When DE&I isn’t just an abstract acronym

So much discussion around the topic of DE&I comes in the form of abstractions. We talk about policies that ensure all three elements—inclusion, equity, diversity. We emphasize our values around those things. Sometimes we see case studies of people and organizations as the move forward in their DE&I journey. It’s not as frequent that we see it in real time, in action. 

1. The University of North Carolina and Nikole Hannah-Jones

In the case of Nikole Hannah-Jones, the University of North Carolina finds itself in the middle of a textbook study of diversity, equity and inclusion—or the lack of it.

Hannah-Jones, a correspondent for the New York Times Magazine and creator of the 1619 Project, was hired in April at UNC’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism. But she was not granted tenure with the post, as had been the precedent in the past.