New Federal Guidelines Require a Thesaurus, Not a Revamp
How do you respond when the political landscape shifts beneath your feet in such a way that you are not only losing your balance but having your knees figuratively ripped from the sockets?
In the last several weeks, working with clients in both the education and philanthropy spaces, I have been reminded of just how "omnipresent" federal funding is in our world. The threat of possibly losing it has a vast array of businesses, nonprofits, and school districts (among others) taking a long, hard look at their messaging, and wondering if commitments they have made to equity may suddenly have them in financial jeopardy.
A letter, being called the "Dear Colleague Letter" has gone out from the Department of Education to school leaders around the nation. Where you stand politically doesn't really matter at this point. What is being spelled out in no uncertain terms is what the political stance of the people interpreting federal law is, and the impact it could have on those who are not operating and communicating within the bounds of that vision.
It says, in part, "Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon 'systemic and structural racism' and advanced discriminatory policies and practices. Proponents of these discriminatory practices have attempted to further justify them—particularly during the last four years—under the banner of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (“DEI”), smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline. But under any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal."
For the school district that has committed to solving decades of inequity, the nonprofit that has funded scholarships for specific minority groups, or anyone else who has singled out a specific underserved community as one they intend to help, this letter is an existential "shot across the bow." The message: This is the government's interpretation of the law, and if you aren't in compliance with it, your federal funds are in jeopardy.
Many of the organizations being pulled into this political fight normally try to stay out of politics altogether. My advice to them is to remember that your message can remain true to your mission and values without jeopardizing the funding that lets you do the work that matters.
There are certain things no one is going to argue with.
· There is nothing wrong with ensuring everyone has the same opportunities.
· There is no sin in trying to help those with fewer resources improve their station in life by taking advantage of those opportunities.
· Everyone’s voice should be heard when decisions about their future are being made.
· When talking about education, we owe it to our kids make sure everyone has the chance to reach their potential.
What do all of these statements have in common? They speak to the equitable goals of many urban school districts and other groups that serve diverse communities without using the language the administration is calling out in the “Dear Colleague” letter. None of them singles out a benefit for or criticism of any specific group either. “Opportunity for all” is the message.
The moral of the story is this: you can change your words without changing your mission. If your organization has spent years and decades working to “level the playing field” for all groups that you serve, your work does not have to change. The way you describe it does. Compliance with new federal rules may be less about re-inventing your organization and more about breaking out the thesaurus.
George Sells is the founder and owner of George Sells Media, a communications and media consulting firm in St. Louis, MO. He has also served as Director of Communications and Marketing for a large, urban school system, Public Information Officer for a city prosecutor’s office, and as a television journalist in several markets.