Unapologetic; The ED&I Landscape with Vanessa Matthews - a podcast by Ian Benjamin

What this current landscape of BLM and George Floyd has produced is a new wave of unapologetically black thought espoused now by the proverbial water cooler a much as in the boardroom.  CNN refers to Siddum’s definition of Unapologetically Black as not expending energy on what white people think,’ .He expands in his essay it’s “A journey towards freedom and rapture, but a painful journey nonetheless.”

We are not surprised how this sentiment would raise an eyebrow and a sense of concern about how this lands in the workplace. How does that fit in the discourse around equality and diversity in the workplace where the priority is harmony? Is the unapologetic space aligned with a truly inclusive environment?  Leading some of these conversations during this potentially paradigm-shifting space has revealed a revived appetite for race based inclusion efforts that work, as well as a disdain and a fear of others being excluded. In private people tell me that they feel that things have “gone the other way”.  If that’s what some are saying directly to a Black practitioner, you can imagine what the hidden unspoken thoughts are.

In referencing the late Toni Morrison’s writing, the guardian writes – that her brand of unapologetic black thought is “Without anger, apology or explanation, she moved black life from the margins of American history to the centre of stories that excavated American truths.”   What this definition reveals is that are indeed D&I conversations that are honest, unrepentant but without shame or blame. Do we need to fear this unapologetic sentiment? This podcast is part 1 in exploring the possibilities and opportunities for real inclusive leadership and D&I efforts that inspire and the how this unapologetic narrative can be the catalyst.

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