— Michael Harriot, The Root
There exists a misplaced assumption that the recent focus on inclusion is a quasi-benevolent gift to Black people. But profit-driven companies are not supposed to care about diversity for diversity’s sake. Even the most progressive individuals believe that “diversity hires” help Black employees, when, in reality, it is white people who get most of the benefit because input from a diverse array of voices usually improves the product.
Take the news industry, for example. When Joy Reid left AM Joy for a permanent spot inMSNBC’s primetime lineup, the overwhelming narrative was that host Joy Reid would become the only Black woman to anchor a primetime cable news show. Very few people mentioned that Reid’s weekend show had been kicking the competitions’ asses for 13 straight quarters in total audience and African-American viewers. She was making NBC News a better product.