Reverse Discrimination? It doesn't exist...but 'tokenism' does. | Antoinette Lattouf | TEDxSydney
Summary
TLDRThe speaker, an Arab woman in Australian media, humorously addresses the misconception of 'DNA intolerance' to diversity and inclusion policies, highlighting the absurdity of 'reverse discrimination' claims. She debunks the idea through research and personal experiences, emphasizing the necessity of affirmative action to counteract systemic inequalities. The talk advocates for genuine diversity and inclusion, not just tokenism, to foster innovation and social cohesion, and calls for understanding and leveraging one's privilege to support change.
Takeaways
- π£οΈ The speaker addresses the misconception that words like 'diversity' and 'inclusion' are harmful, highlighting the exaggerated reactions they can provoke in some individuals.
- π€ The term 'DNA intolerance' is introduced to describe the discomfort some people feel when confronted with diversity and inclusion initiatives.
- π The speaker's personal experiences as an Arab woman in Australian media illustrate the real-world impact of diversity and inclusion discussions, including instances of perceived reverse discrimination.
- π Data is presented to challenge the notion of white individuals being disadvantaged in promotion, showing that white men dominate leadership roles in both media and corporate sectors.
- π The script discusses the global nature of the issue, citing studies that show a clear bias towards individuals with traditionally 'white' names in hiring processes.
- π The concept of 'tokenism' is criticized as a superficial approach to diversity and inclusion that fails to address underlying power imbalances.
- π« The speaker refutes the idea of 'reverse discrimination,' explaining that it is a misnomer and does not reflect the systemic advantages that certain groups have historically enjoyed.
- π The speaker's book, 'How to Lose Friends and Influence White People,' is mentioned as a resource for those looking to understand and combat racism and become effective allies.
- π A supermarket analogy is used to explain the difference between equality (giving everyone the same opportunity) and equity (ensuring everyone has what they need to succeed).
- π‘ The benefits of true diversity and inclusion are emphasized, including increased innovation, better risk identification, and improved business performance.
- π The importance of representation in media and leadership is underscored, with the speaker sharing personal anecdotes about how representation can lead to better outcomes and trust.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the speech?
-The main theme of the speech is the impact of diversity and inclusion policies, the misconception of reverse discrimination, and the importance of addressing systemic inequities.
What is the term 'DNA intolerance' used to describe in the speech?
-The term 'DNA intolerance' is used to humorously describe the discomfort or resistance some people show towards diversity and inclusion initiatives.
What is the speaker's personal experience with encountering resistance to diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
-The speaker, being an Arab woman working in mainstream media in Australia, has experienced colleagues expressing concerns about tokenism and feeling like victims despite the lack of actual diversity policies in place at the time.
What did the academic research involving four universities and Media Diversity Australia find regarding television news directors in the country?
-The research found that every single television news director in the country was a white man, highlighting a significant lack of diversity in leadership roles.
What is the percentage of non-white board directors in ASX 300 companies, according to the speech?
-Only five percent of ASX 300 board directors are not white, despite the country's diverse demographic makeup.
How does the speaker refute the idea of reverse discrimination?
-The speaker refutes reverse discrimination by pointing out that affirmative action policies are not equivalent to the long-standing, systemic discrimination that has been institutionalized through colonization and other historical policies.
What is the significance of Peggy McIntosh's 50-point essay on white privilege?
-Peggy McIntosh's essay is significant because it shed light on the invisible ways in which white individuals, especially white women, benefit from systemic privilege, which is often overlooked and not recognized.
What is the speaker's stance on tokenism in diversity and inclusion initiatives?
-The speaker is against tokenism, stating that it is a half-hearted gesture that does not lead to real change, can exacerbate discrimination, and does not benefit anyone involved.
What is the title of the speaker's first book, and what is its purpose?
-The title of the speaker's first book is 'How to Lose Friends and Influence White People'. It serves as a toolkit on diversity and inclusion and aims to guide individuals on how to be an anti-racism ally.
How does the speaker use the supermarket trolley token analogy to explain the need for different paths to achieve equity?
-The speaker uses the analogy to illustrate that just as some tokens are faulty and do not allow equal access to trolleys, some people face systemic barriers that require different, more equitable paths to achieve the same destination as others.
What are the broader societal impacts of workplace inequity mentioned in the speech?
-The broader societal impacts of workplace inequity include the underrepresentation of certain groups in decision-making roles, the perpetuation of stereotypes, and the negative impact on public health messages and trust in institutions, particularly during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outlines
πΆ Impact of Diversity and Inclusion Policies
The speaker, an Arab woman working in Australian mainstream media, addresses the misconception that words like 'diversity' and 'inclusion' are harmful. She highlights the irrational fear of 'DNA intolerance' and the absurdity of reverse discrimination claims. She shares personal experiences of witnessing resistance to diversity in the workplace and provides evidence of the lack of true representation in media and corporate sectors. The speaker emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between affirmative action and historical discrimination, citing research that shows a clear bias towards individuals with certain names, suggesting that diversity policies are necessary to counteract systemic inequality.
π ββοΈ Debunking Reverse Discrimination and Tokenism
The speaker refutes the existence of reverse discrimination, calling it a false equivalence, and shares her experience of publishing a book on diversity and inclusion. She recounts an encounter with a woman who believes in reverse discrimination, using the example of a white South African grandson. The speaker explains that tokenism is problematic as it is a superficial gesture that doesn't address underlying power structures or change perceptions. She argues that true diversity and inclusion are not about token representation but about creating an environment where everyone can thrive, and that tokenism can lead to further discrimination and hostility.
π The Grocery Shopping Analogy for Equity
Using a grocery shopping analogy, the speaker illustrates the concept of systemic inequity and the need for different paths to achieve the same destination. She explains that equal opportunities do not guarantee equal outcomes due to systemic barriers. The analogy of a faulty trolley token system is used to show how some people face greater challenges than others. The speaker advocates for the removal of barriers and the provision of equitable opportunities, emphasizing that true fairness involves addressing these systemic issues rather than simply providing equal chances.
π The Benefits of True Diversity and Inclusion
The speaker discusses the benefits of genuine diversity and inclusion, stating that diverse organizations outperform their less diverse counterparts and are more innovative and better at identifying risks. She shares personal anecdotes of how representation in the media has led to better journalism and more trust from the public. The speaker also addresses the broader societal impacts of inequity, using the example of public health messages during a crisis and the disproportionate impact on communities that lack trust in institutions. She concludes by urging those with privilege to understand their power and not to be barriers to change, emphasizing that diversity and inclusion are not about individual feelings but about addressing systemic inequities.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Diversity and Inclusion
π‘DNA Intolerance
π‘Tokenism
π‘Reverse Discrimination
π‘Affirmative Action
π‘Privilege
π‘Systemic Inequities
π‘Representation
π‘Cultural Safety
π‘Invisible Systems
π‘Equity
Highlights
Words like 'diversity' and 'inclusion' can have a profound impact, especially on those resistant to change.
The concept of 'DNA intolerance' humorously describes the discomfort some feel towards diversity and inclusion policies.
Personal anecdotes from being an Arab woman in Australian media highlight the real challenges faced in the industry.
Tokenism is criticized as a superficial approach that does not address the root causes of inequality.
Research findings show that white men dominate television news director roles, despite vague discussions of representation.
Corporate Australia's leadership lacks diversity, with only 5% of ASX 300 board directors being non-white.
The fear of 'reverse discrimination' is debunked with evidence showing systemic advantages for white individuals.
Peggy McIntosh's 50-point essay on white privilege provides insight into systemic racism and discrimination.
The speaker's book, 'How to Lose Friends and Influence White People', aims to be a toolkit for anti-racism allies.
A personal encounter at a bookstore illustrates the misunderstanding and resistance to concepts of reverse discrimination.
Tokenism is harmful as it can lead to increased discrimination and hostility towards diverse individuals.
Diversity and inclusion strategies are not about punishing any group but addressing systemic inequities.
The importance of trust and representation in media is emphasized for effective communication and storytelling.
The analogy of the 'flawed trolley token' distribution system illustrates the need for equitable solutions.
Diverse organizations outperform their less diverse counterparts, highlighting the benefits of inclusion.
The impact of workplace inequity extends beyond the workplace, affecting society as a whole.
The speaker calls for understanding power and privilege, and not being a barrier to necessary systemic change.
Transcripts
[Music]
so anyone who believes that words don't
hurt
or have an impact
probably hasn't seen the effect
two words can have on a room full of
straight white
cis men
diversity and inclusion so forget nuts
forget gluten the new allergy in town
that's growing at a really rapid rate is
dna intolerance and for those
who suffer from dna intolerance they
don't even need to touch a diversity and
inclusion policy simply being within
earshot of one
being discussed
is enough for symptoms to run rampant
the hands get clammy they start to
twitch their throats get dry some break
out in hives there have even been an
increasing number
of fits reported usually of the hissy
variety
but hey fits nonetheless
as an arab woman working in mainstream
media in australia and the first to work
in commercial television news i've seen
my fair share of these episodes
one time i was told it is impossible as
a white man to get promoted because of
tokenism
and this was said to me by a man who was
already in a pretty senior editorial
role and it was at a time when yes there
were some like vague murmurs about the
need for more representation but no
actual policies in place that was enough
for him to feel that he was now the
victim
so i did a little bit of google and
linkedin stalking i'm like a pro at
google stalking um and i found out that
since that discussion he's been promoted
not once but twice and at the time of
our chat academic research that i was
part of with four universities and media
diversity australia found that every
single television news director in the
country was a white man
but forget the media and looking at
corporate australia
it looks as though only white people get
promoted because asx 300 board directors
only five percent are not white and this
is in a country where a quarter of us
were born overseas half of us have a
parent who were born overseas and the
three most common countries of birth
outside of australia
are england india and china
white people being discriminated against
not
it flies in the face of evidence so if
it's not actually happening where is
this fear of reverse discrimination
coming from because there have been
countless studies in countless countries
in fact a summary of all the research
findings in all of these countries
came to the same conclusion
that if your name is say andrew peter or
john and i suspect there are a few of
you here today
you are far more likely to be hired than
say someone called viraj or wang
even if your qualifications are
identical
so affirmative action policies
like targets or quotas cannot be put in
the same basket as decades
of discrimination that's been enshrined
in policy and laws since colonization
and by their very design they were
designed to keep black people down
and brown people out
so in 1989 american academic and
feminist peggy mcintosh tried to put her
finger on the invisible ways in which
she was privileged as a white woman and
she came up with this 50-point essay and
it included a range of things like if
she was to flick on the television she
could be confident that she would see
somebody who looked like her
or if she walked into any or any
organization was like i want to speak to
the person in charge she would know that
she faced somebody of her race
and for her this was this really
important realization as to how racism
or discrimination manifests and it was
less about individual acts of violence
or cruelness and more about a series of
systems invisible systems and structures
that give benefit and dominance to one
race over another
and so yes over the past decade or so
diversity and inclusion has gained
momentum you've heard a lot about it
you've probably rolled your eyes about
it and in part it seeks to address
this entrenched inequity and recently a
corporate ceo he came up to me and he
said antoinette
i understand the need for diversity
inclusion theoretically i get it
it's better for social cohesion i
understand the business imperative it's
better for business but i'm getting this
pushback from my staff they're saying
things to me like oh well that gesture
is just tokenistic
and why did you hire that person how
come i couldn't apply for that role
that's just reverse discrimination
so there are those two concepts again
reverse discrimination tokenism now
tokenism that i have a problem with and
we're going to get back to it in just a
moment but reverse discrimination
doesn't exist it's a misnomer it's a
false equivalence
so i recently published my first book
which is very exciting
and it's essentially a toolkit
on diversity and inclusion and how to be
an anti-racism ally
and i decided to disprove all the kids
at school who always like said to me oh
you're never going to be anything more
than an un you know unpopular nerd
antoinette and so my book's called how
to lose friends and influence white
people
showed them
uh and about a month after its release
here's me at a bookstore i'm quietly and
discreetly re-merchandising because i
saw my book was like in the back aisle
near the fire hydrant and i was putting
it towards the front but don't judge me
because all authors do it i'm just
admitting to it
and i saw this woman and she was holding
my book and she was this well-dressed
middle-aged white woman and i was like
oh my god i have a fan and i was so
excited she caught my eye
she was smiling it was this really
beautiful moment and she comes up to me
and says
excuse me do you sell bookmarks at the
counter
so um i'm not as well known as i thought
but i took the opportunity to
tell her that no i'm not a staff member
i wrote the book that she's holding and
i asked her why she picked it up
she said that she has family that lives
all over the world they're in
interracial marriages and she wanted to
know how to have better conversations
about race and i was like amazing i'm
nailing it this is just the sort of
person we need to be an ally and do the
work
but then she continued
that it was especially important
because of her white south african
grandson
and that he had recently left south
africa and moved to north europe to
escape all of that ghastly reverse
discrimination that was impacting him
and i'm like
on the inside i almost snatched the book
off her but let's be honest a sale is a
sale
so before i had a chance to respond she
she starts to elaborate and says you
know there there are science
scholarships designed specifically for
black south african females and that is
unfair on my grandson and at the local
sporting club that there were racial
quotas and that it was all of that
tokenistic stuff that was disadvantaging
white people
ah deep breath now deep breaths
okay
there is one thing i agree with this
woman about
and it's that tokenism sucks it doesn't
benefit anybody so tokenism is a hasty
or half-hearted gesture to give the
appearance of diversity and inclusion to
give the appearance of caring but it
doesn't actually lead to shifts in power
it doesn't actually change people's
perceptions and views if anything
it makes them double down or makes them
worse because when something is
tokenistic it generally leads to more
discrimination and more hostility and
somebody like me who is apparently
benefiting and getting a leg up
from diversity and inclusion it usually
makes diverse people less likely to put
themselves forward less likely uh to
actually back themselves and more likely
to wonder if they belong in the first
place so diversity and inclusion or when
it's tokenism it's diversity and
inclusion done badly it's giving
diversity and inclusion a bad rap so i
want the record to note that nobody
benefits from tokenism
not somebody like me
not the 60 year old white bloke on the
golf course speaking to his all-male
boardroom mates complaining about the
fact that he heard murmurs that they
were going to hire a woman to join the
board and saying things to his mates
like well the best person at the jump
you know maybe she should just work
harder
you know all of i mean that anybody who
holds those views just sounds like a
minion to me because it's just like
incomprehensible and it's been debunked
so widely
so they don't benefit but certainly not
those said women who then get thrust
into that boardroom in a culturally
unsafe and hostile place and are
expected to thrive
so the grandmother and i we agree about
tokenism
but her views on reverse discrimination
are
how can i eloquently put this like just
horse [Β __Β ]
for the love of jesus buddha
muhammad yahweh and white women in
expensive activewear who recently
converted to yoga
[Applause]
taking steps to address entrenched
inequities is not akin to reverse
discrimination
real discrimination has been enshrined
in our laws and in our policies since
colonization and it continues to impact
black and brown people's lives our
health outcomes our
education opportunities our
over-representation in the criminal
justice system and crucially our access
to power and a fair go
these are the ways that discrimination
manifests not because
the woman's grandson wasn't considered
for a science scholarship designed for
black female students in south africa
i understand that on an individual level
it can feel
like you feel a bit aggrieved you can
feel let down you can feel a bit pissed
off like i would have really liked to
apply for that role i think i would have
really would have been really ace at
that job
but the change that is required to shift
these systemic inequities it's not
individual it's not about hurt feelings
because if you are white
or straight
able-bodied
male
or crucially all of the above you are
not being punished by diversity and
inclusion strategies
if you don't believe me
like a venn diagram or like shakira's
hips venn diagrams don't lie
these policies
simply seek to address the inequality
slippery slope because if one person has
a paper cut and another person has
cancer you don't just give both people a
band-aid
for black and indigenous women this
slope is more like canada's mount thor
it's almost a vertical cliff and that's
why different paths are required for
different people to essentially get them
to the same destination
so paths that are equal equitable and
fair don't actually allow people to
arrive at the same destination and
accepting this is step one
but many people refuse to take this
first step and they instead choose to
defend the status quo
that's probably because from their
vantage point things look pretty good
it's also probably because from their
position the system is currently working
for them but if you still can't get your
head around why different journeys are
required for different people and why
journeys that are equal equitable and
fair are not just three ways of saying
the same thing
let's take a trip to the local
supermarket so it's grocery shopping day
this time you remember your shopping
trolley token you come to insert it but
it doesn't work you try a few more
trolleys still no luck but it just so
happens then one in four tokens in this
trolley token distribution system is
flawed it doesn't work this is not an
equal shopping society because no matter
how much you hammer fist and cuss and
try and get that token to work you've
just got a dead token meanwhile others
around you
insert unlatch with ease kind of look
back at you smugly
and off they go but if the supermarket
wanted to make things more equitable
they could send an employee out to the
front with replacement tokens
but should everybody get a new token
even those if their token was working in
the first place no right
and then they put up the ante
a little bit more
and that would include removing the
barrier entirely and so that's providing
shopping trolleys with no tokens the
barrier is removed this is a fair
shopping society but ironically it's
fairness that is often touted in
opposition to diversity and inclusion
policies but there is nothing fair about
steep slopes or dodgy tokens for some
and cruisy paths for others
for migrant and refugee women in
australia they're overrepresented in
part-time and precarious service
industry work and a 2018 australian
institute of family studies report found
that women who have these roles and are
in domestic violence situation they are
far less likely to reach out for help
and the unstable precarious nature of
their work is part of the reason why
so the impact of workplace inequity
is far beyond just the workplace and
permeates through society
but let's go back to the supermarket for
just a moment because getting into the
supermarket
is one part that's the diversity part
but inclusion is what happens when you
get in
are you able to thrive and grow bring
your whole self are you encouraged
supported cultivated because when both
the diversity and inclusion part are
done well this is when
everybody benefits because diverse
organizations
they're more innovative than their
competitors they're better at
identifying risk
recent research from deloitte also
showed that they outperform their less
diverse competitors by 35
representation builds bridges it builds
trust it yields results
i cannot tell you the amount of times as
a journal
who grew up in western sydney with a
working-class arabic speaking background
that i was able to get angles or scoops
or exclusives because people felt more
comfortable speaking to somebody who
looked and sounded like them
and on the one hand i kind of want to
put it down to the fact that oh i'm
pretty awesome and that's why they want
to work with me
maybe it's a little bit of that but it's
more social science it's not rocket
science
and when there isn't trust
and representation the impacts can be
pretty catastrophic who can forget
sydney's lockdowns
and the lgas of concern
the red zone hot spots where half of the
city was treated like it was in a super
max prison and the other half
went to the beach
when monolithic leaders choose to
demonize and ostracize
our most diverse and vulnerable
communities
public health messages don't cut through
trust in institutions are lost
and the impact was pretty profound
australians born in the middle east were
10 times more likely to die from covert
now this is a shocking statistic but
it's not surprising
because trust was obliterated
so if i had my chance to pick my draw
off the ground go back to the bookstore
and pick up that conversation
with the woman worried about her
grandson here is what i would say
your grandson is not being punished by
diversity and inclusion policies he's
not missing out on opportunities it's
just ensuring that those communities and
those groups that have long been denied
access to a fair go finally get a chance
and at this point i'm imagining there's
like a bit of a crowd and people are
watching and so then i'm like
walking up the book aisle
because when we enter this world we
don't get a choice about the color of
our skin
our gender our sexuality our geography
and given the flawed trolley token
distribution system that permeates our
society i'd stop here i turn
you should understand your power and
privilege if you have a working token
so don't
be a barrier to change don't turn your
back on inclusion because the change
that is needed to shift and challenge
entrenched inequity it's not individual
it's not about your hurt feelings it's
systemic
it's far bigger than you and it most
certainly is not reverse discrimination
and then i would take about
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you
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