Those of us who criticize DEI and other activism that passes for "anti-racism" must reject white nationalism. We must be honest about it. If we feel tempted to white nationalism, we must acknowledge to ourselves its appeal and refuse to endorse it. The temptations are ever present, and we mustn't blame others when we choose to give in to those temptations.
[UPDATE: On June 19, 2021, I changed the title from "Unsolicited advice for DEI skeptics...." to "Advice for my fellow DEI skeptics...."]
Much about DEI trainings is unfair. Some of it is plain wrong. But life is unfair. Sometimes (not always,but sometimes) we should just accept it.
If you've read some of my more recent posts, you'll note that I've taken to offering "unsolicited advice" to activists and DEI trainers. Not that anyone has commented on them yet, but I'd like to address one potential objection to those posts:
What standing do I have to give advice to others on these matters?
That objection is legitimate. I know activism and DEI training is hard work. I have in times past dipped my toe in activism, and I'm not doing so now--and what I would do is quite limited. It's easy for someone in the cheap seats, like me, to criticize. It's much, much harder to put yourself out there.
I'll add that the goals of the advocates I criticize are, in broad brush strokes, usually either good or at least within the pale of what is defensible. "Usually" isn't "always," but it's far from never--and "defensible" is better than "shock the conscience bad." And in general, when they advocate for something that I believe is indefensible, it's usually a type of indefensible that focuses on the effects of their efforts, or on the argument that if we take their assumptions to a logical extreme, we come to some very disturbing conclusions. There but for the grace of god go any of us, and I have gone there often.
That said let me suggest that if you are an activist or a DEI trainer, you ought to consider my "unsolicited advice," even if we stipulate (which I won't) that I'm being insincere. If you want to gain the support of me, or people similarly situated to me, you may wish to follow the advice.
It's not just about gaining support, either. It's also about ensuring that we don't become hostile to your project. There is such a thing as spite. It's probably not a good thing, but the temptation to indulge it is evergreen. You might wish to lessen the temptation.
Or you might not. Maybe after considering the above, you'll decide not to heed my advice. Maybe you'll decide there's a critical number of people whose support you can win, or who you can empower, with advocacy that declines my suggestions. Like me, you live in a world of scarcity. You might want to dedicate your resources to those who, in your estimation, are more reachable than I am. At any rate, you have to draw the line somewhere. And it's not fair of me to criticize you for the act of line drawing, even if I disagree about how you draw it.
Even then, it's good to have a clear sense of what you're doing. And my "unsolicited advice" might very well help you do that, even if you decline to follow any of my suggestions.
A final note about spite. In my opinion, activists play an outsized role when it comes to encouraging people to act out of spite. To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, you can help someone choose hell or choose heaven. And too often, I fear activists help people choose hell. But as someone who likes to believe himself a person of good will, I recognize an obligation to reject spite. The person who chooses to act out of spite bears the ultimate responsibility for that choice. And I hope I choose wisely.
