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6 DEI leaders just left senior roles in Hollywood and media—it’s part of a larger problem: ‘It’s absolutely alarming’

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Summary

In recent weeks, several senior-level Black women in Hollywood have left their roles in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which could have a larger impact on diversity across the industry. The departures are due to company restructuring, as well as women choosing to focus on their own businesses. Experts say this is a sign that Corporate America is failing to live up to its DEI commitments and that more Black, Indigenous, and executives of color are likely to leave or be let go in the coming weeks. DEI leaders are facing burnout and fatigue due to the pressures to make progress quickly, and DEI efforts are often the first to be cut in a downturn. For meaningful progress to be made, companies need to ensure DEI leaders have a direct line to the CEO, have ample support and investment to make long-term progress, and adequately support Black women in senior leadership positions.

Q&As

What senior-level DEI initiatives have left their positions in Hollywood recently?
Karen Horne, Jeanell English, Verna Myers, LaTondra Newton, Terra Potts, and Joanna Abeyie have all recently left their senior-level DEI initiatives in Hollywood.

What are some of the reasons why DEI leaders are facing fatigue and burnout?
DEI leaders are facing fatigue and burnout due to the pressures of making progress quickly, the lack of prioritization and funding for DEI efforts, and the fact that diversity efforts are often the first to be cut during an economic downturn.

What is the biggest challenge facing DEI leaders?
The biggest challenge facing DEI leaders is when other leaders fail to take ownership for driving diversity outcomes.

What is the "glass cliff" and how does it relate to DEI?
The "glass cliff" is when DEI leaders are put into positions where they are set up to fail due to a lack of support and investment from senior leadership.

How is the exodus of Black women from senior leadership roles in Hollywood a reflection of wider trends?
The exodus of Black women from senior leadership roles in Hollywood is a reflection of wider trends in Corporate America, where diversity efforts are often not prioritized or well-funded, and where Black women are more likely to be undermined at work and passed over for opportunities due to their race and gender.

AI Comments

👍 This article brings awareness to the lack of support that Black women receive in senior leadership roles and provides solutions to help businesses create a more equitable environment.

👎 This article fails to recognize the hard work and dedication that women of color have invested in their jobs, often leading to high burnout rates and causing them to leave their positions.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about the recent exodus of senior-level Black women from Hollywood and media leaving their jobs, and how it could feed into a larger problem for diversity, equity and inclusion across the industry.

Friend: That's really concerning. What are the implications or this trend?

Me: Well, the article suggests that Corporate America is failing to live up to its diversity commitments, and that it continues to fail Black women in leadership. There's also a lot of DEI fatigue happening, as marginalized workers are often the ones who are most invested in making workplaces more equitable, and so they're tasked with addressing discrimination and biases that have long been built into their environments. Additionally, diversity efforts are usually the first to be cut during a downturn, so that's a major obstacle. Lastly, Black women are also more likely to be undermined at work, and denied or passed over for opportunities because of their race and gender. So it's a huge concern.

Action items

Research and understand the challenges that DEI leaders face in Corporate America, such as burnout, lack of support, and limited power to drive change.
Reach out to DEI leaders in your organization and ask how you can support their efforts.
Advocate for DEI initiatives in your organization, such as creating a direct reporting line to the CEO for DEI leaders, providing ample support and investment for long-term progress, and communicating progress in an iterative manner.

Technical terms

DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Loud Quitting: A term used to describe when an employee leaves their job in a very public way, such as through a social media post.
Work-Life Balance: The balance between an employee's work and personal life.
Gen Z: The generation of people born between 1997 and 2012.
DEI Fatigue: The feeling of exhaustion and burnout that comes from working on DEI initiatives.
Glass Cliff: A situation in which a person is put into a leadership position that is likely to fail.
C-Suite: The highest-level executives in a company.