"Dispelling Diversity Myths At Work" Facilitates Gospel Conversation About Racial Equity and Inclusion

God’s call for Christians to do justice permeates every aspect of our lives, including our work. However, the American workplace has been a source of injustice, with racial minorities experiencing workplace inequality across every industry. At Dispelling Diversity Myths at Work, attendees engaged in a virtual conversation about how to seek more equitable workplaces, led by Dr. Christina Edmondson, Pastor Mika Edmondson, and Pastor Daryl Fitzgerald, leading voices in the field of Christian racial justice.

The event explored the prevailing myths that corporate diversity culture perpetuates and identified ways to promote racially equitable workplaces. Drawing on the truth of the Gospel, the panelists highlighted how the kingdom of God breaks down barriers to equity, requires us to fight against injustice, and celebrates the diversity of God’s people. We encourage you to watch the webinar recording to hear the whole conversation, but below are a few key takeaways from the event, including several convicting quotes from our panelists.

Galatians 3:28 spotlights a painful consequence of sin—unequal access along race, class, and gender lines.

Pastor Mika used Galatians 3:28-29 as a scriptural example of why Christians should engage in conversations surrounding diversity and inequity in the workplace. Paul commands the Galatians to break down race, class, and gender barriers in the name of the Gospel, for “you are all one in Christ Jesus.” However, as Pastor Mika pointed out, that doesn’t mean that these barriers will not continue to exist in the culture around us. In fact, as he explained, “Sinful disparities is the default, so we have to bring a kingdom pushback” to issues of racial justice in the workplace.

“When we perceive ourselves as “color blind” or make “color blindness” a goal, we have to pretend that we don’t see an aspect of another human being in order to value them.” — Dr. Christina Edmondson

Dr. Christina outlined that although statements such as “I don’t see race” or “I only hire the best people for the job” are an attempt at racial tolerance, Christians are called to something higher and more beautiful, in which cultural difference is not only acknowledged but valued. “Color blind” hiring practices minimize the painful reality that hidden racism embedded in our country’s history has caused opportunity to be unevenly distributed to people of different races. In order to promote more equitable workplaces, Dr. Christina suggested creating a strategic plan to intentionally hire diverse candidates, such as recruiting from local historically Black colleges or universities with graduates who work in your specific industry.

“When it comes to the workplace, I can add value to you and you can add value to me.” — Pastor Daryl Fitzgerald

One myth in corporate diversity culture is the myth of “cultural fit.” Sometimes, companies are hesitant to hire employees from diverse backgrounds because they are concerned that new hires will not fit in with their company culture. As Christians, we believe that all people are made in the image of God and therefore have inherent dignity, worth, and value. Thus, in our workplaces, we must move from considering the “cultural fit” of a new employee and instead value the “cultural add” that an employee brings, as Pastor Daryl shared. Additionally, Pastor Daryl pointed out that as Christians, we need to move from treating individuals in our workplace transactionally to considering individuals relationally. This perspective will not only provide kingdom value, but we know from research that investing relationally in diverse teams will actually add productivity and marketplace value to companies.

“People are not boxes to be checked, they are people to be learned from, listened to, and loved.”— Dr. Christina Edmondson

Often, when it comes to conversations surrounding diversity in the workplace, we can arrogantly assume that we have “arrived” in terms of racial awareness. However, Dr. Christina pointed out that power and arrogance tend to go hand in hand, which allows those in positions of power to ignore continuing issues of racism in their workplace since they have met certain goals or targets. As Christians, we should approach these issues with an honest perspective on our own brokenness and a willingness to be held accountable when we fall short. Dr. Christina offered several practical ways to seek accountability for equity in the workplace, including engaging in evidence-based diversity training, seeking out objective data and outsider perspectives about racial equity in your company, and creating strategic plans to pursue equitable hiring policies.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion is hard, time-consuming work. But it’s worth it, especially when we have an eye on the Kingdom of God.” — Pastor Daryl Fitzgerald

Pastor Daryl ended the conversation with a powerful reminder that work involving racial equity is difficult but worthwhile work. As he reminded us, “Achieving equity is going to take years to develop because there have been years of inequity.” This is not a conversation that can be neatly tied up with a 5-step action plan, but you can faithfully work towards racial equity in your work today. One place to start, Pastor Daryl suggested, was to commit to investing in at least one relationship outside of your own culture.

Thank you to all who attended “Dispelling Diversity Myths at Work,” the first of a series of events about how to be a faithful catalyst for flourishing in your workplace. Be on the lookout for information regarding our next event that will continue to focus on issues of racial equity at work. Additionally, take a look at our resources page for further resources to help you continue to engage in promoting racial equity and inclusion at work.

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