Essay: A crossroads for diversity efforts
The year 2024 was one of growth, inclusivity and community engagement across various sectors in the Granite State. Many of the stories you have read in this magazine are evidence of that.
As we enter 2025, these initiatives provide a foundation for continued growth and inclusivity.
However, there are challenges to this growth and inclusivity, both at the interpersonal level and the societal level. At the interpersonal level, we must understand the unconscious biases that keep us from including people equitably. These biases often stem from unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that influence decision-making and behavior. Here are the most common:
- Gender bias — Favoring one gender over another or attaching stereotypes to gender expressions can lead to unequal opportunities in hiring, promotions and pay.
- Racial bias — Assumptions based on race or ethnicity can affect hiring practices, performance evaluations and workplace dynamics, reducing diversity and inclusion.
- Affinity bias — Favoring individuals with similar backgrounds, interests or experiences can hinder diversity by excluding those with different perspectives.
- Confirmation bias — Seeking information that aligns with existing beliefs can prevent openness to new ideas or diverse viewpoints, limiting collaboration and innovation.
- Ageism — Discriminating against individuals based on age can exclude older or younger workers from opportunities, perpetuating stereotypes.
- Beauty bias — Judging individuals based on physical appearance can lead to unfair treatment in hiring or promotions.
- Conformity bias (groupthink) — Adopting majority opinions without independent thought can suppress diverse perspectives and stifle creativity.
- Attribution bias — Judging others’ actions based on incomplete information or stereotypes can result in unfair assessments of their abilities or intentions.
- Name bias — Making assumptions about individuals based on their names can disadvantage those from certain cultural or ethnic backgrounds.
- Halo/horn effect — Allowing one positive (halo) or negative (horn) trait to overshadow other characteristics can lead to biased evaluations.
At the societal level, we seem to have moved into a time when decency and respect seem to be under systematic assault through efforts at the federal level such as Project 2025 and Agenda 47, and at the state level by legislation that seeks to exclude or curtail the rights of those not in the majority.
Why is this assault taking place? At the federal level, Project 2025 is designed to counter perceived liberal influence. Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts argues that “cultural Marxism” has infiltrated American institutions, necessitating a conservative response. That conservative response includes dismantling the structures that advance the causes of inclusion and equality.
At the state level, legislation has been put forth that threatens the freedom and dignity of those who are not melanin-challenged, cis-gender males. This seems to stem from a perceived fear of the other and a threat to traditional values such as gender norms and religious or personal beliefs.
For example, legislation has been proposed that would roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender people that were passed in 2018. Legislation has been proposed that would impact how discrimination is addressed in educational settings.
These efforts seem to follow what Yuval Noah Harari in his recent book “Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI” calls the “populist credo.” In this populist credo, there is the belief that “the people” is not a collection of flesh-and-blood individuals with various interests and opinions, but rather a unified body that possesses a single will — “the will of the people.” My way or the highway.
Not a very inclusive or equitable philosophy in this increasingly diverse state.
Let me be clear that the challenges to increasing inclusion and equity are not only from those on the right of the political spectrum. Those on the left tend to over-emphasize diversity, which alienates other voters and is perceived as divisive. They pursue ideological purity — prioritizing ideological consistency over pragmatic solutions in ways that seem not to include those in the majority. Thus, the backlash against affirmative action and DEI.
So, how do we all ensure that our biases and this assault on decency and respect do not derail the progress our state has made? First, we must ask ourselves “What are our values?” Do we believe in the “Live Free or Die” state motto? Do we believe in community — that we should be responsible not only for ourselves but also for helping those around us reach their highest potential? Do we believe in integrity and civility?
Then, we must each decide how to proceed in the coming year. Will we support legislation that prescribes how people should act? Will we support legislation that denies assistance to those in need? Will we support officials (and those in authority) who lie and call people names? Or will we stand up in private and in public for those not like us demanding dignity and respect for all?
By embracing our changing demographics and fostering understanding across all sectors of society, we can build a Granite State that is more vibrant and interconnected for all its residents.
This article was featured in 603 Diversity.
603 Diversity’s mission is to educate readers of all backgrounds about the exciting accomplishments and cultural contributions of the state’s diverse communities, as well as the challenges faced and support needed by those communities to continue to grow and thrive in the Granite State.
