Sara Sanford - Inclusion, Inc.: How to Design Intersectional Equity into the Workplace

1. Chapter 9
2. Chapter 10
3. Chapter 14

SARA SANFORD

HOW TO DESIGN INTERSECTIONAL EQUITY INTO THE WORKPLACE

Copyright 2022 by Sara Sanford. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sanford, Sara, author.
Title: Inclusion, inc : how to design intersectional equity into the workplace / Sara Sanford.
Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2022] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021062103 (print) | LCCN 2021062104 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119849766 (cloth) | ISBN 9781119850038 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119850021 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Intersectionality (Sociology) | Work environment.
Classification: LCC HM488.5 .S26 2022 (print) | LCC HM488.5 (ebook) | DDC 305.3dc23/eng/20220119
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021062103
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021062104

Cover Image: Wiley
Cover Design: Wiley

For my parents, for always believing.

And for anyone who's ever been underestimated.

Readers will come to this book with varying levels of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) vocabulary. The dialogue around DEI is continuously evolving, and words can have different meanings for different people. This brief guide provides a common language framework for the rest of the book. It is not intended as a glossary, but rather to clarify how DEI language is being used in Inclusion, Inc.

Why is Black capitalized in this book, but not white, when referring to race?

In July 2020, the New York Times announced that, after a month of discussion, they would capitalize Black when describing people and cultures of African descent. Hundreds of news organizations, including the Associated Press, made the same choice in the spring and summer of 2020. Most news organizations have declined to capitalize white because it is an identifier of skin color, rather than of shared experience.

For the reasons stated by these organizations, I have chosen to capitalize Black and not white when referring to race in Inclusion, Inc.

The term DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this book, it is used to refer to the field of work that focuses on ensuring that employees of all backgroundsespecially underestimated backgroundsare included, treated fairly, and given the same opportunities to advance as their peers.

Diversity. The presence of individuals who differ from one another in a range of ways, such as socioeconomic status, age, gender identity, ethnicity, race, language, and religion.

Equity. Fairness of treatment for employees of all backgrounds. The distinction between equity and equality is important: Equity does not mean equal treatment, but rather creating equal access to opportunities through equitable practices.

Inclusion. Moving beyond recruiting underestimated individuals to involving them in decision-making and valuing and rewarding their contributions. One of my favorite definitions of inclusion came from DEI expert Verna Myers: Diversity is being asked to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.

How class, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and other aspects of identity intersect with one another or overlap. For example, the experiences of being Latinx or being a woman are not the same as being Latinx and a woman. Certain biases are only experienced when living at the intersection of these two identities.

Refers to individuals who experience different neurological functioning than the majority of the population. Neurodivergence may present as autism, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome, or in a number of other forms.

Why is the term underestimated, rather than underrepresented, used to refer to individuals and groups that experience bias in the workplace?

In 2015, Arlan Hamilton founded the Los Angelesbased venture capital firm, Backstage Capital, to invest in underestimated founders, including founders of color, women, and those who identify as LGBTQ. She also used the term underestimated in the title of her book, It's About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage.

I wanted to adopt this term because in many cases, I believe it is more accurate than underrepresented. For example, underrepresented is not accurate when women make up over half of a group. Although they may not be