Citations Needed Episode 52: Attacks on Affirmative Action and the Commodification of Diversity
26 snips
Oct 3, 2018 
In this discussion, Jeff Chang, journalist and Vice President at Race Forward, delves into the troubling evolution of "diversity" from a noble ideal to a corporate buzzword. He critiques how this commodification often masks systemic inequalities and merely serves to placate whiteness. Chang illuminates the ongoing battles against affirmative action, sharing crucial historical contexts, particularly regarding Asian American experiences. The conversation urges a rethinking of diversity initiatives to aim for true equity and meaningful social justice.
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Diversity Commodified to Comfort Whiteness
- Diversity is often commodified under capitalism to comfort whiteness rather than promote justice.
- It replaces equity and decolonization with a sanitized, surface-level appeal to inclusion.
Chocolate Syrup Diversity Metaphor
- Tyrone Stoudemire illustrated diversity as chocolate syrup poured into white milk representing corporate America.
- This metaphor shows diversity sitting at the bottom without stirring, highlighting lack of inclusion.
Diversity Masks Gentrification Harm
- Real estate uses 'diversity' to sanitize gentrification and ethnic displacement.
- Selling diversity to whites often hides the harm to original communities.