The Third Nobel Option
Baleva Ward (US Veteran)
VP of Equity | Culture Champion |Strategic Leader | I help organizations achieve inclusive excellence by driving diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, fostering community, and implementing strategic DEI programs.
Greetings Friends!
Over the past few years, the issue of renaming buildings and groups named after enslavers has sparked heated debates across the globe, especially in America. On one side, some advocates for renaming view it as a necessary step toward acknowledging and rectifying historical injustices. They argue that honoring individuals who profited from slavery perpetuates a legacy of oppression and sends the wrong message about societal values. They assert that erasing these villains from history and renaming buildings and groups is a symbolic gesture of solidarity with marginalized communities and a tangible step towards fostering inclusivity.
However, on the other side of the spectrum, critics of this approach argue that while changing names may temporarily appease the current public outcry, it does very little to dismantle the structures of inequality created or supported by these public figures that continue to plague society. Instead, they believe DEI efforts should be directed towards more substantive actions, such as implementing equitable policies, investing in underrepresented communities, and dismantling systemic racism. In other words, focusing on improving the world for people living today and in the future versus symbolically slapping the perpetrators of wrongs in the past. These critics contend that concentrating solely on symbolic gestures distracts from the broader goals of equity and justice. They argue that symbolic gestures may serve as a superficial allyship, but they ultimately fall short of creating any meaningful change today. Instead, they advocate for a shift in focus towards systemic reforms that address the root causes of inequality and work towards building a more just and equitable society for all.
If I may, I would like to suggest a third approach inspired by the story of the inventor Alfred Nobel, best known today for the Peace Prize. Alfred Nobel made his fortune from his invention of dynamite. In 1888, Alfred's brother, Ludvig, died in France from a heart attack. Thanks to poor reporting, at least one French newspaper believed that it was Alfred who had perished, and it proceeded to write a scathing obituary that branded Alfred the "merchant of death" who had grown rich by developing new and better ways to "mutilate and kill" people. The error was later corrected, but not before Alfred had the unpleasant experience of reading his nasty death notice. Indeed, Alfred's invention had destroyed many lives on a scale previously unattainable by conventional weapons of his era. Alfred himself was said to have been horrified by the results of his work. So, to atone for the damage and pain caused by his invention, he established the Nobel Peace Prize in his will. This prestigious award aimed to recognize individuals and organizations that contributed significantly to promoting peace and resolving conflicts. Through this act, Nobel turned the profits of his death-dealing invention into the funding that supported the pursuit of peace and the betterment of all humanity.
So here is my suggested third approach: Targeted restitution. Instead of just renaming buildings and groups named after enslavers to erase them from history, what if DEIB leaders, taking inspiration from the story of Alfred Nobel, directed their efforts towards convincing leaders to use the resources of these buildings and associations to make some form of restitution to present and future generations of those harmed by the people honored by these buildings and institutions. So, instead of lobbying to rename Harvard's Winthrop House, why not lobby to turn it into a free dorm for African American students on campus? Or instead of lobbying to remove Rothchild's name from the company, what if the DEIB leader proposes that the company set up an endowment for Black people who are descendants of the people the Rothchild's enslaved? Imagine the symbolic power and actual impact of having an association named after a Black enslaver provide an endowment to Black MBA African American students descended from people of the era of slavery as restitution? By turning the buildings and associations named after the supporters of oppression and slavery into the supporters and funders of restitution, like Nobel, we achieve both symbolic and substantive results.
Of course, I recognize that this third way may not work for everything. But imagine the actual benefits we can drive to formally oppressed communities today and in the future by first seeking ways to drive tangible benefits that impact people's lives today and, in the future, while satisfying the need for symbolism.
That is what I call The Nobel Third Option, and I encourage you to consider it every time you face this challenge. And by all means feel free to come up with additional ways to move us forward.
Okay, now let’s dive into our curated article for this week!
For Your Edification, Inspiration, and Entertainment
· Inclusive Marketing is More than Symbols and Slogans
· Bias and Discrimination Claims Are Up
· Even the Good Can Do Better with Equity
· How We Put Bias into Our Hiring Systems
Inclusive Marketing is More than Symbols and Slogans
If inclusive marketing is not the ridiculous corporate practice of slapping a rainbow on a website and social media in June, what is it? It's actually a super lucrative marketing strategy. Check this out for more.
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Bias and Discrimination Claims Are Up
This article tells us that employers are facing an uptick in a variety of bias claims, including allegations of discrimination in benefits and leave. Is this happening more frequently, or are people more predisposed to sue the company due to distrust?
Even the Good Can Do Better with Equity
This article highlights pay equity concerns within the environmental justice movement, emphasizing that even well-intentioned movements may retain outdated biases. While acknowledging the valuable work being done, it underscores the need for continuous improvement as we transition to a 21st-century workforce, workplace, and marketplace.
How We Put Bias into Our Hiring Systems
Check out this brief video, in which I explain how we introduce biases into our hiring systems and futilely try to address them by masking race, gender, and other demographic traits. The bottom line is that bias in AI is a feature, not a bug.
That's it for this week, my friends. Please be safe and always remember to . . . watch for signals from the future so you can generate the vision and strategies that lead others to higher levels of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging!
Sincerely,
B. Maurice Ward