Equity before Equality: The Importance of Centering Equity within DEI Initiatives

Equality is an important and fundamental U.S. American value. Our emphasis and commitment to treating people equally can be traced back to 1776, with the Declaration of Independence which proclaimed that "all men are created equal." Equal treatment of all Americans has become increasingly important as our country continues to become increasingly diverse.

The concept of equality is often times what drives organizational diversity initiatives and strategies. The problem with this process of equality is that it doesn't always ensure equal opportunities or outcomes for everyone. Treating people fairly and equally is certainly important but unfortunately, equality does not always work to decrease the disparities and inequalities that are a result of decades of systemic discrimination - which has worked to disadvantage some Americans while advantaging others.

Equity is the missing piece of the puzzle that can help organizations be successful in reaching the goal of equality. Equity is a crucial process that should be embraced by organizations that are serious about creating a diverse and inclusive organizational culture in which all people (regardless of social or cultural identities) are included and treated equally. Check out the fourth vlog (see video above) of my Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Series to learn more about the differences between the process of equity and equality, and the reason that equity should be at the center of organizational diversity initiatives.
Please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me a message with any thoughts or ideas you might have about the concepts of equality and equity! If you are interested in taking a deeper look at the process of equity, I encourage you to follow the work of Dr. Paul Gorki who is an expert on the topic of equity literacy.