Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Is It a Zero-Sum Proposition?

Court Leader's Advantage

Numerous organizations, including courts, are embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. With that increasing acceptance, we are also seeing increasing resistance, and it is important to address that resistance directly. On the December episode we discussed the question “can hiring criteria, particularly for managers and supervisors, be objective?”

This month we are going to explore the growing question “Is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion a Zero-Sum Proposition for White employees?” Michael Norton from Harvard University, and Samuel Summers from Tufts University, surveyed 417 citizens on their conception of racism in America.[1] Several of their conclusions are worth noting:

· Overall anti-Black bias has been declining over the years.

· White responses perceived that anti-Black bias has been declining at a rate even faster than that shown in responses from the group overall.

· Black respondents perceived anti-White bias is almost non-existent.

· White respondents perceive that anti-White bias has been growing since the year 2000.

· Whites now see anti-White racism is a bigger problem than anti-Black bias, and

· Anti-White racism is seen as a zero-sum condition.

This is encapsulated in a quote by ex-U.S. Senator and ex-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions who said:

“Empathy for one party is always prejudice against another.”

Today’s Panelists

Stacy Fields who is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Crestwood, Missouri. Stacey has worked in the judiciary for 12 years. She has been a member of NACM for 5 years and serves on the Conference Development Committee. She also serves as Vice President of the Metropolitan St. Louis Association for Court Administration (MSLACA) and on the board of the Missouri Association for Court Administration as Professional Development Director.

Zenell Brown who is Executive Court Administrator for the 3rd Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan. As a Court Administrator, Zenell has garnered respect for her ethical leadership and innovation. She has built her approach on three pillars: communication, leadership responsibility and accountability, and diversity and inclusion. She has shared her “Justice for All” leadership and organizational wisdom at local, state, and national level conferences for court managers and teams.

Zenell continues to add to her current credentials of Juris Doctor (Wayne State University Law School), Public Service Administration Graduate Certificate (Central Michigan University), Court Administration Certificate (Michigan State University), and Certified Diversity Professional (National Diversity Council-Diversity First).

Kristie Collier -Tucker who is Court Administrator and Clerk of Court for the Municipal Court in Union City, Georgia. Kristie is responsible for all court operations, including the implementation of policies and procedures of the Court Services department. Union City Municipal Court is a high-volume court, holding more than 20 sessions per month including specialty dockets such as a Under 21 Court, a docket that focuses on defendants who are under 21 at the time of the violation. This docket is an effort to reduce recidivism and improve driver awareness. The court utilizes alternative sentencing principles in all court activities by establishing partnerships with other programs.

Kristie received a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from South Carolina State University, an ABA approved Paralegal Certificate and Bachelor of Science in Administrative Management from Clayton State University and a MBA with a Human Resources Concentration from Ashford University.

[1] Michael I. Norton & Samuel R. Sommers, “White See Race as a Zero-Sum Game that They are Now Losing,” Association of Psychological Science, 2011.