Working Hard or Hardly Working?: Diversity and Inclusion According to Black Professionals

Although I’m sure that diversity and inclusion have been a controversy for a long time, there have been several companies that have recently dropped their diversity and inclusion (DEI) practices and policies. With that said, let’s think about whether diversity and inclusion were ever really practiced.

“If they were doing anything right, they wouldn’t need DEI policies,” said Diane Daniels, founder of D.I.D. & Associates, a public relations firm.

According to Maryann Erigha’s (2018) article, “At the cultural level, racialization takes place in the form of cultural racialization (Barot and Bird 2001). As a consequence, U.S. media institutions become racialized structures that systematically privilege whites over other racial groups.” 

The same article also discloses that, “In order to justify and normalize racial inequalities of the era, divisive racial ideologies and media stereotypes stratify racial groups, shaping the images of what places and characteristics racial groups should and should not occupy in society and upholding principles that embody the interests of the dominant white group to the disadvantage of other racial groups. White media organizations frame narratives such that disadvantaged groups occupy undesirable spaces (Erigha, 2018).”

After reading this in addition to books like “The Black Eden,” “Adventures in Shondaland,” and other research, it settled in even more that this long-lasting battle of trying to prove that we deserve to be included will continue to go on. Furthermore, it’s also an ongoing fight for our creations and products to be recognized as our own.

This is why, we have to utilize our voices and ensure that we credit ourselves in addition to ensuring that someone else can validate us.

Photo from AZ Quotes

Following my research, I got to speak with Ms. Daniels, a well-respected journalist with over 20 years of experience who provided some insight about her experiences as a black female journalist. 

“When I started, diversity meant minorities and women having an equal part in companies,” said Daniels.

Being the first African American to ever write for the McKeesport Daily News, Daniels had to prove herself. As a general beat reporter, she was once asked to fill in for a political reporter, a white counterpart, in the North Huntington area. Thus, she explained what it felt like to be the only black in a newsroom, especially one who recently graduated from an HBCU and had an afro.

“He comes up to me and asks, ‘Where’s so-and-so’.  I said, ‘Oh, he’s sick today’ and that I was covering for him. In which, he asked ‘Really?’ and ‘There are no ‘n-words’ allowed here’,” said Daniels.

As a result, she left the room that day after being taught her first lesson about racism. But, since then, Daniels made sure to always hold her own and stood her ground when she entered because she knew she had to be the best. More importantly, she grew to be more proud of being the only black person in the room, especially as a woman, because it was significant that our stories be told.

With the significance of our stories being told, I must mention that according to Erigha (2018), “Studies by Bielby and Bielby (2002) and Hunt, Ramon, and Price (2014) concluded that African American writers are well underrepresented beyond their population in the U.S.A.

In addition, black writers are absent from roles on the majority of programs; when present, they are predominantly ghettoized onto programs featuring majority African American casts.” 

Thus, as an African-American journalist, it was important for Daniels to be in those environments because she was a representation of what could be. To those aspiring to work in any media field, please listen to these pieces of motivation that Ms. Daniels disclosed during my interview with her:

• “The support is there, but you have to seek it.”

• “There needs to be black media… We need news, education, especially now.”

• “We also need mechanisms to help us pull together. It’s going to be our survival.”

With that said, I know this encouraged me to take up space and I hope it encouraged you to do the same.  Additionally,  in Jeanelle Hope's (2023) article, it is mentioned that “But, Black faces in high places” has seldom resulted in justice for Black communities.”

So, maybe this can be the chance for us to make Hope’s statement true by opening more doors for each other and collaborating more.

Feel free to let me know what you think by leaving a comment.