There is no difference between Black feminism and DEI

“Citizens of this nation, cannot know the positive contributions feminist movement has made to all our lives if we do not highlight these gains.” — bell hooks

DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusion): A framework approach used to create a more inclusive and fair environment for individuals and groups in various settings, such as workplaces, schools, and communities.

Black Feminism: Focused on building political and social power for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people. It centers leadership development, community care and joy.

People think that feminism is about gender. It is not. Feminism is a realization of what’s fair. Feminism is for everybody – just like DEI includes everyone. Everyone that needs the support of it, such as the elderly who might have retired but still have to work to supplement their pension because it’s not enough. It also supports the young adults diagnosed with any spectrum of autism, ADD or ADHD.

I am a member of a grassroots organization, a resident-owned and lead collective, in the low-income public housing of my city. The organization was founded and established by residents in the community. Years later, It then furthered its establishment by aligning itself with the Black Feminist organizing movement. Getting training to better familiarize ourselves with how involved the organization would be is what kept it going to the current time.

We then came to the realization that Black feminism is similar to what we are also working towards when it comes to inclusivity: housing justice, education, environmental Justice, and good government. We are constantly working to drive change in the system that is supposed to help lift us up, but only continuously harms us.

When I think of Black feminism and what’s going on in the world today, it seems to me that feminism is showing up more in the DEI conundrum… How isn’t anyone making this connection? To me they are both interconnected; in similar ways, they both give reasons to be inclusive of everyone.

They are both the reason that someone who is special needs can still be in the work environment to earn their own pay; it’s the same reason why women are able to do the same work as men.

Because of Black feminism and DEI in today’s society, women are now included.

Race is what people think DEI is all about; and gender is what people think Black Feminism is all about. But intersectionality can be found embedded into both; and that is where today’s DEI can actually make a difference to how everyone gets to be included.

DEI and Black feminism can also work in tandem together. However, if DEI – which is threatened – goes away, it may also essentially take away the work of any organization that includes Black feminist work as well.

The work I do follows the motto of The Combahee River Collective: “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.”

As a matter of fact, DEI would probably not be needed if that statement was to be followed through. But I suppose that not many, especially the ones in charge, can ever imagine a world such as that.

I suppose hierarchy is always going to be something that we all have to contend with and fight against. Either way, DEI and feminism are both essential to today’s society in order for it to move forward in a direction that it needs to go, for a better functioning world.

bell hooks tells us, “Feminists are made, not born. One does not become an advocate of feminist politics simply by having the privilege of having been born female. Like all political positions one becomes a believer in feminist politics through choice and action.”

This also goes for DEI, it doesn’t exist just for the Black race to be incorporated into the existing world. It exists because everyone else that will be excluded, and is not able to be a part of the existing normal world, that may have a little bit of a difference when it comes to physical ability, mental learning, emotional processing, and more, will now certainly be included and live a “normal life.”

Inclusivity is what DEI and Black feminism have always been about, to make sure the one-sided thinking of the past is no longer something to go by. To make sure that as life progresses we are including all of the people that may come with a different way of being, and be able to progress in this world we live in.