What’s love got to do with it? Diversity, equity and inclusion as pillars of social innovation

When I first entered into a social innovation space, it fascinated me. I want to dive in and figure out what it meant for solving pernicious social problems. At one point I was a local chapter board member of an international social entrepreneurship organization. While in this role, I sat down to draw up a list of discussion topics, and took a look at the website. The first image that popped up was a black woman picking cotton — to most people this woman looked happy, and filled with pride. To me, I saw an american company using the image of black woman in cotton field that referenced an extremely violent time in history. The association for me was unmistakable, for others, was just a coincidence.

Not once, throughout my experience with the organization, was the word colonialism used to explain why countries had been devastated by political instability, war, famine, and other forms of violence.

My conclusion: social innovation spaces and practitioners spend little time actually worrying about their ethics and what they owe to the people in the communities they serve. It’s more important to serve the egos of those helping those in need than owning their own troubled history.

It’s time we change that.

Where can we go from here?

Social innovation’s power in diversity and inclusion is its ability to disrupt the diversity narrative by building systems, and ways to engage between humans that normalize equity. It is a power that has yet to be tapped.

There is lots to unpack in that statement, let’s start with diversity.

Diversity carries its own baggage — a corporate term used to prop up the employment or support of racialized, differently abled, woman and LGBTQ2SIA communities as signs of progression. It can also mean a collection of unique traits, or ideas. When it comes to innovation — diversity is nourishing soil that helps make social innovation eco-systems thrive. Inclusion and empowerment of diverse peoples, and ideas helps bring the best ideas to the fore — this is precisely what innovation is about.

A diversity narrative is simply the story we tell ourselves about how diverse we are and what diversity means to us. This narrative lives in organizational mission statements, job descriptions and even in our subconscious beliefs about what constitutes diversity.

Equity is ensuring that everyone has a fair shot at achieving their goals. More specifically, the right level of support to enjoy life as others with more or less privilege do.

Lastly, as the title of this article referenced what love has got to you it? Often folks seeking more inclusion want policy change not just the vague pangs of love, hope and prayers. We need our allies to act with us, and support us.

So now you ask, what can I do to disrupt social innovation narratives?

1. Accept this basic principle: The most innovative ideas need to come from more than able-bodied, cisgendered, straight and white-passing people.
2. Make diversity about actions instead of lip service.

• Pay & hire people of different gender identities, sexualities, abilities, ages, and races.
• Put those people in positions of power and create systems to keep them there.
• Offer targeted support to each unique group

3. Be clear that your theory of change aligns with creating an organization that empowers people of all identities

• Gather feedback from the people that are important to the diversity in your organization. Do not be afraid to use caucusing to gain the authentic feedback of each group.

4. Learning & celebrating go hand in hand.

• Take the time to celebrate, honour and learn about different traditions, cultural practices and religious beliefs.

5. Innovation is the key.

Use your natural tendency towards innovation to try something that scares you — learn about difficult subject matter, unearth your unconscious bias and fearlessly make mistakes. You are the only one in the way of your success, and if diversity is your goal you can clear the way to get there.

6. Empathy, vulnerability and using your privilege wisely.

If you are able bodied, and cisgender you are probably afforded the ability to use the bathroom you enjoy without any additional supports or fear of harassment. So you’re not used to feeling vulnerable while meeting your most basic human needs. Remember, social entrepreneurs and innovators are tuned into what empathy is, and how vulnerable they feel most of the time — innovating is exciting and scary. It’s why you so enjoy what you love. However, you need to reflect on how you can stand up, and stand by people who are not afforded the same privileges for simply being who they are.

• Take ally bystander training & incorporate it into any staff or volunteer training
• Learn from your colleagues, and conspirators on ways you can be a better ally for that relationship
• Be vulnerable, and open to learning. You don’t have all the answers, and that’s fine. Just be prepared to come face to face with that discomfort. Own it, and make the changes you need to.

In closing, I hope this article is more than food for thought. I hope it offer a fertile ground for you and your organization to take steps forward to including people who represent the full-spectrum of the human race. Good luck.