Racial Justice at Work

Creating justice-centered organizations is the next frontier in DEI. This book shows how to go beyond compliance to address harm, share power, and create equity. Traditional DEI work has not succeeded at dismantling systems that perpetuate harm and exclude BIPOC groups. Proponents of DEI have put too much focus on HR solutions, such as increasing representation, and not enough emphasis on changing the deeper organizational systems that perpetuate inequities-in other words, on justice. DEIJ work diverges from traditional metrics-driven DEI work and requires a new approach to effectively dismantle power structures.This thought-provoking, solutions-oriented book offers strategic advice on how to adopt a justice mindset, anticipate and address resistance, shift power dynamics, and create a psychologically safe organizational culture. Individual chapters provide pragmatic how-to guides to implementing justice-centered practices in recruitment and hiring, data collection and analysis, learning and development, marketing and advertising, procurement, philanthropy, and more. DEIJ pioneer Mary-Frances Winters and her coauthors address some of the most significant aspects of adding a justice focus to diversity work, showing how to create a workplace culture where equity is not a checklist of performative actions but a lived reality.

Preface 5Introduction: It's About Correcting Harm 8Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 8Part 1: Reimagining Justice in the Workplace 18Chapter 1: Defining Justice 19Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 19Chapter 2: The Minimization, Weaponization, and Demonization of Racial Justice Concepts 24Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 24Chapter 3: Operationalizing Justice: A Radical Shift in Consciousness 39Leigh Morrison, Learning and Innovation Manager, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 39Chapter 4: The Leadership Imperative 47Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 47Chapter 5: A Developmental Approach to Racial Justice 52Terrence Harewood, PhD, Vice President, Learning and Innovation, The Winters Group, Inc. (He/Him/His) 52Chapter 6: Anticipating Resistance 69Kevin Carter, Vice President, Strategy and Assessments, The Winters Group, Inc. (he/him/his) 69Chapter 7: Addressing Resistance 81Kevin Carter, Vice President, Strategy and Assessments, The Winters Group, Inc. (he/him/his) 81Chapter 8: Neutrality Isn't Neutral: Whose Values Do We Value in the Workplace? 93Thamara Subramanian, Equity Audit and Strategy Manager, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 93Part 2: Actualizing Justice in the Workplace 99Chapter 9: Employees Can't Be Safe Until They Feel Safe 100Scott Ferry, Lead Instructional Designer, The Winters Group, Inc. (he/him/his) 100Chapter 10: Closed Mouths Don't Get Justice 108Katelyn Peterson, Client Success Account Manager, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 108Chapter 11: Accountability Through Restorative Dialogue 118Rochelle Younan-Montgomery, Instructional Designer, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 118Chapter 12: The Problem with Professionalism 132Tami Jackson, Instructional Designer, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 132Chapter 13: Allyship Is for All 139Scott Ferry, Lead Instructional Designer, The Winters Group, Inc. (he/him/his) 139Chapter 14: The Problem with DEIJ Data 144Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 144Chapter 15: Make a Difference with Your DEIJ Data: A Four-Step Process 154Thamara Subramanian, Equity Audit and Strategy Manager, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 154Chapter 16: How to Make Reparations a Reality Now 171Leigh Morrison, Learning and Innovation Manager, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) and Tami Jackson, Instructional Designer, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 171Chapter 17: Recruiting, Hiring, and Other HR Practices for Racial Justice 183Gabrielle Gayagoy Gonzalez, Instructional Designer/Marketing and PR Strategist, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 183Chapter 18: Disrupting What It Means to Be a Productive and Healthy Workplace 192Thamara Subramanian, Equity Audit and Strategy Manager, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 192Chapter 19: A Racial Justice-Centered Approach to Learning and Development 201Leigh Morrison, Learning and Innovation Manager, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 201Chapter 20: Justice in Procurement 208Mareisha N. Reese, Chief Operating Officer, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 208Chapter 21: Automating Bias 214Megan Ellinghausen, Marketing and Branding Specialist, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 214Chapter 22: Disrupting the Racist Narrative in Marketing and Advertising 226Megan Larson, EdD, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 226Chapter 23: Justice in Philanthropy 239Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 239Conclusion: Radical Change 247Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 247Acknowledgements 249Mary-Frances Winters, Founder and CEO, The Winters Group, Inc. (she/her/hers) 249About the Authors 250Endorsements 256Endnotes 258