[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":302},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-ed-and-i-fatigue-vol-2":3},{"metadata":4,"sys":7,"fields":27},{"tags":5,"concepts":6},[],[],{"space":8,"id":13,"type":14,"createdAt":15,"updatedAt":15,"environment":16,"publishedVersion":20,"revision":21,"contentType":22,"locale":26},{"sys":9},{"type":10,"linkType":11,"id":12},"Link","Space","3kvxvlmz18o6","7zSPcFVvNZiV99b8GNMHny","Entry","2024-03-31T17:51:20.856Z",{"sys":17},{"id":18,"type":10,"linkType":19},"master","Environment",9,1,{"sys":23},{"type":10,"linkType":24,"id":25},"ContentType","blog","en-US",{"title":28,"slug":29,"description":30,"headerImage":31,"content":56},"ED&I Fatigue, Vol 2.","ed-and-i-fatigue-vol-2","Examining the mounting threat to affirmative action in the US and its potential influence on UK corporate policy.",{"metadata":32,"sys":35,"fields":44},{"tags":33,"concepts":34},[],[],{"space":36,"id":38,"type":39,"createdAt":40,"updatedAt":40,"environment":41,"publishedVersion":43,"revision":21,"locale":26},{"sys":37},{"type":10,"linkType":11,"id":12},"6t57v2oZvGkjiMIIVlv2IS","Asset","2024-03-31T17:33:57.052Z",{"sys":42},{"id":18,"type":10,"linkType":19},4,{"title":45,"description":46,"file":47},"Fatigue","",{"url":48,"details":49,"fileName":54,"contentType":55},"\u002F\u002Fimages.ctfassets.net\u002F3kvxvlmz18o6\u002F6t57v2oZvGkjiMIIVlv2IS\u002F7090590dff44a9f9e63d8006e7c2f355\u002FWoman_with.jpg",{"size":50,"image":51},889487,{"width":52,"height":53},2400,1577,"Woman with.jpg","image\u002Fjpeg",{"nodeType":57,"data":58,"content":59},"document",{},[60,82,89,96,109,128,135,142,152,159,166,173,183,201,208,218,225,244,251,258,296],{"nodeType":61,"data":62,"content":63},"paragraph",{},[64,69,78],{"nodeType":65,"value":66,"marks":67,"data":68},"text","The recent ",[],{},{"nodeType":70,"data":71,"content":73},"hyperlink",{"uri":72},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-us-canada-65886212",[74],{"nodeType":65,"value":75,"marks":76,"data":77},"U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban race-conscious college admissions",[],{},{"nodeType":65,"value":79,"marks":80,"data":81}," has triggered a surge in political and legal challenges against corporate America's anti-discrimination policies. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":83,"content":84},{},[85],{"nodeType":65,"value":86,"marks":87,"data":88},"The Supreme Court ruling, while specific to education, has prompted activists and politicians to challenge long standing corporate anti-discrimination policies. They argue that any categorising of people by race is pernicious and unlawful, citing Constitutional provisions meant to protect former slaves. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":90,"content":91},{},[92],{"nodeType":65,"value":93,"marks":94,"data":95},"Beyond the legal argument, it’s clear that the rhetoric of certain prominent US political figures reveals a deep-seated opposition to programs designed to increase minority representation and educate young people about America's history of white supremacy.",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":97,"content":98},{},[99],{"nodeType":65,"value":100,"marks":101,"data":108},"Legal Challenges and Threats",[102,104,106],{"type":103},"underline",{"type":105},"italic",{"type":107},"bold",{},{"nodeType":61,"data":110,"content":111},{},[112,116,124],{"nodeType":65,"value":113,"marks":114,"data":115},"Following the Supreme Court’s decision on college admissions, lawsuits have been brought against companies with internal diversity initiatives, such as Kellogg’s. ",[],{},{"nodeType":70,"data":117,"content":119},{"uri":118},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Flegal\u002Fus-black-women-owned-venture-capital-fund-mounts-defense-conservatives-race-2023-08-10\u002F",[120],{"nodeType":65,"value":121,"marks":122,"data":123},"A venture capital fund supporting businesses owned by black women has also been targeted",[],{},{"nodeType":65,"value":125,"marks":126,"data":127},". ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":129,"content":130},{},[131],{"nodeType":65,"value":132,"marks":133,"data":134},"Republican Senators have issued warnings to major corporations, threatening Congressional oversight and private lawsuits if diversity programs persist. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":136,"content":137},{},[138],{"nodeType":65,"value":139,"marks":140,"data":141},"Despite largely lacking legal merit, the challenges come at a time of febrile political and cultural division across the US. The looming potential for a second Trump administration only increases the sense of threat to long-standing corporate diversity initiatives.",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":143,"content":144},{},[145],{"nodeType":65,"value":146,"marks":147,"data":151},"Corporate Programs ",[148,149,150],{"type":103},{"type":105},{"type":107},{},{"nodeType":61,"data":153,"content":154},{},[155],{"nodeType":65,"value":156,"marks":157,"data":158},"Over 95% of top global enterprises report having formal diversity programs, and a third of the Fortune 500 have a diversity executive. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":160,"content":161},{},[162],{"nodeType":65,"value":163,"marks":164,"data":165},"To be clear – these programs were not outlawed by the Supreme Court decision, and the ruling acknowledged that race consideration is permissible with compelling reasons. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":167,"content":168},{},[169],{"nodeType":65,"value":170,"marks":171,"data":172},"However, the mounting pressure raises concerns that companies may backtrack on their commitments to diversity and inclusion.",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":174,"content":175},{},[176],{"nodeType":65,"value":177,"marks":178,"data":182},"Coca Cola",[179,180,181],{"type":103},{"type":105},{"type":107},{},{"nodeType":61,"data":184,"content":185},{},[186,189,197],{"nodeType":65,"value":46,"marks":187,"data":188},[],{},{"nodeType":70,"data":190,"content":192},{"uri":191},"https:\u002F\u002Fabovethelaw.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Fcoca-cola-shook-up-diversity-efforts-racist-shareholders-gushed-out\u002F",[193],{"nodeType":65,"value":194,"marks":195,"data":196},"A notable example involving Coca-Cola's former general counsel, Bradley Gayton",[],{},{"nodeType":65,"value":198,"marks":199,"data":200},", demonstrates the impact of this pressure. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":202,"content":203},{},[204],{"nodeType":65,"value":205,"marks":206,"data":207},"Despite initially introducing bold new diversity guidelines for law firms representing Coca Cola, the company faced a major backlash, threats of lawsuits and eventually withdrew the initiative. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":209,"content":210},{},[211],{"nodeType":65,"value":212,"marks":213,"data":217},"The View from the UK ",[214,215,216],{"type":103},{"type":105},{"type":107},{},{"nodeType":61,"data":219,"content":220},{},[221],{"nodeType":65,"value":222,"marks":223,"data":224},"All too often when the US sneezes, the UK catches a cold.",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":226,"content":227},{},[228,232,240],{"nodeType":65,"value":229,"marks":230,"data":231},"While D&I initiatives have become more mainstream, a ",[],{},{"nodeType":70,"data":233,"content":235},{"uri":234},"https:\u002F\u002Fforms.workday.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdam\u002Fweb\u002Fuk\u002Fdocuments\u002Freports\u002Ffm-belonging-and-diversity-report-fy22-emea.pdf",[236],{"nodeType":65,"value":237,"marks":238,"data":239},"2021 Workday survey",[],{},{"nodeType":65,"value":241,"marks":242,"data":243}," of more than 2000 HR professionals and business leaders found that 31% of UK respondents said their organisation did not take a strategic approach to inclusion and diversity, neither had they taken any steps toward implementing one.",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":245,"content":246},{},[247],{"nodeType":65,"value":248,"marks":249,"data":250},"Half of respondents said they viewed tracking ED&I as a significant \"challenge.\" One in ten said they did not recognise the importance of diversity at all, and 12% perceived it as a \"polarising” issue. ",[],{},{"nodeType":61,"data":252,"content":253},{},[254],{"nodeType":65,"value":255,"marks":256,"data":257},"These findings illustrate the fragile nature of diversity initiatives in the UK, and how susceptible they could be to a change in the political weather. It underscores the need for policies that are robust, fair, and effective enough to stand up to scrutiny. ",[],{},{"nodeType":259,"data":260,"content":261},"unordered-list",{},[262,274,285],{"nodeType":263,"data":264,"content":265},"list-item",{},[266],{"nodeType":61,"data":267,"content":268},{},[269],{"nodeType":65,"value":270,"marks":271,"data":273},"The Stephen James Partnership is a diversity centric legal recruitment and consultancy firm.",[272],{"type":105},{},{"nodeType":263,"data":275,"content":276},{},[277],{"nodeType":61,"data":278,"content":279},{},[280],{"nodeType":65,"value":281,"marks":282,"data":284},"We don’t believe it should be a choice between excellence and diversity. It’s always possible to achieve both.",[283],{"type":105},{},{"nodeType":263,"data":286,"content":287},{},[288],{"nodeType":61,"data":289,"content":290},{},[291],{"nodeType":65,"value":292,"marks":293,"data":295},"By partnering with the SJP, law firms can make a real impact on the diversity of their workplace.",[294],{"type":105},{},{"nodeType":61,"data":297,"content":298},{},[299],{"nodeType":65,"value":46,"marks":300,"data":301},[],{},1782301047854]