Published Together: What COVID-19 is telling us about equity

As a certified diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultant and a resident of the West Michigan community for over 35 years, I have observed our community evolve in how we embrace the value of equity. We have heard how consistently it will take all of us working together to get through this crisis, but why does it take a global pandemic for us to realize our capacity to come together and rally around our neighbors, especially those who are marginalized or particularly vulnerable? If anything, this pandemic has illuminated how vulnerable our systems really are. 

Development of systems

Addressing the root causes that create or widen disparities should not be an afterthought within the decisions we’re making to address this pandemic. Right now, we are learning the hard way about how important it is for us to leverage the diversity of thought in how we plan and develop systems to support all members of our community, such as food and nutrition, housing, education, and childcare, in addition to health care. Being intentional in fostering equity means being proactive in who we bring together and how we bring them together as a practice (rather than being reactive and asking “Who are we missing?” after the fact).

If we are asking the question, “Who are we doing this for?”, we’re asking the wrong question. We need to ask, “Who are we doing this with, and how do we ensure that the community makes the final decision?” Because our community has had to react so quickly to this crisis, the strategies developed to respond to it often haven’t included those feeling the full magnitude of it. As journalist Charles Blow reflected in the New York Times:

“People can’t empathize with what it truly means to be poor in this country, to live in a too-small space with too many people, to not have enough money to buy food for a long duration or anywhere to store it if they did. [...]. The ability to panic becomes a privilege existing among those who rarely have to do it.”

Impact of privilege

Embracing equity through the lens of abundance versus scarcity is key to realizing its true value. Because we lack, as a community, a deep understanding of what equity is, we’re more often addressing the “symptoms” of inequity rather than addressing the root causes.

As the richest and most powerful country in the world, no one should lack access to the basic resources or the opportunity to achieve a quality of life. The Grand Rapids metro area is rated as one of the most philanthropic in the country (and we should be proud of that). However, we tend to invest our resources in solutions that help people manage when they are in crisis, rather walking alongside to support them so they can thrive on their own.

For example, we should not see fellow neighbors having to rely consistently on food banks and schools as their main source of food — how might we reimagine the systems so that they can have a quality of life that ensures they are always food secure? This may mean disrupting our existing notions of access to wealth and resources so that we’re leveraging our privilege to disrupt these disparities rather than sustaining them.
 
Influence of bias

We are seeing disparities in the contracting and succumbing to the virus across racial groups. Some believe that it is due to the behavior of the group or that it could be genetic. Historically, research has shown systems developed through a biased lens have been contributing to racial health and healthcare disparities for years, and still do today. DEI challenges us to manage our biases (explicit and implicit) in order to be genuine and intentional in our cross-cultural interactions so we can build relationships of trust to the benefit of us all. It also can equip us to be more thoughtful in our work so we recognize the factors that contribute to the “situatedness” within groups that influence their experience within the systems we design.
 
Our community is at a tipping point: equity (along with diversity and inclusion) isn’t just about “doing the right thing,” it’s about who we are, or who we aren’t. And it’s not a matter of if there will be another pandemic or crisis, but when that will happen. Our ability to leverage our diversity through the power of inclusion to achieve equity for all is key to our quality of life, but more importantly the security of our nation. What we can do is reimagine the systems that are under stress today to serve all of us better in the future.

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Paul T. Doyle applies over 30 years of management and leadership experience to inspire organizations to enhance their performance through inclusive work and service environments. By understanding how to embrace the cultures, values, and behaviors of a diverse workforce, Paul’s leadership helps organizations to maintain the competitive edge needed for success in today’s rapidly changing global economic market. A key to his success is creating platforms of trust through intentional relationship building allowing the diversity of thought to be achieved and valued which, in turn, fosters inclusive growth and innovation. Paul is the Founder/CEO of Inclusive Performance Strategies (IPS), an organizational performance consulting firm based in Grand Rapids, MI that specializes in diversity, equity, inclusion, and intercultural competence. IPS supports the development of organizations and systems locally, regionally, and nationally to ensure they are able to meet and exceed their goals through fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams and cultures. Paul is a Certified Diversity Professional and a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory(TM).