Next week, because the universe has a perverse sense of humor, we have MLK Jr. Day on the same day as the Inauguration. One of the brightest lights for equity and justice sharing the same day with one of the most effective catalysts for hate, racism, misogyny, and injustice that Humanity has ever produced. It feels sickly appropriate, as these opposing forces have been fighting one another for decades, with the stakes now higher than ever.
The side of equity and justice, though, has taken a huge hit recently. Meta (which runs Facebook), for example, has capitulated, now relaxing their rules against hateful content. So now it’s a free-for-all for people to harass transgender people, women, immigrants, and other vulnerable people. Zuckerberg has also said companies need more “masculine energy,” which I think means having employees of all genders wear fake mustaches and interrupt one another more often to talk about stuff they only have a little knowledge about but a lot of confidence in.
Meanwhile, I hear about the rise of MEI, which stands for Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence. It is a counterresponse to DEI. Instead of focusing on “woke garbage” like equity and inclusion, with MEI we just focus on whoever does the best job, never mind stuff like systemic racism and bias, those things “don’t exist.” Be on the lookout for more MEI language from right-wing pundits, politicians, and CEOs. Thankfully, we have some companies, notably Costco, whose board refused to cave in to pressure from the right to dismantle their DEI program.
It is a time of moral reckoning. There are people and organizations like Costco who stand resolute in their commitment to DEI, even as they know the attacks on them will increase significantly. And then there are others, like Meta, who will openly choose the path of obedience, hoping to save themselves by complying with the demands of oppressors.
But our sector often falls into the third group: the leaders and organizations who say they are for equity and justice, but whose actions continue to advance injustice. These are the white moderates that MLK warned us about, and our sector is full of them. Here are 21 signs you or your organization may be one.
As natural catastrophes, such as the LA wildfires, increase in number and intensity; as g3nocides continue, supported by our tax dollars; and as attacks strengthen on vulnerable people and communities, I think about Timothy Snyder’s work “On Tyranny,” where he talks about not “obeying in advance”:
“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
“Anticipatory obedience is a political tragedy. Perhaps rulers did not initially know that citizens were willing to compromise this value or that principle. Perhaps a new regime did not at first have the direct means of influencing citizens one way or another. After the German elections of 1932, which brought Nazis into government, or the Czechoslovak elections of 1946, where communists were victorious, the next crucial step was anticipatory obedience. Because enough people in both cases voluntarily extended their services to the new leaders, Nazis and communists alike realized that they could move quickly toward a full regime change. The first heedless acts of conformity could not then be reversed.”
White moderation will trick us into obeying tyranny in advance while we think what we’re doing is the pragmatic course of action. It’ll look like:
- foundations moving toward the center to elude the wrath of the right;
- boards and leaders telling their team to avoid using certain words and phrases, such as “white supremacy” and “equity;”
- nonprofits backing off from vital work such as protecting trans rights and reproductive rights;
- a general avoidance of advocacy and activism
- special counsels at foundations becoming even more risk-averse
- think tanks recommending appeasement and centrism
- sector publications further platforming hateful views to seem more “balanced”
- donors avoiding giving to organizations that are openly fighting the cruelty and chaos dished out by right-wing conservatives;
- a rise in non-controversial outcomes and outputs, versus those that relate to systems change
- individuals rolling their eyes at those of us who see the world slipping further into fascism and who are doing what we can to stop it.
Instead of the above, I hope we choose to fight, which will include doing things like:
- doubling down on DEI, and being open and unapologetic about it
- gearing up our defenses against those who will target us for speaking up for justice, such as funders starting and shoring up legal defense funds
- engaging in bold advocacy and systems change work, even knowing it will be much harder
- building coalitions and partnerships with one another with the goal of mutual protection and power building
- educating our boards and donors about the importance of not backing down
- exploring other structures that are harder to attack, such as movements and co-ops
- learning from the right and replicating what they’ve been doing so well
- ramping up our resources to go on the offensive and mount counterattacks
The next several days, it’ll be tempting to quote MLK, especially to contrast with the horrors that are coming with this new administration. But simply quoting the man is not good enough anymore (and has never been, and quoting MLK in itself is another form of white moderation), especially in light of what we’re facing, and especially when we keep ignoring some of his vital but lesser-known teachings.
At your nonprofit or foundation, discuss with your team which path your org plans to walk and what that will mean moving forward, what actions you’ll be taking, what risks you’re willing to accept. All of us as individuals need to do similar reflections.
Our sector is at a crossroads. We either truly align with the vision of MLK and work towards it, or, through white moderate tendencies, we “obey in advance” and allow injustice to proliferate. I hope enough of us choose the former.
