Unfortunately, the world has not historically been a very inclusive place. People have been marginalized and discriminated against because of things like race, religion, and gender since the beginning of time. Only now are we as a human race becoming more inclusive, accepting, and understanding. Most relevant at this time is the persecution of Europeans against African Americans and various other enslaved peoples.
If you are a business owner, educator, or just an individual interested in becoming a better person, then this page is for you. Here is a brief history of persecution, and why it is important to learn to be more accepting.
DEI Training
Before exploring this post’s main topic, the history of persecution and why it’s important to be accepting of others, it’s first important to cover DEI training. DEI, or diversity, equality, and inclusion training is a type of training usually given by employers to their staff, in order to ensure workplace diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion are often confused with one another. However, in an article titled ‘Diversity vs inclusion’ the authors write that diversity and inclusion are two distinct things. Diversity in a workplace setting is a group of people from varying backgrounds, cultures, and heritages. Inclusion is when you make an active effort to ensure a positive environment for everybody. Diversity, equality, and inclusion training can help to teach your staff the importance of equality, and how to be kind and respectful to one another.
Racial Persecution
As mentioned in this post’s introduction, at this time, the atrocities committed by Europeans against African Americans and indigenous peoples are most relevant. Academics claim that many of the atrocities committed were done because European settlers and invaders believed they were superior to those they were enslaving. In recent times, various political and social organizations have been founded (like the Black Lives Matter movement) in order to seek reparations for the crimes committed by Europeans against enslaved peoples. Because everybody is so concerned with the crimes of the past at the minute, diversity and inclusion have never been more important.
Being Accepting
Most people are bigoted in some way. It is, unfortunately, a natural part of being a human being. If you notice that you hold bigoted beliefs, then it is essential that you take part in some kind of DEI training, designed to make you a more understanding and accepting person. It is also important to have staff (and potentially even students) undergo training so they can think more objectively, without letting bias or bigotry cloud their judgment.
Disciplining Staff
You cannot possibly know what’s going on in the minds of your employees. However, if at any point an employee displays bigotry, racism, or xenophobic behavior, then you need to take action. The best thing to do in a situation where an employee behaves like this is to fire them, and depending on the severity of the infraction, consider involving the police. Bigoted behavior should not be tolerated at work, or anywhere for that matter.
As an employer or educator, it is your responsibility to ensure people are treated fairly and aren’t discriminated against. The best way to do this is to take time to learn about atrocities committed in the past and provide staff and sometimes students with DEI training.
Speaks from heart, always too passionate and driven by emotions. Spins the words with kindness & sharpness, intriguing your ever-inscrutable minds.
