How to Spot a Scoundrel Amongst Colleagues: Manipulating Systems for Personal Gain

Not all harm comes from "the system”, sometimes, it shows up much closer to home. In this episode, we dive into a tough but necessary conversation: what happens when people inside your organization use racial justice language and DEI frameworks for personal gain? What happens when shared trauma is manipulated, accountability is dodged, and liberatory language becomes a shield against critique?

We explore:

• The subtle ways colleagues co-opt justice work for self-advancement.
• What to do when someone uses "white supremacy" language to avoid responsibility and accountability.
• How to protect your own integrity without being labeled divisive.
• Why it's so painful when people you thought were aligned show their true intentions.

We also name the very real dynamics that happen when non-Black people of color weaponize racial justice rhetoric to gaslight, deflect, or exempt themselves from doing their part, often at the expense of Black colleagues.

 

RESOURCES

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