Innovating for Diversity

CHAPTER 1Why Are We (Still) Here?

Today, our country is more richly diverse than ever before. Yet, data shows that even 70-plus years after the passage of legislation to end discriminatory employment practices and significant investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, the United States labor workforce still does not reflect the diversity of the population as a whole. In fact, for certain demographic groups, their presence in the workforce has decreased in recent years.

Why have we not moved the needle more significantly in the last seven decades? What are the causes behind this? And where should we go from here? In this chapter, we will review current labor statistics and examine where change has (or hasn't) happened. We will also examine the underlying factors contributing to this stagnation: Fixed Attitudes, Fixed Practices, and seismic global events that have left long-lasting repercussions.

Key Concept: Limiting beliefs and ineffective systems and practices have contributed to the persistent lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion across many industries.

A Brief History of Diversity in the U.S. Labor Workforce

The United States is, at the time of this writing, 245 years old, and is a nation founded and sustained by diverse populations. It's hard to remember that our labor workforce did not always reflect our population, and it required years of painstakingly hard work and sacrifice to achieve progress.

One of the very first pieces of legislation to ...