Diversity is our Superpower, not our Kryptonite

Do you have a diverse workforce but hesitate to use the “D” word in today’s legal climate? You’re not alone. Many of us are angry, disappointed, frustrated—even exhausted. But here’s the question I’m willing to risk my first Substack post on: What if we expanded the idea of inclusion instead of seeing it as diversity shrinking?

Here comes the part that might get me cancelled: Yes, statistically, white men hold about 55% of Fortune 500 board seats, while making up roughly 30% of the U.S. population. So, the data doesn’t suggest that white men are losing out to traditional DEI groups.

And yet—can white cisgender men still feel voiceless or unseen? Of course. Because perception often outweighs statistics. And that’s exactly why we need to have these conversations.

A quick side note: When I served as General Counsel for a multibillion-dollar logistics company, as a black woman I led a diverse legal team that included white, heterosexual, cis men. When making fast-paced risk assessments around employee terminations, we’d all ask: Is the employee over 40? A woman? A racial, ethnic, or religious minority? LGBTQIA member? Do they have a known disability?

A “yes” to any of these increased our legal risk. That wasn’t bias—it was a legal reality. But I have to wonder: Did these regular conversations unintentionally send a message to the white men on my team, who did not fit into any of the categories above, that they were less protected under the law or that their intrinsic traits carried less value? I truly don’t know. But the thought that any of them might have felt alienated breaks my heart. I loved them and would have never wanted them to feel “less than.”

Which brings me back to the real point: Can we create corporate cultures where everyone feels seen, valued, and has an equal shot at advancement?

I believe we can. Sure, we may need to make tactical shifts inhouse to build trust in hiring and promotion processes—but that’s the easy part.

What we must not do, though, is abandon America’s greatest strength: its diversity. The data is clear—diverse teams and societies outperform homogenous ones. Diversity is our superpower. Let’s not let it become our kryptonite. We’ve got this.