The Pomegranate Principle

CHAPTER FOURSTOP DOING THIS: Having a Static DEI Strategy (or How the Murder of George Floyd Changed DEI Forever)

The last three years have been the most consequential in a generation for human capital and DEI leaders. There are moments in history that define a generation, moments that are so consequential that they impact people and society long after their occurrence. For example, Hurricane Katrina (2005), the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (2001), the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), the first person on the moon (1969), and President Kennedy's assassination (1963) all made a deep and lasting impact on societies, even if you were born after any of those events took place. The murder of George Floyd (2020) was another consequential moment, and like most of the others, George Floyd had a profound impact on society and on business. If you are looking for diverse talent, the impact of George Floyd is part of the socio‐psychological landscape for professionals of color; it shapes how POC think about corporate America, shapes their choices, and impacts their engagement and participation in the labor market. To put it simply, the collective reaction to George Floyd's murder changed the way DEI was structured and implemented, perhaps forever. The big takeaway is that one thing companies must stop doing is thinking that their DEI strategy, once established, is set in stone. If nothing else, the response to George Floyd's murder strongly suggests that having a living, flexible ...