SOCIAL JUSTICE

Back in the day, being woke meant being smart. If Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had his way, the word “woke” would be banished from public use and memory. As he promised in Iowa in December 2023 during his failed presidential campaign, “We will fight the woke in education, we will fight the woke in the corporations, we will fight the woke in the halls of Congress. We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob.” DeSantis’ war on “woke ideology” has resulted in the banning of an advanced placement class in African American studies and the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Florida’s universities and colleges. Given the origins of the use of the word as a code among Black people, DeSantis has a nearly impossible task, despite his tireless efforts. For Black people, the...

What do a Black scientist, nonprofit executive and filmmaker have in common? They all face racism in the ‘gray areas’ of workplace culture. American workplaces talk a lot about diversity these days. In fact, you’d have a hard time finding a company that says it doesn’t value the principle. But despite this – and despite the multibillion-dollar diversity industry – Black workers continue to face significant hiring discrimination, stall out at middle management levels and remain underrepresented in leadership roles. As a sociologist, I wanted to understand why this is. So I spent more than 10 years interviewing over 200 Black workers in a variety of roles – from the gig economy to the C-suite. I found that many of the problems they face come down to organizational culture. Too often, compani...

Hope is not a positive expectation but a moral commitment. On April 3, 1968, standing before a crowded church, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. painted his vision for justice. “I’ve seen the Promised Land,” he said. “I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” Twenty-two hours later, he was assassinated. King’s prophetic words express the virtue of hope amid hardship. He was not optimistic that he would reach the “Promised Land,” yet he was hopeful about the ultimate goal. Long-term hope is not about looking on the bright side. It is a mindset that helps people endure challenges.” In conversation, “hope” and “optimism” can often be used as synonyms. But there’s an important gap between them, as psych...

Employees have a right to express support for Black Lives Matter while they’re on the job, according to a historic labor board decision. A Home Depot store violated labor law when it disciplined Antonio Morales, the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Feb. 21, 2024. Morales, a Home Depot employee in the Minneapolis area, had drawn the letters BLM on a work apron and refused to remove them. BLM stands for the Black Lives Matter movement, which campaigns against violence and systemic racism aimed at Black people. Morales ultimately quit because of pressure to end the use of BLM messaging. The NLRB has now ordered Home Depot to rehire Morales based on the legal right U.S. employees have to engage in “concerted activity” for the purpose of “mutual aid or protection.” As a legal scholar...