Racial Equity and DEI Work: A Dozen Dynamics that Hinder Collaboration
As I navigate the complex and often challenging terrain of advocating for and expanding equity as a person identified by others as white, there are several confounding, perplexing, and sometimes downright crazy-making issues that hinder true collaboration. These challenges often arise from assumptions and dynamics that create a no-win situation, particularly for white people, who are generally understood to occupy positions of power and privilege. In addition, both structural and emotional barriers can further complicate efforts, impeding the progress needed for genuine, lasting change. The contradictions inherent in these assumptions can frustrate efforts toward true dialogue and partnership. They can block positive change.
This blog describes a dozen of the issues I have personally encountered: I’m sure it’s not a comprehensive list.
Essentializing and Stereotyping A key frustration is the apparent acceptability of negative generalizations about whiteness and white people, often characterized as needing to change or be “fixed” as part of the broader work of racial equity. However, applying any racial stereotypes to BIPOC communities is, rightly, deemed unacceptable. This double standard not only reinforces stereotypes but also undermines the goal of dismantling them for everyone.
Trauma as Justification for Behavior Many individuals from historically marginalized communities have experienced trauma due to systemic oppression, and these traumas understandably shape behaviors. Yet, the tendency to excuse negative or harmful behaviors as a product of racial trauma creates a dynamic where addressing dysfunction in BIPOC communities becomes taboo. By contrast, dysfunctional behaviors in white communities are often fair game for critique and are seen as an outgrowth of privilege or power structures, which may perpetuate division rather than healing.
The Dilemma of “Teaching” vs. “Centering” There’s a widespread expectation that white people should educate each other about racism and systemic injustice, relieving BIPOC communities of the burden of educating others. However, when white people attempt to engage in this educational work, they can be accused of centering themselves, speaking over BIPOC voices, or co-opting the conversation. This paradox leaves many white allies uncertain about how to contribute meaningfully to the conversation without unintentionally overstepping boundaries.
Moral Imperatives and Sacrifice Undoing generations of socialization that reinforce racial inequity is undeniably a moral imperative, one that should include the willingness to sacrifice power, privilege, and resources. However, this expectation is complicated by the reality that many white people, especially those who do not perceive themselves as wealthy or powerful, may feel alienated by calls to “give up” privilege they don’t believe they possess. Without clear paths forward that involve collective benefit, such sacrifices are likely to meet resistance.
The Focus on Reparations While reparations and the redress of historical wrongs are critical elements of justice, the framing of these efforts can feel unbalanced. When the agenda is solely about making reparations for the benefit of those who have been harmed—without considering how this vision also uplifts society as a whole—it becomes difficult to persuade individuals who may not identify as privileged to engage fully. Equity work is often most successful when it invites everyone to imagine the benefits of a more just and inclusive society.
Mistrust and Collaboration The level of animosity, distrust, and even hostility toward white people and “whiteness” in many BIPOC spaces is often accepted as a natural, understandable response to historical and ongoing oppression. Yet, the inverse—distrust or hostility toward BIPOC individuals by white people—is immediately recognized as racism. This creates an impasse where white people are expected to trust and collaborate with those who, because of racial trauma, may harbor deep distrust or resentment toward them. Reconciliation and collaboration require mutual trust, yet the dynamics of this expectation remain one-sided, complicating the possibility of working together toward shared goals.
Performative Allyship There is increasing pressure on white people to be vocal and visible in their allyship. While this intention is positive, it can lead to performative actions where individuals express support or solidarity without taking meaningful steps to change their own behavior or systems. This can frustrate BIPOC communities who see empty gestures instead of real change, while simultaneously placing white people in the position of navigating whether their actions are genuine enough to pass public scrutiny. This performative dynamic can erode trust on both sides and shift focus from substantive progress.
The “Right” Way to Be an Ally There is often an unspoken but rigid expectation of how one must engage in racial equity work to be considered a true ally. This includes language, behavior, and the avoidance of certain mistakes. While this comes from a place of wanting to ensure sincerity, it can create a “no-win” situation where well-meaning people are afraid to engage for fear of making a misstep. It can stifle learning and discourage participation, as people become more concerned with optics than with genuinely transformative change.
Paternalism and Oversimplification A common issue in DEI work is the risk of paternalism, where initiatives can inadvertently treat marginalized communities as if they are helpless and need saving by those in power. This oversimplifies complex issues and overlooks the agency, resilience, and self-determination of BIPOC communities. It’s important for equity work to avoid casting marginalized individuals solely as victims, and instead, focus on creating environments where all people can be empowered and self-actualized.
Economic Disparities within Communities Another challenge in DEI work is the tendency to treat BIPOC and white communities as monolithic, ignoring the class and economic disparities within these groups. Wealthier or more privileged BIPOC individuals may have experiences more akin to privileged white people than to economically disadvantaged members of their own racial group. Recognizing that race and class intersect is crucial, as economic inequality affects everyone and should be part of any racial equity conversation. Failing to address this may alienate lower-income individuals, white and BIPOC alike, who feel the system is stacked against them regardless of race.
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Racial equity work often involves confronting painful histories and uncomfortable truths, which can lead to emotional exhaustion or burnout for both BIPOC individuals and white allies. For BIPOC people, constantly reliving trauma in these conversations can be draining. For white people, the work of unlearning privilege and confronting complicity can provoke defensiveness or emotional fatigue. In both cases, the emotional toll can lead to disengagement, which ultimately stalls progress. Finding ways to practice self-care and balance personal well-being with commitment to the cause is crucial for sustaining long-term equity work.
Defining “Success” One of the more subtle challenges in DEI and racial equity work is the lack of clarity around what success actually looks like. Is it achieving certain diversity metrics? Is it creating equitable policies? Is it dismantling entire systems? Different groups may have different visions of success, and without clear, shared goals, progress can feel diffuse or insufficient. This lack of consensus can lead to frustration and conflict, especially when efforts are perceived as symbolic or incremental, rather than systemic or transformational.
In conclusion, the core of much of the confusion and tension in DEI and racial equity work is the persistent “Us vs. Them” dynamic, which often casts people into rigid roles of hero, victim, or villain. In this narrative, white people are typically seen as the villains responsible for systemic oppression, BIPOC individuals as the victims, and activists as the heroes attempting to dismantle unjust systems. However, this oversimplified framing overlooks a critical truth: systemic racism harms everyone, and we are all victims, villains, and have the potential to be heroes in this story.
The perpetuation of racial inequity requires complicity from society at large—both historically and today—including from those who benefit from the system and those who are harmed by it. For people of color, internalized racism can sap their vitality, self-worth, and potential, just as unchecked privilege can distort the humanity of those who benefit from the current system. The path forward requires recognizing that racial justice is not a zero-sum game; true liberation from these harmful structures involves all of us working together to disrupt the cycles of oppression and elevate our collective humanity.