The Paradox of Diversity in Social Change Organizations

Many social change organizations demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion by serving a range of constituencies; having diverse members, staff, and/or boards; and working in broad coalitions.

The importance of diversity may also be expressed in an organization’s mission, policy, and strategic and program plans. Social change advocates often speak eloquently and forcefully about historical trends and the legal enshrinement of bigotry, how those acts affect us today, and the cultural assumptions that drive social trends. Yet even with clearly positive intentions, patterns of bias and oppression may exist within social change organizations. In this essay, we offer our observations based on work with numerous organizations as both activists and consultants.