After Affirmative Action: A Guide to Preserving Corporate DEI Programs
After Affirmative Action: A Guide to Preserving Corporate DEI Programs
Are you interested in the future of corporate DEI programs?
Recorded Wednesday, August 23, 11:00am-12:00pm
Northwestern University’s Corporate Engagement team offered a webinar on preserving corporate DEI programs, led by Professor Alvin B. Tillery Jr., Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy.
Who Should Participate
Business and academic leaders interested in learning more about how the recent Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision on college admissions may impact corporate DEI programs.
Summary
On June 29, 2023, the SCOTUS issued a 6-3 ruling that declared the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and UNC Chapel Hill unconstitutional. The ruling has generated a national conversation about the viability of corporate DEI programs.
In this webinar, Professor Alvin Tillery, director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy, discussed the implications of the ruling for corporate America. The webinar opened with a discussion of how the SCOTUS ruling generates new risks for corporations that make DEI programs more important than ever. It will then shifted to a focus on how corporate leaders can preserve their current DEI programs by rearticulating their purpose through the lens of compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The webinar closed with a discussion of how corporate DEI programs can work toward promoting racial equity through race-neutral means.
Speaker Bio:
Alvin B. Tillery, Jr., is the founding director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy and professor of political science at Northwestern University. His research focuses on building leadership capacity and designing equity within organizations. He is currently at work on a book project, The Antiracist Corporation: Theory, Methods, and Cases, which will be released by Columbia University Business Press in 2024. Tillery is also the founder and CEO of the 2040 Strategy Group, a boutique consulting firm that provides strategic advice and custom assessment and training solutions to corporations, governments, and non-profits. He is a frequent commentator in the national media on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, presidential leadership, and social movements.
Format
This was an informational webinar with an opportunity for Q&A with the speaker at the end. Participation was encouraged.