits overall, affecting essential workers, people with lower incomes, and
racial and ethnic minority workers disproportionally.
June 24, 2020
Three weeks after Black Lives Matter protests broke out across the country in the wake
of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor
July 14, 2020
Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
have the greatest percentage of adults who are currently uninsured and the highest
numbers of new COVID-19 cases.
September 28, 2020

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The reported death toll from COVID-19 reaches more than 1 million worldwide— in just
10 months.
October 6, 2020
Food insecurity in the U.S. reaches 52 million people due to the COVID-19 pandemic—
17 million more people than pre-pandemic numbers.
November 11, 2020
The journal Nature releases a study showing that most COVID-19 cases originate at
indoor gathering spaces— places of worship, restaurants, gyms, and grocery stores. Areas
of lower socioeconomic status were found to be at much greater risk: many residents are
essential workers or cannot work from home and public spaces in these areas tend to be
scarcer and more densely populated.
December 27, 2020
The Trump Administration signs the second COVID Relief Act into law.
December 29, 2020
The first case of the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 / “Alpha” variant is detected in the U.S. by the
Colorado Department of Health. (CDC, 2023) (Additional detail in appendix)
The Impact of the Pandemic on Black Women
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Black women in several
different ways. Black women are at increased risk of contracting the virus due to a combination
of factors, including overrepresentation in frontline jobs, living in multi-generational households,
and having higher rates of pre-existing health conditions (Wilder, 2020). Black people have
higher morbidity and mortality rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups, but as Black

51
women have long been impacted by systemic racism and marginalization, they are more
vulnerable and susceptible to specific adverse health outcomes (Chandler et al., 2020).
According to Simien (2020), “Black women are especially vulnerable to chronic
psychological stress, a result of suppressing pain and anger while striving to put others at ease
and counteract negative stereotypes of themselves as lazy.” In 2022, the National Women’s Law
Center (NWLC) released a report on Black Women in the Covid-19 pandemic, which found:
Over half of Black women (51%) shared that the pandemic has negatively impacted their
mental health. Nearly half of Black women (48%) cite bills and expenses as one of their
top two sources of stress, followed by their personal health (35%), their family’s health
(17%), and their job (17%). Of the Black women who report experiencing negative
mental health outcomes, nearly three in four (73%) did not seek treatment from a mental
health professional. Among those who did not seek treatment, more than half (53%)
report they could handle their mental health concerns themselves or did not need
treatment— which may be driven by in part by the discrimination that Black women have
faced in the healthcare system, including the tendency for their concerns not to be taken
seriously by health care professionals (p. 6).
In addition to the health and mental health impacts, the pandemic has also exacerbated the
economic inequalities Black women face. The report found that Black women experienced
higher rates of unemployment and job loss during the pandemic compared to other racial and
ethnic groups and were more likely to have to leave their jobs to care for children or family
members (p. 4).

52
Racial Reckoning
While there were many articles written about the racial reckoning in 2020, NPR’s series
offers a snapshot that captures the tension of that period of time through a 3-part podcast. The
article offers an outline of the three high profile murders of Black people by police and vigilantes
in the United States in early 2020, but also helps to contextualize how things got to that point and
what could be done going forward.
George Floyd
It was Memorial Day, May 25th, 2020. The coronavirus had locked down the country for
weeks. Tens of thousands had died. Millions were out of work. And in Minneapolis, a 46-
year-old Black man named George Floyd went to buy a pack of cigarettes. Floyd's stop
ended with a police officer's knee dug into his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd
begged for his life, called for his mother and repeatedly told the police, “I can't breathe.”
His cries went unanswered and he died in police custody (Tiefenthäler et al.; Chang et al,
2020)
Breonna Taylor
A few weeks earlier, a 26-year-old Black woman named Breonna Taylor was working
grueling shifts as an EMT in Louisville, Ky. as fears and cases of the coronavirus were
spreading. On March 13th, Taylor went to sleep in her home. Late in the night, police
burst into her apartment serving a no-knock warrant. Lawyers said the couple thought
someone was breaking in to rob them, so her boyfriend shot at the police. They fired
back, hitting Taylor eight times and killing her (Chang et al, 2020).

53
Ahmaud Arbery
Less than three weeks before Taylor's death, a 25-year-old Black man named Ahmaud
Arbery laced up his sneakers and went for a run in his Brunswick, Ga. neighborhood. He
was a high school football star and dreamed of becoming an electrician. Two white men,
who said they thought he was a burglar, started to chase Arbery in a pick-up truck.
Another white man followed and filmed the incident. When the video later surfaced, it
showed a struggle outside the truck, then one man shooting Arbery dead in the middle of
the suburban neighborhood. It would be three more months, after the video leaked, until
the men were arrested and charged (Chang et al, 2020).
These events were the catalyst to drive the conversation about race, racism, and systemic
anti-Blackness not only in the US, but the world. Between 2015 and 2021, unarmed Black people
were murdered by the police, with at least seventy-five percent identifying as white (Thompson,
2021). It is important to emphasize why 2020 was such a significant moment in an endless cycle
of racially centered, state-sanctioned violence.
The murder of George Floyd was reacted to differently than previous murders of Black
people by police because it was captured on video and the footage went viral, sparking
widespread protests and calls for police reform. The timing of these events brought to the
forefront the systemic issues of police brutality and racial injustice that have plagued the United
States for decades in a way that the United States and the world could no longer ignore. Research
has shown that the use of videos in documenting police brutality has a significant impact on the
public's perception and response to these incidents. A study conducted by the Pew Research
Center in 2020 (see figure 1) found that eighty-two percent of Black and Hispanic, seventy-seven

54
percent of Asian, and seventy-six percent of white people say that social media platforms raise
awareness about political and social issues (Auxier, 2020).
Figure 1
Pew Research on Black Social Media Users
Note: Infographic depicting perception of social media usage. From Auxier, B. (2020, December
14). Social media continue to be important political outlets for Black Americans. Pew Research
Center. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.pewresearch.org/shortreads/2020/12/11/social-media-continue-to-be-important-political-outlets-for-black-americans/

55
The video shows Floyd lying on the ground, handcuffed, and pleading for his life, while a
white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneels on his neck for over eight minutes (Hill et al., 2020).
The video footage of Floyd's killing was a stark and powerful visual representation of the
brutality and racism that Black people have faced for centuries. However, the conditions had
changed in that the world was shut down and was forced to grapple with what had happened. The
murder of George Floyd took place against the backdrop of a global pandemic that
disproportionately impacted Black communities (Toure et al., 2021). The pandemic laid bare the
deep racial disparities in access to healthcare, employment, and housing (NWLC, 2022). The
murder of Floyd was seen as the culmination of systemic racism and violence against Black
people in America, and something that needed to be addressed immediately.
DEI Practitioners in since 2020
2020 was a bizarre year for BWDP. Unprecedented and significantly impactful events,
including Covid-19 and the BLM movement, happened concurrently creating a pressing need for
organizations to support minoritized employees in ways that organizations were not prepared for.
Many felt excited and hopeful when organizations started to show commitment to DEI.
According to a report by Pulse (2023), after June 8, 2020, 8 days after George Floyd was
murdered, the percentage of DEI-related job openings rose by 55 percent. What’s more
compelling is that the increase happened after the same type of roles decreased by 60 percent at
the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March. Pulse interviewed 38 DEI practitioners to gauge
what the period of time following the racial reckoning in 2020 was like for them in their roles,
and they shared organizations were focused on becoming anti-racist, understood the DEI was not
just gender, but required an intersectional approach; and for the first time, DEI initiatives were
both funded and protected (Pulse, 2023). However, what now that 2020 was a difficult year for

56
Black women, and it was exacerbated for Black women who also facilitate DEI work (Simien,
2020).
While many commitments were made, most organizations never truly moved past the
stage of promises, pledges, and perfunctory statements. Much of the labor during this time rested
on DEI practitioners (Carter et al., 2022). For Black women in these roles their workload
increased exponentially, they were required to be “on” at all times, and they had to support
employees through emotionally distressing situations that were also personally triggering, though
they often had no outlet of their own (2022). When asked about their experiences during this
time, Black women were quoted saying “I was exhausted, and there was no break at all” and that
there were emotions of “anger, frustration, heartache, distrust, perseverance, resilience, a
willingness to keep fighting” (Carter et al., 2022). To add insult to injury, Black women were
also not offered the coaching and developmental opportunities that white employees were (Byrd
and Stanley, 2009). Their positionality and expertise increased their exploitation and exclusion
(Byrd, 2009). They found that it was necessary for them to cope by armoring themselves
(Greene, 1994) to make it through such an emotionally turbulent time. Overall, while the field of
DEI work grew in prominence and organizational importance, it was on the backs of Black
women.
Two and three years later, the turn of events has started to illuminate the lasting impact of
2020. According to a recent study, one out of four Black employees experienced workplace
discrimination in 2021, and three out of four Black women believed their discrimination
involved their race – not just their gender (Lloyd, 2022). As organizations experienced financial
woes, “one of the first things companies cut is HR, and within HR, unfortunately, for many
businesses, DE&I is still considered nonessential,” (Maurer, 2022). Many organizations still

57
depend on their senior leaders to come from the ‘good ole boys club’ (Gonzales, 2023), and DEI
leaders, hired in the wake of 2020, are being phased out (Bunn, 2023). For the DEI leaders who
remain, Figure 2 shows that “Black employees represent only 3.8% of chief diversity officers
overall, with white people making up 76.1% of the roles. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity make up
7.8% and Asian ethnicity make up 7.7%” (Bunn, 2023).
Figure 2
Chief Diversity Officer Demographics and Statistics in the US
Note: Infographic capturing the total percentage of Black diversity officers. From Zippia (2022,
September 9). Chief Diversity Officer Demographics and Statistics in the US. Retrieved February
8, 2023, from https://www.zippia.com/chief-diversity-officer-jobs/demographics/
Many DEI practitioners are starting to wonder if the work that they have passionately invested in
is becoming a dead-end job. It is painfully clear that “corporations are saying one thing and
demonstrating something else. It’s going back to checking the box versus hiring and keeping
qualified workers who can impact change in the company” which is never a good sign (Bunn,
2023).
Conceptual Framework
Studying organizational resistance to DEI initiatives through the lens of Black women
practitioners requires that we use theoretical frameworks that not only aid in demarginalizing the
voices of Black women but offer perspectives for understanding the problem in a realistic and

58
generative manner. The primary outcome of this study is to improve the experiences of Black
women DEI practitioners; however, the secondary outcome is that the knowledge and truth Black
women offer through this study will illuminate the dire concerns for DEI and allow for
organizational leaders to use that information to change their practices. Two different theoretical
frameworks inform this study, Black feminist thought and Afro-pessimism theory, and together,
they form a conceptual framework that guides the direction of my research. The conceptual
framework is that Black women DEI practitioners, who because of the layered oppression they
experience and their positionality within organizations, have an unrivaled position or standpoint
which informs their epistemology about the world and therefore the workplace. Participants of
this study will have an opportunity to exercise their activism and resistance to these pervasive
systems and structures, as well as their oppression by activating their voice, and transparently
chronicling what is occurring within organizations. However, it is expected that as BWDP
engage in this process, they will have the opportunity to deliberate about whether this work is in
their best interest.
Black Feminist Theory
While Black feminist theory offers many tenets for understanding Black women's
experiences, three central tenets guide this work: Oppression, Standpoint Epistemology, and
Activism and Resistance.
Compound Oppression
Black feminist theory critiques how systemic oppression and institutionalized
discrimination shape the experiences of Black women. It highlights how Black women
experience a unique form of oppression shaped by the intersections of their multiple identities. It
also relates to and offers a framework for better understanding the experiences of other

59
marginalized groups (Collins, 1990). Intersectionality, which helps us to understand the
inequities Black women have experienced, especially as it relates to the United States,
acknowledges that different forms of compound oppression and privilege, such as race, gender,
class, sexuality, and others, intersect and interact in complex ways to shape the experiences of
individuals and communities (Crenshaw, 1989). The saliently unifying characteristics,
intellectual community, and unbridled power of Black women present an authentic view of the
U.S. workplace, and potential solutions for minimizing the catastrophic impact white supremacy
has had for over four centuries (Collins, 1990).
Black Feminist Standpoint Epistemology (BFSE)
BFSE captures the idea that with knowledge being shaped by one's social position and
experiences, marginalized groups, and Black women specifically, have a unique perspective of
the world that is valuable and crucial for examining any oppressive system (Collins, 1990;
hooks, 1989). Moreover, Black feminist thought asserts that Black women’s standpoint, shaped
by their experiences of oppression and resistance, can contribute to a more inclusive and
equitable understanding of reality (Collins, 1990).
This study seeks to validate that though BWDP reside in the space of deep
marginalization concerning their identity- because often “elite white men control Western
structures of knowledge validation” (Collins, 1990), Black women DEI practitioners, in this
situation, also have epistemological privilege; we are concurrently subjugated within
organizations, and also organizational leaders charged to improve the experience of those
experiencing subjugation. Black women choosing to tell their story from their lens, as the main
actors and authority, help to center these experiences as valid and integral to understanding
organizational phenomena. And this is no new practice for Black women. Harriet Jacobs, a Black

60
woman who was enslaved in the American South in the early 1800s, eventually won her freedom
and poured energy into her role as a documentarian, telling her own stories and demarginalizing
other enslaved Black women like her. In her story Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861),
Jacobs wrote:
I have not written my experiences in order to attract attention to myself; on the contrary,
it would have been more pleasant to me to have been silent about my own history.
Neither do I care to excite sympathy for my own sufferings. But I do earnestly desire to
arouse women of the North to a realizing sense of the condition of two millions of
women at the South, still in bondage, suffering what I suffered, and most of them far
worse. I want to add my testimony to that of abler pens to convince the people of the Free
States what Slavery really is. Only by experience can anyone realize how deep, and dark,
and foul is that pit of abominations. May the blessing of God rest on this imperfect effort
on behalf of my persecuted people! (pp. 1–2)
In understanding the contemporarily fraught status of DEI, and the crucial need for it within
organizations, it is important to elevate the voices of those who can illuminate the issues others
cannot or choose not to see because of their privilege and distance from the problem.
Furthermore, utilizing BFSE, this study provides the edification for Black women to focus on
their experience and decide their next steps for themselves.
Activism and Resistance
Black feminist theory emphasizes the role of activism and resistance in challenging and
transforming oppressive systems and structures. It highlights the ways in which Black women
have been at the forefront of social justice movements and the importance of their activism and
resistance in creating change. This study, however, will offer a different type of resistance- a

61
“political articulation” as bell hooks calls out in Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical
Openness (1989). She details how she and “comrade” Eddie George, spoke about how oppressed
people struggled to find their voice:
He made the very “down” comment that “ours is a broken voice.” My response was
simply that when you hear the broken voice you also hear the pain contained within that
brokenness – a speech of suffering; often it’s that sound nobody wants to hear
(hooks, 1989).
Understanding that these predominantly white or non-Black spaces often require a level of
silence or acquiescence that can be suffocating for someone who is responsible for speaking up
and calling things that many cannot perceive to attention (Holder et al., 2015). Yet, since this
part of the DEI practitioner role is unsafe for many Black women, finding other spaces for honest
expression and resistance, such as what Bayard Rustin (1942) framed as speaking truth to power,
can be both generative and affirming. It also provides an uncommon opportunity for processing,
solutions generation, and community building, which helps increase the effectiveness of DEI
practitioner work.
Afro-Pessimism Theory
While DEI practitioners are generally optimistic and hopeful about the eventual
eradication of systems and structures that uphold the oppression of minoritized groups, such as
white supremacy, there is a point when many BWDP are forced to grapple with the reality of the
status of organizational DEI. One of the arguments of Afro-pessimism is that efforts focused on
justice, equality, or any semblance of fairness for Black people under the current systems are
unrealistic and a waste of Black people’s time because the systems are fundamentally anti-Black
at their core (Wilderson III, 2010). Even after the events of 2020 when corporate websites were

62
littered with declarations that Black Lives Matter, wealthy non-Black people made donations in
the millions to show their support and assuage newly developed guilt, and DEI initiatives were
well-funded at many organizations across the country (Pulse, 2023), there have been such a
backlash and backslide that DEI, as a field and function, could arguably be worse off than it was
three years ago. The situation went from chief diversity and inclusion officer roles increasing by
168.9% from 2019 to 2022 (Anders, 2023) to organizations “getting rid of chief diversity
officers; significantly reducing DEI budgets and staff; and pivoting to raceless, all-lives-matterstyle workplace culture initiatives” (Harper, 2023). Considering this present reality, it is no
wonder that we, Black women DEI practitioners, are if not ever before starting to wonder if the
work of DEI is ours; meaning that we understand that we may be organizations’ best hope for
achieving progress in this area, but against such ardent odds, is it in our best interest to persist?
Through Afro-Pessimism, we have a tool that helps us consider the alternative- what happens if
we choose not to engage? What if we choose a future for ourselves that is free from convincing
people of our humanity and that we matter? While this may not be the ultimate focus of the
study, this theory honors the purpose of helping BWDP find an option for relief, and a way to
resist oppressive systems and structures, without paying such a high personal cost. It is my belief
that we owe it to ourselves, our families and communities, and young Black girls and women to
at least consider it.

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Figure 3
Conceptual Framework
Black Feminist Theory
Conceptual Framework Visual Representation
Conclusion
BWDP are deeply impacted by organizations’ lack of commitment to DEI initiatives in
the workplace. As the individuals responsible for DEI work, and one of the groups most saliently
dependent on its success, Black women in DEI roles are positioned to experience several types of
trauma. This contemporary situation was fostered by white supremacy and centuries of
exploitation and abuse, which started with the enslavement of Africans in America, but has

64
morphed and continued to live on through today. According to research, Black women are some
of the organizations’ best hope in solving these issues, but Black women must be affirmed,
empowered, and placed in positions of real authority for this to happen. However, the scope of
the work, by nature, will always be arduous, especially for Black women. All of this considered,
Black women must determine how to move forward from this place; to engage with
organizations to find a more conducive and affirming method of navigating this work, or
possibly to completely disengage from these organizations and find another method for working
towards liberation.

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Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of BWDP, especially as it
related to what they personally experienced and surveyed as the individuals responsible for
leading DEI efforts for at least the last three years within an organization in the United States. It
is expected that by hearing these stories, organizational leaders may be able to better
contextualize what is contemporarily occurring with DEI within organizations, and shift
practices to enable better organizational outcomes. Research questions are reiterated in this
chapter to help ground how they correlate to the research practice, as well as an overview of the
design, collection methods, and necessary ethical considerations.
Research Questions
To better understand the experiences of Black women DEI practitioners, the following research
questions were examined:
1. What are the experiences of Black women who lead DEI work in the U.S.
workplace post-2020?
2. What strategies and interventions effectively support Black women who lead DEI
work?
3. How can Black women develop a healthy framework for facilitating DEI work?
Overview of Design
This qualitative research study employed narrative interviews in the interviewing of
participants. According to Creswell and Creswell (2018), narrative interviews provide people
with an opportunity to tell their story about their own experiences and allows the researcher to
engage in meaning making processes with the collected data. It was an intentional
methodological choice to use qualitative research for this study, in that it granted the participants

66
a safe space for telling and processing their stories by providing pseudonyms to protect both the
participants and their organizations. This study illuminated the rampant nature of this
organizational issue, rather than attribute these occurrences to any particular organization or
field.
Table 1
Data Sources
Research Questions Method 1
RQ1: What are the experiences of Black women
who lead DEI work in the U.S. workplace post2020?
X
RQ2: What strategies and interventions effectively
support Black women who lead DEI work? X
RQ3: How can Black women develop a healthy
framework for facilitating DEI work? X
Research Setting
For this research study, I held narrative interviews which occured predominantly over
Zoom to accommodate participants who lived and worked throughout the world. The
phenomenological study engaged 12 participants who self-identified as Black women and were
responsible for leading DEI efforts at organizations in the United States. While there was some
structure to the interview, as there was a set of interview questions aimed at addressing the
research questions, this study left space for where the participants’ narratives took the
conversation. Acknowledging that there are very few spaces where conversations such as these
are sanctioned, it was important that the participants felt that they were welcome to tell their
stories in the ways they wanted them to be told.

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The participants were chosen because of the historical significance of their experiences
within the U.S. workplace (Collins, 1990; Hurston, 1969), but also because of the manner and
frequency with which the media have covered this specific group in relation to this specific topic
(Davis, 2023; Sloan, 2023). There was a clear association and relevance to support this decision.
Black women generally, but especially in DEI roles, experience gaslighting, where while they
are hired to lead DEI and eradicate the systems and structures that make the workplace
unconducive for minoritized people, but they are often told that the things they highlight are not
as bad, or are not happening at all (Orbe-Austin, 2023); they are often silenced and rendered
insignificant (Holder et al., 2015). Engaging Black women who led DEI work offered an
opportunity for an affirming gut check that what we know was happening, based on our
knowledge and experience, was actually happening- not only to us personally but in
organizations all over the country. Organizational leaders taking heed to the narratives offered
through this work was not my ambition nor expectation, though I am aware that it could be an
unintended outcome that will eventually allow organizations to push through resistance towards
success.
The Researcher
I am a Black and have been socialized as a liberal American. I am a cisgender woman,
who has always deeply connected to my femininity, and am heterosexual. My different identities
converge to make me someone who experiences multiple layers of oppression and am highly
marginalized, but because of my education and career, am also someone who is also highly
privileged. As a first-generation student, I have completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees,
and am currently pursuing my doctoral degree. After completion I will represent the
approximately three percent of Black women who have been blessed to overcome the barriers to

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this point. I have been involved in DEI work for over 15 years, and currently serve as the head
of DEI for a small, but significant organization. Through my research, I aimed to advocate for
minoritized employees like me and to keep that at the forefront of my intentions. I was driven to
do this work and knew that it was timely and important because of my own experiences leading
DEI over the years. This close proximity to the work, however, created a potential for bias in my
research.
Considering my positionality, I needed to remain focused on being an objective
researcher. This was already an emotionally charged topic for me and the personal stakes were
high, as I admit that I aimed to uncover solutions to support my own retention in this work. I
used reflexivity to contemplate my role in the research to help ensure that my research had the
best opportunity to have intended impact (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). This required that I
remain mindful of my role as a researcher and provide my participants with an objective
opportunity to respond to questions genuinely.
Data Sources
The primary method for collecting data was a qualitative research approach in the form of
narrative interviews, as they supported participants freely and transparently telling their stories,
but also left space in the conversation for spontaneity (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). This method
created space for me to ask the open-ended questions of the participants and allowed for agility
in the interview based on their responses. I expected that there would be alignment across many
of the narratives, but in honoring that Blackness is not a monolith, I knew there would be
divergent experiences, based on overlapping identities, and differences in the circumstances,
organizations, and levels that the participants work within (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).

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The other, less prominent method was document and artifact review, which aided in
making the data more dynamic (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). With the study being focused on a
contemporary, popular, yet under researched topic, artifact review helped provide additional
details and observations that the participants might have been missing because they were in the
proverbial eye of the storm. These documents and artifacts were empirical data in the form of
applicable news articles, social media posts, and organizational research and reports used to
validate findings and help contextualize the socio-political climate study participants were living
working through as they were participating in my study.
Narrative Interviews
Narrative interviews were incredibly important for this research project. Black feminist
scholars purport that narrative interviews are an important tool for elevating the voices of Black
women and other marginalized groups. It allows for us to see how intersectionality informs the
way we navigate our day to day lives (Crenshaw, 1989), and is a way that we assert resistance
and survival by challenging dominant narratives (Collins, 1990; hooks, 1989). To be identified as
a participant, they were required to share their race, gender identity, education level, title, and
how long they had been facilitating DEI work. Participants learned about the focus of the study
during recruitment but were provided with additional context before their interviews to help
them prepare to not only tell their story, but to emotionally and mentally relive it. The interview
took the participants through a list of questions which were used to guide the conversation, not
restrict it.
Document and Artifact Review
While it may not be framed in the same way, organizational resistance to DEI and its
impact on the Black women who facilitate the work was a hot topic in the news in 2023. Several

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popular sources covered the topic (Davis, 2023; Sloan, 2023), and there were many articles from
DEI leaders addressing this issue. Additionally, there was recent legislation passed from lower
courts all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court addressing DEI and similar areas of focus like
critical race theory and diversity work. An examination of these data provided more
understanding of the situation and helped offer potential solutions for how to move forward
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Participants
Purposive sampling was used for this research project, as it allowed me to identify and
select participants that met the specific criteria and could provide narratives to aid me in
answering the research questions (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). There were 12 participants in the
study, and each of them self-identified as a Black woman and was responsible for DEI within an
organization in the United States. While there were countless Black women who support DEI in
some way, there is a difference in experience when someone is responsible for it; colleagues
engage with that person differently, and that person is not able to just step away when
circumstances become overwhelming. Many people met the criteria, but the group was a very
small subset of the general population. Because of this, I employed three different types of
purposive sampling- Convenience, Snowball, and Expert Sampling (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Convenience sampling was useful in addressing the specificity of the pool, as I had been working
in DEI for many years and had access to many other Black women who had as well. My own
professional network yielded participants. Once I had people in my network identified, I utilized
snowball sampling to encourage them to refer people in their professional networks as well. The
last type of sampling, which I thought would be a stretch, but was fruitful, was Expert Sampling.

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Instrumentation
I conducted semi-structured, narrative interviews, which provided the participants with
an opportunity to tell their stories (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). There were 17 questions, and
additional probing questions, depending on how the participants responded. I also allowed for
the conversation to flow in unexpected directions if the participants’ narratives dictated. The
interview protocol, displayed in Appendix A, includes the interview introduction, request for
verbal consent to participate and for me to record. The interview questions guided the
participants through sharing their stories about their experiences as DEI Officers, but also as
Black women navigating these roles and their lives. The themes that were addressed included,
but are not limited to oppression and oppressive systems, Black feminist standpoint
epistemology or their position as authority on this topic, and resistance.
Data Collection Procedures
I used Zoom for data collection and utilized the record feature to document the
interviews. After interview completion, I used a transcription service to support the subsequent
evaluation of the data and coding process. While I set the expectation that the interviews would
take an hour, I added an additional hour on the back end to accommodate if a participant was
running late, or if the conversation went longer than planned. The additional time on the back
end also allowed time to ensure the data was collected successfully, record findings, and make
any immediate notes regarding the interview.
Data Analysis
Narrative Interviews
My primary method of data collection was narrative interviews, as I could navigate data
collection in a semi-structured manner, while creating a safe space for each participant to tell

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their story in the most authentic way for them (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). I started analyzing the
data by reviewing the transcripts for familiarization. This practice helped me become more
familiar with the themes that arose through the conversations with the participants. This process
also helped the next step, which was coding. Coding was a process I used to disaggregate the
data based on themes. It helped to make sense of the interview data (DeCuir-Gunby et al., 2011).
I also used contextualization to analyze the socio-cultural and historical contexts that may
influence participants' stories and perspectives. Acknowledging the diversity of Black women
requires that we leave room for the reality of alignment and differences between stories.
Amongst many different factors, socio-economic status growing up, geographical differences,
and other salient identities could create a vast difference in how people show up and are treated
in the workplace. Contextualization created space to examine this and how these differences
shifted the outcome of the narratives.
Document and Artifact Review
The secondary research method was document and artifact review. The first step in this
process was preparation of the documents. This included organizing them in preparation for the
next step which was coding. Data coding was important because these documents and artifacts
were used to add context and more understanding of the narrative interviews. I used the codes
from the data analysis of the interviews to see where the documents and artifacts aligned and was
then able to offer deeper understanding. This process also created triangulation and helped to
further validate my analysis.
Trustworthiness and Credibility
Validity and reliability are crucial in qualitative research as they are clear indicators of
the quality and trustworthiness of research findings (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Validity is a

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measurement of how aligned your research outcomes are with what was supposed to be
researched. I used multiple data sources, in the form of narrative interviews and artifact review to
ensure validity. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016) member checking helps the researcher
to ensure that findings are in alignment with participants’ perception and recollection of their
own story. Because demarginalizing Black women is one of the main focuses of this project, it
was important to be diligent in this process. I shared the de-identified data with the participants
for feedback which was incredibly helpful because some participants affirmed what I captured,
but also provided additional context to help me better understand their perspective. Participants
also expressed appreciation for my intentionality of including them in the process. Reliability is
important because it measures how consistent the research outcomes are (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). In other words, will the same results happen when the same methods are applied. To
ensure reliability, I used prolonged engagement and audit trails, spending sufficient time with
participants, and being diligent and thorough in my note taking process. These methods aligned
well with narrative interviews which allowed for participants to take their time telling their
stories and honored the need for flexibility in the semi-structured interview process.
Ethics
Understanding the personal stakes for Black women in DEI roles, I treated my
engagement with them, their interviews, and data with the highest level of care. Though they
were voluntary participants, I asked them to re-consent to engage in the interview before we
started and did not proceed without expressed permission. I maintained confidentiality about
participants’ identities and all findings from the interviews, and I secured the storage of related
data, using password protection and encryption to prevent data breaches (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016).

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Chapter Four: Findings
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black Women DEI
Practitioners (BWDP), especially as they relate to what they have personally experienced and
surveyed as the individuals responsible for leading DEI efforts for at least the last three years
within an organization in the United States. This chapter is organized by first introducing the
participants and then presenting the significant findings of the study, as they relate to the three
research questions. The chapter ends with a brief summary.
Participants
The participants of this study (see Table 2) are a dynamic cohort of 12 Black women DEI
practitioners dispersed across the United States, representing a rich spectrum of expertise and
experience in their field. Each participant represented a unique educational background, ranging
from psychology and social work to marketing and international business, with a shared
commonality of advanced degrees and professional certifications that underscore their
commitment to DEI work. Irrespective of how long they have been leading DEI as their formal
roles – some with only a year or two in designated positions — all participants articulated a
career-long commitment to advocacy and DEI engagement, even before there was language to
capture the spirit of the work. Additionally, each of them indicated a prioritization of DEI tenets
in the work they did in the years prior to leading DEI. This assertion underscores a point made in
chapter two that Black women have been at the forefront of resistance and movements,
historically and in the present day, even before it was framed as DEI (Hartman, 2019). This also
suggests that their professional endeavors are deeply connected to their personal journeys and
identities. Collectively, these women embody the knowledge and expertise of the most effective

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leaders, the resilience and determination of Black women, and the grace and hope one must have
to illuminate the path toward a more equitable and inclusive future.
Table 2 Demographics of Interview Participants
Participants
Pseudonym
Role in DEI Type of
Organization
Location in the
U.S.
Time in role
leading DEI
Imani Associate Director of
DEI
Private University East Coast 1 year
Melanie DEI Executive Professional Sports
Team
South 1 year
Grace DEI Coordinator Private Independent
School
East Coast 1.5 years
Sheena DEI Manager Charter School East Coast 1.5 years
Amaya Director of DEI and a
Healthcare
Practitioner
Non-profit National
Health Organization
West coast 2 years
Layla DEI Director Higher Education
Organization
East Coast 2 years
Maya Director of a Social
Justice center
Public University West Coast 2.5 years
Yara DEI Manager Legal Support
Organization
West coast 2.5 years
Ciara DEI Specialist Public HealthSciences University
West Coast 3 years
Kari Manager, DEI School District West Coast 3 years
Zuri DEI Manager Financial Risk
Management
South 3 years
Nina DEI Executive ESG Non-profit East Coast 6 years

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Research Question One: What are the Experiences of Black Women who Lead DEI Work
in the U.S. Workplace Post-2020?
To make recommendations for Black women leading DEI work in U.S. organizations, it
was important to understand what the experiences of BWDP has been, specifically post 2020.
The review of literature offers that Black women DEI officers were quoted saying, “I was
exhausted, and there was no break at all” and that there were emotions of “anger, frustration,
heartache, distrust, perseverance, resilience, a willingness to keep fighting” (Carter et al., 2022).
It also unearthed the fact that for many businesses, “DE&I is still considered nonessential,”
(Maurer, 2022). Interestingly, the themes from the literature appeared in the findings, but
additional themes arose as well. The most significant findings from research question one were
as follows:
1. Systemic resistance hinders DEI efforts and impact BWDP.
2. Emotional labor and stress at work are personally affecting BWDP.
3. Some BWDP are experiencing progress.
Systemic Resistance Hinders DEI Efforts and Impact BWDP
Though many were hopeful that the experiences of Black women DEI practitioners
would improve after the racial reckoning (Chang et al., 2020) and the surge in organizational
DEI activity (Pulse, 2023), BWDP have been met with a profound sense of isolation and
tokenism post 2020. Black women, in their underrepresented identities, are leaders in the
organization but also responsible for work that others lack understanding and appreciation for;
and as previously mentioned they often become organizational pariahs.

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BWDP Isolation is Pervasive
Four of the 12 participants outlined isolation as one of the challenges they experienced in
the workplace. This is clearly reflected in Kari’s stark admission that “generally speaking, I feel
tokenized. That's what I told my boss. I feel very tokenized” as well as her underscoring that “it's
a very isolating job. To be truthful at this point in the job, I am having very little joy going to
work.” Amaya described her isolation stating, “I am the only Black woman on the leadership
team, the only Black person on the leadership team,” and similarly, Melanie characterized her
isolation stating, “you are on an island by yourself oftentimes.”
Kari, Amaya, and Melanie’s experiences expose workplace environments that, while
acknowledging the need for DEI roles, have not created the conditions for DEI work to be
successful. DEI requires organizations to shift their ways of working to create space for progress.
Refusing to shift not only undermines the impact of DEI initiatives but also creates an incredible
strain and loneliness for the Black women leading the work.
BWDP are Under-resourced in Their Roles
Post 2020, resources are one of the systemic barriers impacting BWDP. They are
navigating several issues, including budget restraints, that are impacting the whole organization,
but create organizations’ defense for deprioritizing DEI work, lack of strategic alignment, which
inhibits their ability to advocate for DEI initiatives and underrepresented groups in effective
ways, and lastly operational challenges related to many BWDP not having the ability to hire
support staff, and therefore not having the team needed to power the work forward. When asked
about the support received to be successful in their roles, Yara shared that “in terms of like actual
resources, I feel like I don't have much, like I don't have a budget and also haven’t really gotten
information on how I can advocate for a budget for this work.” The literature supports this

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finding, with Harper (2023) sharing that organizations are “significantly reducing DEI budgets
and staff.” Layla similarly shared,
I said, ‘This position needs to be a VP position. This position is supposed to and needs to
work with every team and department in this organization. It needs to be a VP position.
This position is responsible for so many things. It needs to be a VP position.’...and the
reasoning why it’s not is because, ‘Oh well you don’t supervise anyone.’ Well, that's not
my call. I can't change that.
Layla imploring her leaders to reclassify her role not only highlighted the lack of resources
related to positionality, but also passively highlighted the lack of staffing resources, which are
paramount for the success of this work. Unfortunately, the under-resourcing of work that BWDP
do is a continuation of the issues Bright (2021) mentioned when discussing Black women not
being given the support or resources needed for their work.
Oppression is Amplified as Black Women Navigate DEI Roles
The work of leading DEI is incredibly difficult, regardless of who the practitioner leading
it is because DEI practitioners frequently must engage in challenging conversations, where it is
necessary to recognize uncomfortable truths; further, if they are aiming to do the work well, it
means recognizing and confronting the influence of whiteness and patriarchy in organizational
cultures and norms (Acho, 2021; Omi & Howard, 2015). For Black women, this work can be
particularly exhausting, as it requires them to do the work while navigating the systemic barriers
they personally face in the workplace; this fact is emphasized by the stories told by three
participants. Amaya shared:
I began in my role, and we had an event… and someone came up to me in the leadership
team, they're like, “Oh, you look so beautiful, love your hair, blah, blah, blah.” I wear my

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hair natural sometimes in braids. I had my braids. And they literally, in this beautiful gala
setting were like, “So, can I touch your hair?”
Amaya’s experience reflects the stories many Black women have told about being microaggressed in the workplace around their hair. Not even being the DEI leader, and at a formal
event mitigates this from happening. Similarly, Kari shared:
I will say that I've experienced microaggressions. Like, for instance, when I first got to
the district, I never wore my hair curly. And then I started. It was really becoming a mom
and my kids getting older that I was like, I cannot be communicating to them that I don't
like my natural self. And so, I was like, I'm going to wear my hair in its natural state
more. And I shared this with a colleague, and I was like, because anti-Blackness, like, I
was told that my curly hair, my kinky curls are not beautiful. And she said, “might you be
internalizing that?” “No!”
Kari’s story exemplifies how non-Black women second guess the expressed experiences of
Black women. While Black women are the authority on their own experiences, other people have
the audacity to cast doubt when they indicate what is happening to them. While what Maya
shared was not specifically about hair, she amplified, “As Black women, when I'm in
conversations around DEI, I am constantly triggered. My existence, my lived experiences, my
perspectives, my intersections are just not even considered. “Maya captures an experience many
BWDP have being the person responsible for DEI, who also must navigate the workplace as
Black women, and are among the most marginalized. Maya’s sentiments echo Laura Morgan
Roberts (2019) argument that intersectionality is critical to understanding the challenges of Black
women as they are often subjected to multiple forms of marginalization and discrimination in the
workplace.

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There is a Lack of Diversity in Leadership
Another way that BWDP must navigate whiteness and patriarchy in the workplace is by
working under or within a leadership team that lacks diversity. When a leadership team lacks
diversity and, therefore, the lived experiences to contextualize important business decisions with
the need to be DEI-centered, it is less able to support BWDP and often impedes DEI progress, as
validated in Figure 4.
Figure 4
The Secret to Increasing Diverse Representation in Senior Leadership
Note. Infographic capturing the status of Global Fortune 500 diversity in leadership positions
clearly indicates that homogenous leadership teams impede the progress of DEI work. From
Russo, C. (2022, September 28). The secret to increasing diverse representation in senior
leadership [Infographic]. Seramount. https://seramount.com/articles/the-secret-to-increasingdiverse-representation-in-senior-leadership/

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When asked about the support received to be successful in her role, Amaya shared:
All of those who are in our leadership space do not come from that role or from that
background… I think our executive director doesn't have any experience in this space. I
think that should have been mandatory. It was like, I hate to say, but trickle down from
leadership down, because it's really difficult to support someone if you're not educated in
that area.
Amaya’s experience emphasized some of the pitfalls of being a BWDP, and not having someone
from an underrepresented background who can understand and support DEI work. Sheena, on
the other hand, reflected on the struggles she has had with her current supervisor and stated, “I
really want my supervisor to be a woman of color. And on top of that, I really need mentorship
within this role because I'm new to this space.” Sheena’s experience is like many others who are
new to leading DEI but lack the support and guidance all professionals new to a field need in
their role.
Organizational Engagement with DEI is Performative
In The Life Cycle of Black Women in Corporate America (2021), Cindi Bright describes
the phenomenon of Black women being brought in solely to fulfill stakeholder expectations and
not because organizations are truly ready to do the work it takes to make DEI successful. This
experience can feel anything from frustrating to demoralizing for BWDP when organizations
choose to engage with the work performatively. When asked what their experiences have been
implementing DEIB-related initiatives after 2020, seven of 12 participants discussed the
performative manner in which their organizations have shown up. Layla called this out directly,
saying, “It was performative before I got here, and it's still very performative. I'm doing as much
as I can, and I have colleagues who are doing what they can, but it's still very performative.

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“However, Maya discussed one of the ways an organization can be performative, and that is in
the way there is a lack of systemic change even when DEI work is happening. There is a failure
to truly commit. For instance, Maya shared a specific experience she had:
I recently served on a committee for a year as the subject matter expert around DEI… I
felt like we were making gains in terms of being eye to eye. And when the final decision
day came, the leadership decision went absolutely against all of what I had advocated for
throughout that year...That was hard because it was like a year's worth of time, and then
just feeling completely invalidated and that my voice wasn't as valued as the bottom line
or other priorities.
Maya’s story indicated how her presence on the committee was used to portray a commitment to
DEI, and potentially an investment in diverse perspectives, but her knowledge and expertise
were not prioritized when it came down to making the final decision. Another way that
organizations are performative when it comes to DEI is that they will not take the work
seriously. Sheena conveyed this by saying, “So I think when it's light and when it’s cute for the
most part, they’re like, ‘Sure!’ And then when it's not, it's watered down.” Zuri took it a little
further and offered:
Oftentimes DEI is looked at as an extracurricular opportunity. It's great, it's fun,
everybody wants to do it, but it's not one of the core classes that's going to get you that
raise, that's going to give you that promotion, especially when the strategy or the goals
around it are not as firm.
Zuri’s story is an example of what many BWDP are experiencing in this post 2020 period. She
flippantly describes the work as “great and fun” to capture the fact that many people will talk

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about how important it is, but DEI is seldomly the type of work that is advancing people’s
career.
The last type of performative engagement is one that has many BWDP considering
whether organizations will ever make a true commitment to this work, and it is the way in which
organizations passively and sometimes actively push back on DEI efforts. Amaya mentioned this
directly when she shared, “the pushback is always time and capacity. Well then, why do the
work if you’re not going to carve out time and capacity building ways for your staff?” Amaya
questions why leaders create DEI functions but will not follow through with the work and
resources that are necessary to achieve success. Melanie described the attitudes peers have when
BWDP identify areas that require attention by divulging:
So, you are the one advocating for things… My job is to go in and look at what we can
do better every day. So, when I walk in the room, I’m immediately noticing all the things
that we can do better. Sometimes people don't want to hear that.
This point captures the sentiment that many BWDP are feeling- gaslighted because many people
are not actually interested in hearing about the gaps and areas of opportunity. BWDP are hired to
lead DEI but are often silenced and rendered insignificant (Holder et al., 2015).
Emotional Labor and Stress at Work are Personally Affecting BWDP
Kluch et al. (2023) captured many of the challenges Black Women DEI Practitioners
experience at work, including limited resources, lack of support and buy-in from senior
leadership, resistance to change, and limited influence over decision-making processes, but
Rabelo et al. (2021) helped deepen the understanding of how the workplace being a space that is
professionally unsafe for Black women to show their frustration or discontent adds to their
trauma. Geyton et al. (2022) took it a step further and added that while BWDP quietly navigate

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their distress, they are expected to hold space to support their oppressor. While I wish this
circumstance was a rarity in the narratives participants told, it was simply not. 10 out of 12
participants cried while telling their stories. As highlighted in the prelude, Maya, in particular,
shared a number of ways leading DEI as a Black woman has impacted her. From her mental and
physical health to her relationships with her partner and family, she described the true costs she
has paid to lead DEI work and acknowledges, “If I stay in this work as long as they did, this is
the long-term impact.” The themes Maya shared also arose with several other participants. Nina
shared that she was “in a cardiac cath lab a year and a half ago because [she] was stressed out
and physically ill. And they found nothing, which to [her] just speaks to the stress.” Nina
describes the phenomenon of feeling physically ill from the stress of the work. Layla discussed
another way BWDP are impacted by stress in sharing: “It’s affecting my sleep…So I'm tired. I
feel like I have chronic burnout because it doesn't let up…It is not about the work of DEIB, it’s
about navigating the people, and the gaslighting, and the trauma.” Layla highlights how
gaslighting and trauma from facilitating the DEI work as a Black woman has impacted her
ability to sleep. And Sheena talked about the weight of the work when she shared, “it's like you
hold onto everything, and everything feels so heavy. Yet people just are always thinking like,
‘We’re cool.’” Sheena describes the frustration BWDP can feel when they are deeply impacted
by leading DEI in environments where systemic oppression is entrenched, but other colleagues
assume that they are good. Further, Yara revealed the ways she is actively coping to deal with
the stress:
It's like I have to turn off that part of my brain, you know? And like, not in a way to
where I still let it slide in life, but the way in which I go as deep on certain things- I have
to make an active decision to not do that. Because now I can see it everywhere. And so, I

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have to like, to just be able to like not be angry, to be able to sleep and experience joy, I
have to like sometimes shut or dim that part of my brain, and that part of my knowledge.
So I could just function from day to day. And not cuss people out every day.
Here, Yara expresses the way that she experiences the workday to day, finding that she must
“turn off” part of her thinking because, in most cases, the anxiety and stress are unrelenting. Like
Yara, many BWDP find themselves compartmentalizing in an effort to not be pulled under and
be able to sustain joy (Howard-Hamilton et al., 2024). As much as this should not be the case, it
does not mean it is not a part of their reality.
Some BWDP are Experiencing Progress
Though it was less common, there were examples of participants experiencing
breakthroughs at their organizations; such breakthroughs provide these BWDP with the
encouragement needed to persist in the work with a greater sense of optimism for what might be
possible. Both Melanie and Nina shared examples of how their current experiences while
challenging, are generally positive. Nina offered:
I have a good team, I have a budget. I'm able to build a strategy and present the strategy.
I'm not getting people telling me what I'm going to do and what I'm not going to do. I feel
like I have a lot of freedom in this role.
And Melanie shared:
I'm at a place where people now see me for who I am in this space. And I've got the
platform, whether it be from trainings, professional development resources, pipelines..
like I've got people paying attention to that differently. I’m in that first full calendar year
where everybody understands what DEI is and how it has made us all better.

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Both Nina and Melanie conveyed generally positive experiences in the roles they were in.
Recognizing that they were depicting authentic but dissonant experiences, it was important to
understand the circumstances that led them to have experiences in their roles that differed from
most of the other participants.
First, Nina and Melanie have visibility, agency, and influence in their roles. They are
both very effective, knowledgeable, and amiable women who likely are viewed as valuable
subject matter experts in the organizations. While these attributes are some of the most
compelling reasons for their success in their roles, there were also other situational elements that
were elevated from both narratives, which may also have an impact on their experiences. Both
women are well placed in the organization as executives and therefore have the visibility,
agency, and influence to push DEI work forward, creating the conditions for their work to be
valued by their organizations.
Next, they both have career tenure. The depth of experience and the extensive
professional networks that come with career tenure can equip leaders with the resilience and
experience needed to navigate organizational politics and push for change, especially in difficult
climates. For Nina and Melanie, their years leading people and impact-related work may also
grant them a level of credibility and authority that can be influential in advocating for DEI
initiatives. Both participants named this and are highly aware of how important this is in driving
their work.
Finally, their leaders are truly supportive. Both participants expressed reporting to
supportive leaders who are positioned at the top of their organizations. Having leaders who not
only understand and genuinely support DEI work but also have the power to position DEI for
success is crucial. These leaders deliver the resources needed to effectively facilitate the work,

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openly champion DEI at the highest levels of the organization and are actively supportive of DEI
being strategically embedded in all organizational functions and processes.
Research Question Two: What strategies and interventions effectively support Black
women who lead DEI work?
Another element I aimed to understand about the experiences of Black women DEI
practitioners was what they felt were the strategies and interventions that supported them in their
work. The literature spoke to the fact that Black women create a space for all minoritized
communities to find belonging and affirmation (Collins, 1999) therefore, it is unsurprising that
they are especially integral to the success of other Black women. The most significant findings
from research question two were as follows:
1. Support from other Black women is invaluable;
2. BWDP are strategic in their approach;
3. Collaboration and coalition is important;
4. Authenticity is affirming in advocacy work.
Support from Other Black Women is Invaluable
Eleven out of 12 participants were adamant about being in a community with Black
women as an intervention that is not only supportive but life-giving. They underscored that
Black women love, mentor, validate, encourage, and protect them. This concept is nothing new,
as Black women have always held space for each other. During the launch of the Saving Our
Selves, Saving Our Sistas (SOS): A Call to Action for Black Women in Higher Education [Video]
collective, in response to the staggering deaths of Black women leaders in higher education, Dr.
Lori Patton Davis shared that they have created a space for Black women where they can “have a
dialogue, bring in other Black women from across the country, and just think about what’s next

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for us- how do we thrive, how do we survive, how do we exist within the academy or without it”
(Howard-Hamilton et al., 2024). This amplifies the fact that Black women, especially in the most
toxic environments, provide each other with the support they need to get through. Maya
discussed how Black women have been impactful in her career:
Other Black women who are doing this work have been really helpful for me because
there are times where you feel like, “Am I tripping?” “Is this actually happening?” “Am I
reading into something too much?” “Am I missing something?” And I think being able to
have Black women hear my experiences and be a different perspective, that’s really
validating. It’s like, “No, it's not you.” It’s these norms. It’s this culture.
Maya’s story captures the gaslighting many BWDP experience in the workplace, where they
identify the ways in which oppressive systems are at play, but when they call those systems out,
others make them feel like they are not perceiving what they know they are. This creates a
dissonance where BWDP might momentarily question if they are mistaken. Maya highlighted
how other Black women help to confirm that it is not her that is the issue, but the system.
Furthermore, Yara stated, “Black women are fam…The more that I do this work, the more I
want to retreat to Black women because we’re always going to take care of each other.” The
concept of retreating to Black women is incredibly profound. Leading DEI work often requires a
fight, and at times this can be overwhelming for BWDP. The idea that Black women provide a
retreat for each other to rest, heal, and recover emphasizes how important other Black women are
to the success and wellness of BWDP.
BWDP are Strategic in Their Approach
BWDP are aware of how difficult it is to shift culture and embed DEI tenets within
organizational frameworks. Brown et al. (2023) highlights that “companies have committed to

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being more diverse, inclusive, and equitable, but many struggle to make significant progress in
these areas,” and therefore organizations should take a “systematic approach to establishing DEI
strategies.” Layla shared the different methods she utilizes to push DEI work forward stating, “I
do everything from training, to leading the strategy, to getting buy-in, creating buy-in, still
creating buy-in.” Her statement illustrated the amount of strategic effort it takes to achieve
success in leading DEI. However, the fact that she mentioned the need for buy-in three times,
back-to-back, makes it clear that even with the strategic work she is doing, gaining buy-in
remains a hard-fought battle.
A method of DEI strategy that came up several times in the interviews is using data.
When asked about the strategies they use, Grace said flatly, “I tell the truth, and I use data.” Zuri
expressed that she has achieved some success by “always providing data to support whatever
move you want to make.” As it is well established that data-informed decision making is seen as
an integral tool for success within organizations, it is clear that BWDP completely grasp that
fact. They understand that you must prioritize the tools and language organizations do, and while
they may want leaders to commit to DEI altruistically, they know that using data is a much more
effective tactic.
Coalition and Collaboration with Non-Black Women Allies can be Valuable
Though BWDP view other Black women as one of the most important resources for
success in their roles and lives, participants highlighted that people of other identities, who have
proven to be true allies, can be valuable interventions as well. Ciara discussed how other women
of color supported her in her role by sharing, “having two women of color who were my go-to
people… and that onboarded me and we could have this type of conversation, like ‘Hold on, did
you hear... what...?’ Without that, I don’t know if I would’ve made it.” The story that Ciara told

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honors the fact that, especially in work environments where Black women are underrepresented,
there is still a need for community and that it is beneficial for BWDP to be in coalition with the
people they work with regardless of identity. It also recognizes that many women of color
experience similar forms of oppression and can often resonate with and support Black women, if
doing so is viewed as important and valuable to them.
Layla and Melanie discussed another element of support from non-Black women, and
that is the support they receive in collaboration with colleagues. Layla mentioned, “I receive
support from my colleagues by them wanting to partner with me or work with me.” Melanie
explained that “support for me was allowing people to see me differently and then start to trust
me differently…oftentimes the leadership isn't the group that's doing the actual work, so I needed
the support of my peers.” Both Layla and Melanie captured a component of BWDPs’
experiences where they are much more effective in their role and enabled to thrive within their
organization when they have the support of their peers; when they do not feel isolated and forced
to take on the oppressive systems and structures by themselves.
Authenticity is Affirming in Advocacy Work
Much like generations of Black women before them, BWDP are “standing on bidness”
(Kylene, 2024) in the workplace, which means that they are knowledgeable and have expertise,
hence they are standing their ground on what they know is right to help create cultures of
inclusion. Several participants discussed how important it is for them to speak the truth in their
roles. When asked about navigating her work since 2020, Kari said, “Since 2020, there is very
minimal code switching. I'm being very honest about my experience and advocating for the
needs of all learners.” Kari’s statement shows that she is more invested in centering advocacy
and equity, than minimizing herself to make other people comfortable. Yara underscored, “I have

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to stand 10 toes down, and I think people appreciate that more. And it helps people trust you, you
know? Even if they don’t like it, I think it helps build trust.”
To stand on “10 toes down” is a cultural euphemism used in the Black community to denote
complete commitment to something. Yara using it in this context indicates that while people may
not like what BWDP have to say, it is integral to navigate the work in authenticity. These BWDP
are uncompromising when it comes to how they show up because they know how important it is,
especially as a DEI practitioner, that you “speak truth to power” (Rustin, 1942), even when it
feels uncomfortable.
Other participants, however, spoke to some of the costs of authenticity in their role. Imani
shared, “I notice when I do push back or I'm a little bit more vocal, it's either clothed with silence
or a change in conversation or like a distraction or whatever, or I’m asked or instructed to maybe
tone down.” Imani has perceived negative reactions to being vocal about DEI issues. Some
reactions are passive with silence or distraction and others are more active when others instruct
her to tone down. Further, Sheena offered:
I share the lived experiences of myself, of Black people that I'm in community with, of
other folks that I'm in community with, and really try to center these voices. And yet at
the same time, I think a very unique experience for me was that you're having these
conversations with other Brown people. And so it's just like nobody wants to hold that
mirror up to themselves in regards to being part of the problem. I would get very tired,
and then just be very exhausted and kind of just shift into the background a bit, too,
because it's just like well, why have these same conversations and then I'm getting gaslit.
Sheena’s perspective described the difficulties that come with speaking the truth, and therefore
impact BWDP ability to navigate their work with psychological safety. This reality was raised in

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the review of literature as hooks (2004) posited that “you also hear the pain contained within that
brokenness – a speech of suffering; often it’s that sound nobody wants to hear.” In other words,
BWDP telling their truth puts others in an uncomfortable position of having to grapple with their
own guilt and complicity. Not many people want to do that work. Nina described the strategic
exercise she navigates in reconciling how to tell the truth by saying:
It's really about how I tell it, so am I just going to come at you with it or am I going to try
to temper it so that it's palatable for you? And it depends on the circumstances, but I
always tell the truth.
It is important to note that the mental agility it takes to do the work Nina describes is exhausting.
However, it is apparent that in order to manage authenticity while finding success in the work,
mental agility is absolutely necessary.
Research Question Three: How can Black Women Develop a Healthy Framework for
Facilitating DEI Work?
In acknowledging that BWDP are canaries in the mines of the U.S. workplace, one of the
outcomes of this study is to help them identify ways to create a healthy framework for navigating
through this work. The participants of this study shared that DEI work is their passion and
purpose work. However, if the work is creating dire consequences for their lives, there must be a
concerted effort to find a better way forward; to support BWDP in saving themselves. One thing
that was clear from interviews with the participants is that BWDP are doing their best to
prioritize themselves and their care.
If there is one lesson BWDP have learned and are aiming to intentionally put into
practice, it is that they cannot continue to bear the burden of caring for everyone else’s physical,
mental, and emotional needs, without caring for themselves. While taking on the role of

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caretaker and way-maker may feel like a requirement for many Black women (Hattery, 2001),
BWDP are realizing that in many circumstances, no one is taking care of them; unfortunately,
this can be true of the workplace, home, and the communities they belong to. Thus, they are
making it a priority to take care of themselves. The findings from research question three were as
follows:
1. BWDP are setting and sustaining boundaries;
2. BWDP are rejecting misogynoir in coping methods;
3. BWDP are seeking guidance from ancestors and leaders;
4. BWDP are still working to heal.
BWDP are Setting and Sustaining Boundaries
Black women DEI practitioners cared for themselves by setting and sustaining
boundaries with others. The balance created by setting boundaries was crucial for the health of
BWDP as it provided respite from the onslaught of emotional and mental labor that came with
DEI work. Participants outlined two significant ways they set boundaries in their personal worklife framework.
They are Reclaiming their Time
The illustrious Congresswoman Maxine Waters famously brought the concept of
‘reclaiming time’ into the public consciousness. For Black women, it has offered an articulation
for us unapologetically taking space for ourselves. Three participants specifically named how
they use their time to create boundaries, including Layla, who mentioned, “I have boundaries. I
don't work after a certain hour. I don't get notifications on my phone for nothing.” Nina similarly
shared, “I’ll take time off. I know there's people that are like, I haven’t taken time off in x, y, z
amount of time. I’m like, that is not my problem. I will be out on a plane somewhere, plane,

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train, something.” Amaya also pronounced, “I use my PTO. Think I worry about that? I use my
time off, yes, ma’am.” Each one of them proudly communicated how serious they are about
taking time for themselves and how important it is to persist through leading DEI work. This
point is interesting because it helps expose a shift in the ways Black women are relating to labor,
and creating space for themselves to rest and experience joy. It is clear that while the
opportunities may not be given to them, they are taking them.
They are Managing Their own Capacities
BWDP are aware that there is a high probability of burn-out from their own experiences
as well as watching what is happening to other people. For this reason, they are paying attention
to their capacities and making decisions that will help them remain healthy. To this point, Ciara
shared, “I would say this work has required me to take better care of myself. So it has taught me
how to prioritize myself, prioritize my rest, structure my day in a way that I am caring for
myself” and Imani took it a step further in emphasizing that she did not “want to get burned out
from it. I'm trying to find a balance in still wanting to pursue this work because I feel like this
work is part of my mission… but it doesn't have to be the entire picture.” Both Ciara and Imani
espoused their commitment to the work but were not willing to sacrifice themselves for it; and
they seemed to be aware that leading DEI does not require that- that they can do the work and
also have a full and healthy life for themselves.
BWDP are Rejecting Misogynoir in Coping Methods
In 2010, Moya Bailey posted to the Crunk Feminist Collective blog, and in her post
coined the term Misogynoir. This term describes the intersection between anti-Blackness and
misogyny, and specifically, the hatred relegated towards Black women. This hatred often creates
narratives and norms about who Black women are, and what they can and cannot do. One such

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narrative is around the Strong Black Woman trope, which Antwanisha Alameen-Shavers (2019)
argues “paints Black women as superheroes (which they are not).” This insidious narrative is
paraded as a celebration of the strength of Black women, but it is as useful as a beautiful
necklace that suffocates the life of its wearer. It prevents Black women from having the luxury to
care for ourselves in the ways that are perceived as natural for women of other races and
cultures. The participants of this study seemed to be rejecting misogynoir, and engaging in
coping methods that are generative and effective for them.
They are Engaging in Spiritual Practice
According to research by the Pew Research Center, most Black Americans rely on prayer
in support of many different facets of their lives, including navigating oppressive systems. As a
group they are more religious than the U.S. public overall, as is indicated in Figure 5. These data
were reflected in the findings as five out of 12 participants mentioned depending on
their religion for coping through leading DEI work. When asked about their coping methods,
Layla said she uses “therapy and Jesus, therapy and prayer. And honestly, community.” Layla’s
statement aligns with the fact that many Black people in the U.S. articulate a deeply invested and
dependent relationship with Christianity and Jesus. There is, however, a historical context in the
U.S. of Christianity being weaponized in justification for the enslavement of African people, the
genocide of Native Americans, and the subjugation of other groups whose identities are distant
from those of cisgender, heterosexual, white males (Wilder, 2013). This fact has created a
conflict in Christian identity and relationship for many Black people who were raised as
Christians, but struggle with how Christianity has been propagated.

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Figure 5
Black Americans More Religious Than the U.S. Public Overall
Note: Infographic of data comparing the religiosity of Black Adults to other adults, shows that
97% of Black people in the U.S. believe in a higher power. From Mohamed, B. (2021). Faith
among Black Americans. Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/02/16/faith-among-black-americans/
Related, Yara shared,
I'm a Christian and so I've had to actively decolonize my practices, which has actually
been great for my spiritual life. I’ve been able to look at the ways in which we've been
taught to read the Bible and to participate in Christian practices. I've had to ask, “Is that
Bible or is that white supremacy?”... It is so liberatory. Like I've never felt freer as a
Christian, more committed to my walk, to my faith walk.
Yara describes a practice many have engaged in to make Christianity their own.

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While Christianity is the religious affiliation many assume Black people have, many
Black people engage in different kinds of spiritual practices. Figure 5 also exhibits that the
reality is that 97% of Black adults believe in God or a higher power, but this shows up in many
different ways in people’s lives. Ciara shared, “on a personal level, a lot of daily spiritual
practices also keep me grounded, just on an individual like human level.” Participants also
expressed engaging in less traditional forms of spirituality, as is shown in Kari explaining her use
of “Reiki. Like an energy healer. And like chakra cleansing.” Foundationally, BWDP are finding
and engaging in many different forms of spirituality and are not allowing expectations nor stigma
to prevent them from gaining the support and inspiration they need.
They are Seeking Personal Growth Resources
As is exemplified in the amount of education and development BWDP have sought, they
know what they are up against in the workplace, and the world, and are therefore invested in
doing everything within their power that will help them bring their best selves to their work. The
participants articulated that part of these investments are personal growth resources in the form
of therapy and coaching. Maya mentioned that one resource she utilized was:
Having a great therapist. I don't like that I have to pay so much for it, but it’s a necessary
space. And I think having a Black woman therapist, who has experience working in
higher education, is really helpful to talk about how the work is impacting me personally.
Several of the participants discussed therapy being an important component of their coping
methods. This was crucial because historically, therapy was incredibly stigmatized in the Black
community (White, 2019). Additionally, participants discussed leaning into the resource of
executive coaching, which often focused on helping leaders deliver on organizational change
initiatives (MacIntyre, 2020). A few participants shared how coaches have helped them in their

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roles, including Zuri mentioning, “I did have a life coach, and she was great. She helped me
through a lot of work situations. So just being able to talk with her was super healing.” Layla
shared, “I'll forever do this work. I don't know what it looks like yet. I'm thinking about getting
an executive coach to help me figure that out.” Participants underscored the fact that executive
coaches have been integral in closing the gap between the support they are receiving from their
therapists and what the support they may or may not be receiving from their leaders in the
workplace.
They are Engaging in Intentional Movement and Exercise
While it has been historically documented that there are a number of socio-cultural
barriers that generally minimize Black women’s engagement in exercise and movement (Fleury
& Lee, 2006; Giroir & Wright, 2018; Huebschmann et al., 2016), it was clear in the data from
this study that BWDP are prioritizing their health through engaging in intentional movement and
exercise. Several participants mentioned working out consistently being one of the ways they
manage the stress of the role, but three participants discussed working out daily. This included
Zuri who shared, “either I start my day off with working out or (have a) midday workout just to
kind of take my mind off of things.” Layla explained, “I exercise every day because I don't want
all of this to be sitting in my body.” Melanie stated, “I work out every day. Why do I work out
every day? Because it's important for me to take care of my body.” While some data might
suggest otherwise, the stories that these participants told show that BWDP are aware that
exercise is not only important for their health generally, but an incredibly important tool in
helping them cope and persist. For that reason, they are making time for it and protecting it in
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Another point that arose is that BWDP are also engaging in different types of movement
that not only allows them to get exercise but also creates space for affirmation and community.
Yara offered that being a DEI practitioner has “definitely made me have to lean into the things
that have always kept me well, which for me has been dance.” She has found a space where she
is able to move and engage with others which supports her wellbeing in several impactful ways.
They are Coping and Relaxing with Wine and Weed
In Mother Vines: A History of Black Women and Wine (2021), Stephanie Y. Evans
explains that because of “erasure in popular culture, Black women’s voices are not generally
represented in wine history.” However, in her review of over 500 life narratives in the Africana
Memoirs library for her study, she found that over 250 life narratives by Black women mention
wine. She outlines that wine can be many things, from “a means to get closer to God” to “a status
marker, to be enjoyed with friends—and enemies—alike” (p. 2). When asked about the ways
they cope through leading DEI work several participants mentioned their appreciation for
drinking wine. Of them, Zuri said, “listen, girl, a glass of wine, I wouldn't necessarily
recommend everybody to do that, but let it be an option.” Grace also said, “there's always the
wine, but finally, I don't need it. And so like, I ask myself, do you really need to pour the second
glass?” Zuri’s statement underscores that wine may not be an option for everyone, for whatever
reason, but has been helpful for her, while Grace provides context to drinking wine when she
wants to, but not needing it; and not drinking more than necessary.
Three participants were also open about their usage of cannabis, or weed, as a method for
coping and relaxation. In the review of literature, it came up that 2020 and the couple of years
following were filled with immense pressure as well as “anger, frustration, heartache, distrust,
perseverance, resilience, a willingness to keep fighting” (Carter et al., 2022). There was also a

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dynamic where BWDP were under supported, hence they had to cope by armoring themselves
(Greene, 1994). When asked about that time Kari mentioned that she coped with “Marijuana.
Wine, alcohol, edibles”, and Sheena shared, “I would hit them gummies at the end of the night
and just be.” These participants’ responses speak to a freedom to engage in means of relaxation
that can help with mental release and recovery outside of the workplace, without the burden of
stigma and criminalization that Black people have unjustly carried for so many years. This type
of mindfulness exhibits how BWDP are engaging in coping mechanisms in ways that serve
them, and rejecting the misogynoir which suggest that they must manage themselves differently
than others do, under much less oppressive circumstances.
BWDP are Seeking Guidance from Ancestors and Leaders
Many BWDP know that the oppressions Black women experience are the same as the old
oppressions but packaged differently; they also know that history has a way of repeating itself,
and as a people who are stewards of liberation and justice we must learn the lessons from the
past and use them to forge better futures. Understanding these concepts, Black women DEI
practitioners are seeking guidance and understanding from ancestors and leaders for inspiration
and to inform how best to navigate forward. Accordingly, Maya shared:
I re-listen to speeches and talks by people I admire regularly. It re-grounds me, it realigns
me to purpose, and reminds me that I'm carrying on a legacy of work that people have
been engaged in. It also reminds me that I'm playing my part and then others will
continue the work beyond me.
Maya described engaging with the talks that originally inspired her to start DEI work. The work
of advocating for others can become overwhelming, hence revisiting sources of inspiration can
be a practice that reminds practitioners of their own impact. Both Ciara and Layla discussed the

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powerful act of calling on ancestors for support. Ciara said, “I call my ancestors in before my
meetings, I clear my energy.” Layla also shared, “I think about my ancestors and my elders and
what they had to go through to get us to be where we are here today. That's the reason why I can
do this work.” Both Ciara and Layla engage with and honor their ancestors in a way that gives
them strength to get through their work and inspiration to continue.
BWDP are Still Working to Heal
When asked about the ways they coped with the stress and trauma of the work, all of the
participants had many different examples of how they coped from day to day. However, in the
following question I asked them about healing, and the general response was the polar opposite.
A couple of participants shared their methods for healing, including Layla who shared that she
heals “through community because I'm not the only one going through this.” This speaks to her
awareness that though she is in her own circumstances, she is aware that the issues she
experiences are not anomalous. However, most other participants admitted that they either had
not yet considered what it would take for them to heal or acknowledged that much more work
needed to be done for their healing. Imani admitted that she was still navigating her healing
journey and Yara shared, “I feel like I'm still in the process of healing... taking a hit and healing
from it.” Both of the participants’ admittances indicate the lack of naivety BWDP have around
the impacts of the role, but the fact that they are actively trying to get to a better and healthier
place.
Summary
The findings of this study are compelling as they humanize the DEI stories that have been
prevalent in the news over the last couple of years and help us to better understand how BWDP
are impacted by recent organizational and legislative decisions. There is little doubt that the

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people making such decisions are unconcerned about how they are impacting Black women, thus
BWDP are creating frameworks to support their own success and health. In the following
chapter, Chapter 5, I will provide critical analysis of the findings elevated in chapter as well as
recommendations for Black women DEI practitioners as they deliberate on how best to proceed
with their careers.

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CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black Women DEI
Practitioners (BWDP), especially as they relate to what they have personally experienced and
surveyed as the individuals responsible for leading DEI efforts for at least the last three years
within an organization in the United States. This study was both important and timely because
BWDP, with their positionality, knowledge, and expertise, are positioned to guide organizations
toward creating more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces (Collins, 1990); and research
clearly indicates that organizations that prioritize DEI outperform and are more profitable than
their peers that do not (Brown et al., 2023). However, the contemporary surge of organizational
resistance to DEI initiatives presents significant challenges and creates institutional barriers that
BWDP must navigate. The oppressive experience many BWDP have in their roles is not
something that occurred during a moment in history but remains a persistent reality for Black
women as they advocate for change in environments that are often unresponsive or outright
hostile to DEI values. Moreover, although not represented in this study, these experiences of
Black women in DEI positions are not limited to those serving in this capacity, as Black women
in most occupations are often asked to perform DEI work whether it is part of their role or not.
Consequently, BWDP find themselves struggling to navigate around the resistance not only for
the progression of their careers, but for their own health and integrality as humans.
In my exploration of the lived experiences of Black Women DEI Practitioners (BWDP),
the study addressed the following research questions:
1. What are the experiences of Black women who lead DEI work in the U.S. workplace
post-2020?

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2. What strategies and interventions effectively support Black women who lead DEI
work?
3. How can Black women develop a healthy framework for facilitating DEI work?
Discussion of Findings
I answered the research questions for this qualitative study by facilitating narrative
interviews of 12 Black women who lead DEI within their organization in the United States. I
chose this methodology intentionally because it provided the participants with a safe space for
telling and processing their stories, a space that Black women are not often afforded.
Additionally, the fact that the participants are from all over the country and at many different
levels of their careers and organizations illuminates the rampant nature of this organizational
issue and rejects the idea that what is occurring can be attributed to any particular organization or
field. It is, in fact, a systemic issue of what I call the U.S. Workplace Complex, which denotes the
relationship between the U.S. racial caste system (Wilkerson, 2020), our capitalist economic
system, and workplace institutions. The Complex, with all of its many faces and forms, has
always been dependent on Black people’s, and in this case Black women’s, labor under white
control (Hollander, 2019). It informs the fact that regardless of education level or position within
an organization, Black women’s experiences in the workplace will often be informed by the rules
of the Complex. Afro-pessimism theory was useful in contextualizing the ways BWDP have
responded to oppressive systems. Wilderson III (2010) offered that because Western society is
inherently anti-Black, Black people will always be excluded and oppressed. Further, in Audre
Lorde’s declaration that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” (1984), we
understand that aiming to navigate within oppressive systems to eradicate them may be a
fruitless and harmful effort. Hence, if we acknowledge that our workplaces are a part of the

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Complex, but we believe that we are required to engage in the Complex for our own survival and
progression, we must identify ways to save ourselves from its effects.
The findings of the study aligned directly with what emerged from the review of
literature, as well as the conceptual framework for the study, including: 1) BWDP experience
compound oppression in the workplace in relation to their multiple, intersecting identities, 2)
BWDP embody a crucial Epistemological Perspective for examining the workplace and their
own experiences, 3) BWDP are engaged in Activism and Resistance to navigate the oppressive
systems and protect themselves, 4) BWDP must decide how best to move forward from here if
their organizations will not affirm and empower them in their roles. I, therefore, took a linear
approach to presenting the findings, understanding that the findings from research questions two
and three are effects of the findings from research question one. In other words, Black women
DEI practitioners are thoughtfully accessing the environments around them and proceeding
accordingly.
Utilizing Black feminist theory through an intersectional lens proved effective in
facilitating my study (Collins 1990; Crenshaw, 1989). All of the participants, regardless of the
level of the organization, field of work, or location in the United States, expressed navigating
oppressive systems in their roles; they discussed the ways they are aiming to successfully lead
DEI work, in some cases while organizational leaders are actively resisting their efforts; and they
shared the ways they are engaging in advocacy while affirming and to protecting themselves.
The participants unanimously conveyed a deep passion and commitment to DEI, but
concurrently expressed an awareness of the potential costs of the work.

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Discussion of Research Question One Findings
The findings from the research question regarding the experiences of Black women DEI
practitioners in the U.S. workplace post-2020 are incredibly nuanced. To truly comprehend the
environment Black women DEI practitioners were living and working within, as they told their
stories, one must understand the socio-political climate, and specifically the status of DEI in
2023, which was when the interviews were conducted. There were significant oppressive
external factors impacting BWDPs’ ability to lead DEI work, as well as their own experiences.
The fact that within a span of approximately 18 months, DEI within organizations shifted from
high investment and progress (Pulse, 2023) to regression (Maurer, 2022) and downright
aggression (Hart, 2023) is notable. The year 2023 was marked by a proliferation of anti-DEI
advocacy groups like Students for Fair Admissions which made it their mission to eliminate DEI
efforts (Bhabha et al., 2024); the Weaponization of Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866,
which was originally introduced to address “persistent discrimination after the Civil War,” but
was being used “to challenge programs that benefit members of traditionally underrepresented
groups” (para 4); the mass layoffs and systematic push-outs of DEI employees at organizations
across the country (Coleman & Chen-Carrel, 2023); public figures like Elon Musk who made
announcements that “DEI must DIE” (Hart, 2023) while politicians such as Republican
governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott introduced devastating anti-DEI legislation
(Alfonseca, 2023); and most heartbreaking, witnessing Black women in high-profile role die
because of the effects of their job (Hudson-Ward, 2023; Asare, 2024). Contextualizing that the
participants of the study were, as Black women who were charged with leading DEI work,
concurrently experiencing all of the aforementioned trauma is critical in processing their stories.
It is a lens through which I encourage us to reconcile their truths.

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Research question one findings offer that although some BWDP are seeing some
progress, many are significantly impacted by systemic resistance, emotional labor, and stress
from leading DEI work. It has been well documented by other researchers how significantly
impacted Black women are by the emotional labor and stress stemming from experiences in the
workplace (Davis, 2023; Sloan, 2023), but BWDP, because of their identities, knowledge, and
experience provides an analysis of what is occurring that is clear and staggering that it is difficult
to ignore (Collins, 1990; Hurston, 1969) as hard as some may try (Davis, 2023; Sloan, 2023).
Finding one exposes the systemic resistance nearly every BWDP is currently facing in
their role. Finding two elevates the participants’ emotional labor and stress from the workplace,
which we know is rampant in the experiences of Black women (Nadal et al., 2020), but is
significantly amplified for BWDP (Hooks, 2021). The third finding offers a bit of relief in that
the Nina and Melanie’s experiences in their current roles have been somewhat positive.
However, as a researcher who is primarily focused on demarginalizing the voices of BWDP, it
was critical to contextualize some of the reasons why their experiences are outliers and mitigate
the propensity to disregard the common experiences of the other 10 participants. Looking at
these findings in totality, it is clear that BWDP are having similar experiences at organizations
across the country, positioned at different levels of their organizations, and with completely
different organizational focuses. Yet, those experiences are also products of their work
environments.
Discussion of Research Question Two Findings
In comprehensively evaluating the findings from research question two, it is clear that
Black women are incredibly thoughtful about leaning into the strategies and interventions that
have been effective at supporting them through their experiences. Strategy, itself, arose as

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something all participants were engaged in, whether through official organizational frameworks,
or the personal strategies individuals employ to navigate institutional barriers. However, the
interventions that were most salient for all participants were focused on the people who helped
provide support, partnership, and encouragement. It was no surprise that Black women are
supporting and saving Black women (Howard-Hamilton et al., 2024). The participants were
adamant about their love, adoration, and appreciation of other Black women, not only because of
who Black women are, but because of how Black women had shown up for them in the
workplace and in the community. From their mothers and grandmothers to mentors and
colleagues, participants lit up in their gushing about how much Black women meant to their
persistence through the ups and downs of their careers and lives. The support most participants
received from Black women provided validation and affirmation often needed to process, ideate,
and innovate in DEI work, which has shown to be imperative in navigating what can be a
perilous landscape.
It was an encouraging and important note that coalition with other colleagues helps
increase the success of DEI work as well. People who do not identify as Black women but do
their best to support Black women- true allies- help to make the work less isolating and arduous.
It is worth noting that not many participants named this as something that was happening with a
high degree of frequency. This, I believe, can be attributed to how Dobbin and Kalev (2016)
describe how people with proximity to whiteness and its benefits uphold hegemonic cultural
norms. BWDPs being seen as a threat to harmony and the status quo may not be perceived as the
most advantageous ally until others learn “how to make common cause with those others
identified as outside the structures in order to define and seek a world in which we can all
flourish” (Lorde, 1984, p.112).

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Yet, and still, one of the most powerful ways BWDP are supported is by their own voice.
This fact is validated by Black feminist theory (1989), and the idea of Black women being an
authority and a significant source of knowledge for themselves, as well as other minoritized
communities. While it can be frustrating, there is a power that comes with understanding how
systems are working, while being an actor within them. BWDP have the capability to see the
systems for what they are, and therefore have a higher ability to question the false narratives as
they arise. This ability also empowers BWDP to make decisions that best serve themselves and
the communities they serve.
Discussion of Research Question Three Findings
Anyone who has been on an airplane in the U.S. in at least this millennium is familiar
with the concept of putting your oxygen mask on before aiming to help anyone else. Yet, this
saying has become a metaphor for self-care, and one that Black women are aiming to take
seriously because the automatic response is to ensure that others have their oxygen before
themselves. These women acknowledge that it takes conscious effort to remember to put on the
mask first. The findings from research question three make it abundantly clear that Black women
DEI practitioners are aware that they must take care of themselves, therefore they are setting and
sustaining boundaries, rejecting misogynoir in coping methods, seeking guidance from ancestors
and leaders, and working to heal. While there is a historical context of Black women being
forced to sacrifice themselves for the care of others, it was a relief that none of the 12 interview
participants had that testimony. They are reclaiming their time. They expressed an adamance for
taking their paid time off, working reasonable hours, and making time for rest and fun. This is
especially encouraging because the review of the literature indicated that the last few years have

110
been especially arduous for BWDP, filled with disappointment and exhaustion (Carter et al.,
2022).
The findings also specify that BWDP are no longer adopting the standards and rules of
our hegemonic society to inform how they should cope. In her book, Righteous Discontent
(1994), Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham coined the term “respectability politics” and gave us
language to describe the proverbial hoops Black women must jump through to qualify for
acceptance to American, and more specifically, white society. While the findings do not
necessarily indicate whether participants ever bought into or have completely abandoned this
effort, I could ascertain that they are focusing on what felt right for them. For some, it was their
religion and spiritual practices. For many, it was a religious investment in exercise and
movement to care for their physical bodies; one group expressed enjoying wine and weed for
coping and relaxation; and a few engaged in all of the above. What was understood was that they
were not concerned with shame for any of it, and that, to me, is one of the most meaningful and
liberating findings, as they were proud and affirmed by the choices they made for themselves.
Recommendations for Practice
While battling cancer in 1988, Audre Lorde published a collection of essays called A
Burst of Light, where she famously stated:
I had to examine, in my dreams as well as in my immune-function tests, the devastating
effects of overextension. Overextending myself is not stretching myself. I had to accept
how difficult it is to monitor the difference. Necessary for me as cutting down on sugar.
Crucial. Physically. Psychically. Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is selfpreservation, and that is an act of political warfare (p. 131).

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Since being exposed to the wisdom in this statement, I have been steadfast in honoring its truth.
In this section, I will share my recommendation for practice, based on the findings of this study.
In chapter one, I discussed the purpose of my research and offered that history, even that which
is being created in the present, serves as a model for how our oppression and exploitation will
continue and repeat unless we, as Black women, adjust. I have used this study as a safe space to
explore the experiences of Black women DEI practitioners and deliberate on viable options for
what is next. I am reminded of Lorde also sharing that teaching others about our existence and
needs is “an old and primary tool of all oppressors to keep the oppressed occupied with the
master's concerns” (1984). Consequently, I fervently question whether engaging our knowledge,
energy, and labor to teach others is a good use of our God-given resources.
The three recommendations below address key findings from my research, which are not
only focused on Black women DEI practitioners, but dedicated and written with a tone that
directly speaks to Black women DEI practitioners, in hopes that my study will provide us with
affirmation and illuminate potential paths forward. The recommendations include:
1. Identify and Protect Affirming Self-Care;
2. Surround Yourself with a Network of People who Understand and Support You;
3. Walk Away if and When it no Longer Serves You. (Go Ahead and Free
Yourself).
Recommendation 1: Identify and Protect Affirming Self-care
The strong Black woman trope has led many to believe that we have the ability to take on
significantly more than other women (Alameen-Shavers, 2019; Simien, 2020). Simien further
argues that the “belief that Black women are tireless, deeply caring, and invulnerable has
arguably helped maintain exploitive hierarchical arrangements at home and in the workplace”

112
(2020, para. 2). Additionally, while we are required to facilitate such labor, we are also framed as
unqualified for mothering and making the right decisions for ourselves and our families
(Kendall, 2020). It is a contradictory position we navigate that further impacts our ability to
excel in any of the roles we fill, or most importantly, show up for ourselves in a fulfilling and
affirming way. This is all compounded by the fact that we are more likely than others to
experience workplace stress and burnout, which can lead to physical health problems such as
high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes (Tipre & Carson, 2022).
We may not be able to prevent the world from falling apart around us, but we can choose
to take care of ourselves. Sis, find self-care methods that work for you and protect them, by all
means. Because of the labor and exploitation we have historically experienced, self-care often is
described as frivolous and something only afforded to white women. It is critical that all Black
women, but especially those leading liberatory, justice work, identify and commit to methods for
release, joy, rejuvenation, and peace. However, this practice should be done in a way that
releases us from the guilt and shame that can come with stepping back or away, even briefly,
from the labor and exploitation.
It is imperative that we develop conducive ways to care for ourselves, in our roles, and
that can be through establishing clear boundaries. We can practice assertive self-care from the
start, valiantly protecting ourselves from the syphons we face in all facets of our lives. I
challenge us to be mindful of our own humanity and reasonable about our capacity while going
up against the harmful and pervasive systems we fight daily. Fulfill your purpose, walk in your
power, and fight “the good fight”, but remember that this job does not define you. If we do not
do another thing, we have earned the right to care for ourselves. And with that, we must also

113
allow ourselves the space and time to heal; to acknowledge the weight, the triumphs, the
disappointments, and do the work to become more whole versions of ourselves.
Recommendation 2: Surround Yourself With a Network of People who Understand,
Support, and Ride for you.
Having mentorship and supportive networks with other Black women is pivotal to the
success and well-being of Black women DEI practitioners. Additionally, people who do not
identify as Black women, but are our true allies, advocates, and supporters are valuable in the
workplace. For us, this work can be particularly exhausting, as it requires us to continuously
navigate and challenge the systemic barriers they face in the workplace. This can create a sense
of isolation, frustration, and a sense that their contributions are not valued. McGirt (2017)
suggests that Black women are “double outsiders” in that they are neither white nor men, which
prevents them from accessing the informal networks that allow all individuals within those in
groups to gain access to preferred opportunities, including jobs, mentors, and career shifting
networking spaces. To add insult to injury, Black women are not offered the coaching and
developmental opportunities that white employees are (Byrd and Stanley, 2009)
Sis, as isolating as this work may sometimes feel, you cannot do it alone. Neither should
you have to. As a DEI practitioner people may not always recognize or value your contributions.
However, you are not alone. There are people rooting for you, believing in you, and ready to
support you. Building and maintaining a network of mentors, allies, and peers who truly
understand, respect, and champion your work is invaluable. I acknowledge that having several
people who fit this description may not always be possible, but even one person who you can
ideate, process, vent, or co-conspire with is gold. Remember, the strength of your network lies in
the quality, not the quantity.

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Recommendation 3: Walk Away if and When it no Longer Serves you. (Go Ahead and Free
Yourself)
Black women DEI practitioners are dealing with a great deal of stress, burnout,
microaggressions, and performative responses to calls for DEI, but they are adamant about
showing up authentically and advocating for themselves and the communities they serve- even
when it sometimes comes at their own expense. Our workplace experiences can significantly
impact our physical and mental health, as we are often scrutinized and highly regulated based on
race and gender. As a result, Black women experience higher levels of work-related stress than
other groups, which can be attributed to various factors, including discrimination, job demands,
and lack of support (Mays, 1995).
Sis, we must develop a way to assess and decide how much is too much; when to walk
away if and when the work no longer serves us. This must be a personal threshold and decision,
but my recommendation is that under the current circumstances, it should be something we are
open to doing. This recommendation does not seek to assume that this is a financially viable
move for everyone, at any point, but to offer a lifeline for considering that another pathway
might be possible. Whether it’s a different organization, a different methodology, or even a
different field of work, whatever it is, allow yourself to consider whether or not this work is
giving you what you have given it, and if the answer is no, allow yourself to consider making a
shift.
Implications for Future Research
The women who propelled Black feminist thought into our collective consciousness
underscored that Black women have exploited and oppressed (Collins, 1990; Hurston, 1969) and
are underpaid and underappreciated (Erskine et al., 2021; hooks, 2004) in the U.S. workplace.

115
Moreover, Afro-pessimism theory scholars argue that it is futile for Black people to engage in
DEI work- the work of making organizations more diverse, equitable, and inclusive- because
these systems are fundamentally anti-Black at their core (Wilderson III, 2010). Hence, my
recommendations for future research is the one area of the study that is pointed towards groups
outside of Black women.
I am recommending that white people, and those who benefit from whiteness engage in
the work and research needed to dismantle and eradicate the systems and structures they created;
this would require that they engage in more research of whiteness and white people. Though
some work is being done by white scholars to identify the systems of whiteness and galvanize
white people to do the necessary work to address it (Applebaum, 2010; DiAngelo, 2018), it is not
nearly enough to mitigate the exorbitant amount of harm being done daily. While many Black
folks will continue to engage in this work because, for them, to not engage, might feel like giving
up and forfeiting progress. Also, because passion and purpose do not dissipate because of the
challenges, many people will continue to forge ahead. However, I deeply believe that to see true
progress, white scholars, leaders, and researchers must pick this mantle up and do the work.
I acknowledge that my research, in focusing on the experience of Black women DEI
practitioners in the U.S., may marginalize Black women who live and work within organizations
in other countries. My research decision to spotlight BWDP in the United States is not only a
product of my own positionality, but also the fact that being Black women in the United States
means that we are positioned in the U.S. caste system (Wilkerson, 2020), and the U.S. Workplace
Complex with a particular set of challenges and experiences. Black feminist scholars make it
clear that Black women around the world are suffering similarly oppressive conditions (hooks,
2004; Kendall, 2020). Hence, while I center this research on a subset of our global community, I

116
honor the fact that nobody’s free until everybody’s free (Brooks & Houck, 2010). Hence, I
recommend that scholars in different countries engage and document the experiences of Black
women leading DEI or Social Justice work with the purpose of empowering Black women to
seek methods for their own success and liberation.
Limitations and Delimitations
With any research project, there are elements that go differently than the researcher
planned. However, it’s integral to identify limitations and delimitations, which will inform the
project’s scope and provide boundaries with which to work within. Creswell and Creswell (2018)
define limitations as the weaknesses or shortcomings of a study, and they define delimitations as
boundaries or guardrails a researcher sets for a study. The limitations for this project include
sample size and generalizability, given that Black women DEI practitioners are such a small
subset of the population, that this study might not comprehensively represent the swath of
experiences Black women have in the workplace. While I addressed this through thoughtful and
intentional recruitment of participants, I understand that there are remaining limitations. There
was also a limitation from my positionality as a researcher. I researched a topic that is intimately
close to my own experience, and therefore had to utilize reflexivity at all stages of the process,
considering my own biases and motives, and checking them to ensure they do not creep into the
research.
The delimitations that impacted this research are demographics and scope of work. There
are specific characteristics that informed the participants I chose and therefore the research for
this project. These characteristics are important as the participants had to belong to the specific
group to provide context to the research. However, I acknowledge that there are many other
people who hold differing identities and are also experiencing some of the same resistance to

117
DEI in the workplace. Only focusing on the experiences of Black women created a narrower
view of what is happening and how it impacts DEI practitioners. However, as Black women are a
highly marginalized and minoritized group, focusing on their experiences provided a framework
for understanding the experiences of others. I hope my research will be a catalyst for other
minoritized groups to engage in similar research as well.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to demarginalize the voices of Black Women DEI
Practitioners (BWDP) by exploring their lived experiences, especially as they relate to what they
have personally experienced and surveyed as the individuals responsible for leading DEI efforts
for at least the last three years within an organization in the United States. This study was
important because BWDP are concurrently navigating compound oppressions because of their
intersectional experience in the workplace but are also responsible for guiding the organization
towards mitigating those oppression. BWDP are in a compromised position daily, with little
support and resources, and it is having substantially negative effects on them and their lives. By
centering the experiences of BWDP and honoring their Black Feminist Standpoint Epistemology
(Collins 1990), I was able to confirm the deteriorating status of DEI in workplaces across the
country and what is happening to BWDP being caught in the crosshairs (Carter et al., 2022).
This study was effective at identifying the barriers and resistance BWDP have had to
navigate since 2020 when DEI was thriving, to 2023 when there was a full-scale attack on the
work. History could have told us that white (baseless) fear of replacement, and disinterest in
leveraging privilege to create truly inclusive environments would yield the contemporary
backlash, but those facts do not lessen the impact and pain to BWDP. The study identified the
ways that BWDP are establishing strategies and interventions to support their success in the

118
workplace, and that the most beneficial intervention is community with other Black women.
Next, the study helped identify the methods BWDP are using to create a healthy framework for
leading DEI work, and that they are rejecting misogynoir to do so. Though it may not be the
most shocking finding, the one I want Black women DEI practitioners to walk away from this
study with is that they must prioritize and fiercely protect their self-care. Finally, the study
perpetuated that Black women are the authority on our own experiences and are best positioned
to illuminate what is happening in the workplace. Now, it is in everyone’s best interest to listen.

119
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Appendix A: 2020 Covid-19 Timeline
December 31, 2019
The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in China is informed of several cases of
a pneumonia of unknown etiology (cause) with symptoms including shortness of breath and
fever occurring in Wuhan, China. All initial cases seem connected to the Huanan Seafood
Wholesale Market.
January 3, 2020
China informs WHO that they have identified over 40 cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology.
January 14, 2020
WHO finds evidence of possible human-to-human transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but
WHO scientists say that human-to-human transmission is not surprising given our knowledge of
respiratory pathogens.
January 30, 2020
CDC confirms that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has now spread between two people in Illinois with
no history of recent travel. This is the first recorded instance of person-to-person spread of the
2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S and brings the total number of cases up to seven.
February 10, 2020
Worldwide deaths from the 2019 Novel Coronavirus reach 1,013. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has
now killed more people than the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) outbreak,
which claimed 774 lives globally from November 2002 to July 2003.
March 11, 2020
After more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths, the WHO declares COVID-19
a pandemic.

136
March 13, 2020 The Trump Administration declares a nationwide emergency and issues an
additional travel ban on non-U.S. citizens traveling from 26 European countries due to COVID19.
March 15, 2020
States begin to implement shutdowns in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The New
York City public school system— the largest school system in the U.S., with 1.1 million
students— shuts down, while Ohio calls for restaurants and bars to close.
March 31, 2020
At a White House Press Briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Brix announced that
between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths in the U.S. are expected— even if social distancing and
public health measures are perfectly enacted.
April 10, 2020
With over 18,600 confirmed deaths and more than 500,000 confirmed cases in under four
months, the U.S. is the country with the most reported COVID-19 cases and deaths, surpassing
Italy and Spain as a global hot-spot for the virus.
May 9, 2020
The unemployment rate in the U.S. is 14.7%— the highest since the Great Depression. With 20.5
million people out of work, the hospitality, leisure, and healthcare industries take the greatest hits
overall, affecting essential workers, people with lower incomes, and racial and ethnic minority
workers disproportionally.
June 8, 2020
The World Bank states that the COVID-19 pandemic will plunge the global economy into the
worst recession since World War II.

137
June 10, 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpasses 2 million.
June 24, 2020
Three weeks after Black Lives Matter protests broke out across the country in the wake of the
deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, data from 300 of the largest U.S. cities found no
evidence of a COVID-19 spike in the weeks following the beginning of the protests—
researchers determined that social distancing behaviors went up as people tried to avoid the
protests.
July 14, 2020
Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia have both
the greatest percentage of adults who are currently uninsured and the highest numbers of new
COVID-19 cases.
August 24, 2020
The first documented case of COVID-19 reinfection is confirmed by the University of Hong
Kong.
September 28, 2020
The reported death toll from COVID-19 reaches more than 1 million worldwide— in just 10
months.
October 6, 2020
Food insecurity in the U.S. reaches 52 million people due to the COVID-19 pandemic— 17
million more people than pre-pandemic numbers.
November 11, 2020

138
The journal Nature releases a study showing that most COVID-19 cases originate at indoor
gathering spaces— places of worship, restaurants, gyms, and grocery stores. Areas of lower
socioeconomic status were found to be at much greater risk: many residents are essential workers
or cannot work from home and public spaces in these areas tend to be scarcer and more densely
populated. The study’s model suggested that a trip to a grocery store would be about twice as
risky in a neighborhood of lower incomes as in one of higher incomes.
November 16 & 18, 2020
Moderna’s and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines, respectively, are found to be approximately 95%
effective in clinical trials.
December 27, 2020
The Trump Administration signs the second COVID Relief Act into law.
December 29, 2020
The first case of the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 / “Alpha” variant is detected in the U.S. by the Colorado
Department of Health. (CDC, 2023)

139
Appendix B: Interview Protocol
Introduction to the Interview:
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview.
The core of my research is interrogating resistance to organizational DEI efforts, and its
impact on the Black women that facilitate the work. Patricia Hill Collins, in Black feminist
thought, offers that Black women are well positioned in their identity and their experience, at the
intersection of racism and sexism, to provide insight into the systems and structures we navigate,
and lead within. I am using that framework to center the voices of Black women DEI
practitioners as the authority on not only our own intersectional experiences, but also on what is
occurring in the workplace and how it's impacting our lived experiences within and outside of
the workplace. I know the last three years have been exhausting, difficult, and sometimes
triggering for me, and I felt this space could be cathartic for us to talk about what it has been
like, and process next steps.
I have 17 questions to guide us through our conversation, and while I want to hear as much of
your story as you’re willing to share, I know this could be a tough or triggering conversation, so
feel free to pause, take a break, or ask for what you need. This is a safe space, and I want you to
feel free to tell your story in the way you want to tell it. No need for filtering or reframing. This
interview and all subsequent transcripts are for research purposes only, so the video from the
sessions, any notes that I take, or audio that I record are for the purposes of including your lived
experiences that you choose to share with me in the research documentation. You will be given a
pseudonym, and everything you share will be kept confidential.
Do you have any questions for me?

140
Before we get started, I have to get your permission to record this Zoom interview and use an
automated transcription service called Otter.ai so that I can refer to your interview later. Both
the recording and transcripts will be stored safely and securely. Is it okay that I record?
Wait for response and then turn on recording
Thank you for agreeing to record the Zoom interview and for me to use Otter.Ai
Wait for response
Interview Questions Potential Probes RQ
Key Concept
Addressed
1. Tell me a little about your organization, and
your position within it.
2
Standpoint
epistemolog
y
2. How long have you been doing DEI work?
3 Activism
3. What has your education and/or training
consisted of?
4. How did you end up becoming a DEI
professional? 3 Activism
5. What type of support have you received to be
successful in your role? 1 Oppression
6. Give me an example of a time you made
recommendations for the organization in
relation to DEI and how leaders responded. 1 Oppression
7. What has been your experience
implementing DEIB related initiatives?
Before 2020? After 2020?
How does doing this
work as a Black
woman affect what
you do? 2
Standpoint
epistemolog
y
8. What, if anything, has changed for you in
this work since 2020? 3
Resistance/
Activism
9. What has been your experience been telling
the truth about your and other minoritized
employees’ experiences?
What was the
outcome? 2
Standpoint
epistemolog
y
10. What strategies, if any, have you found that
have been successful at breaking through
barriers and resistance in this work? 3
Resistance/
Activism

141
11. What has been your experience navigating
relationships and/or building community
with other Black women in the workplace?
If any, how has
leading this work
impacted those
relationships? What
about with non-Black
colleagues? 3
Resistance/
Activism
12. How has this work impacted your personal
life?
Family,
Physical/Mental
Health, Confidence? 1 Oppression
13. Do you think it’s different for non-Black
women? If so, how? 1 Oppression
14. What does your future trajectory in this work
look like?
Is that what you
want? How long have
you felt this way? 3
Resistance/
Activism
15. What have been the methods you’ve used for
coping through this work? Are they effective? 3
Resistance/
Activism
16. We’ve discussed coping, but what about
healing? If coping is dealing with problems
and difficulties, healing is the process of
becoming whole or healthy again. How have
you engaged in healing?
17. If you could use this moment to share
something you want or need to say or do at
work, but know you cannot or should notwhat would that be?
What do you think
will happen if you
do?
3
Resistance/
Activism
Conclusion to the Interview:
That is all of my questions. Do you have anything else you want to share, whether it’s something
you thought about after we moved on to another question or anything you expected me to ask
about that I didn’t? Do you have any questions before we end? Thank you so much for your
transparency. I know this is a tough discussion, but I’m honored that you shared your story with
me. I hope that my research does justice to your experience and offers us the lifeline we need so
badly in this work.

Abstract (if available)

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Weight for care: the impact of fatphobia on Black women in healthcare settings

PDF

Empowering Black women: Navigating breast cancer care and survivorship

Asset Metadata

Creator Curry, Porsia Lynette (author)

Core Title Canaries in the mine: centering the voices of Black women DEI practitioners in a period of DEI resistance

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2024-05

Publication Date 04/30/2024

Defense Date 04/19/2024

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag activism,Afro pessimism theory,and inclusion,anti-Blackness,authenticity,Black feminist theory,black women,compound oppression,DEI practitioner,diversity,equity,intersectionality,leadership,liberation,OAI-PMH Harvest,organizational effectiveness,pandemic,patriarchy,racial reckoning,racism,self-care,sexism,standpoint epistemology,strategy,toxic work environments,U.S. workplace complex,white supremacy,whiteness

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Kim, Esther (committee chair), Alameen-Shavers, Antwanisha (committee member), Hinga, Briana (committee member)

Creator Email porsia01@gmail.com,porsiacu@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113911953

Unique identifier UC113911953

Identifier etd-CurryPorsi-12875.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-CurryPorsi-12875

Document Type Dissertation

Format theses (aat)

Rights Curry, Porsia Lynette

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20240503-usctheses-batch-1147 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu