Centering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Perspectives: Strengthening the Efficacy of DEI Initiatives through Shared Understanding

Efforts to establish diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) spaces within organizations, particularly for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) employees, have gained renewed attention amidst societal shifts towards social justice (Roche & Passmore, 2023, Akpapuna et al, 2020, Brown et al 2022). Despite extensive literature on DEI initiatives, there remains a gap in understanding BIPOC members' perceptions and experiences within White-dominated workspaces. This study explores the efficacy of organizational DEI efforts through the lens of BIPOC members' perspectives, highlighting the crucial role of shared understanding in fostering genuine transformation. Findings reveal that ineffective DEI initiatives cause negative organization perceptions form BIPOC members as they find their organizations attempts at DEI inequitable due to the centering of White perspectives and lack of understand of BIPOC member's perception of the workplace. The study emphasizes the importance of centering marginalized voices in DEI initiatives to generate organizational and interpersonal impact on the experiences of BIPOC members, ultimately advocating for a shared understanding of the needs of BIPOC members in a White dominated space.