People enjoy puzzles—be it jigsaw puzzles, Wordle, or Scrabble. Our brains like things to fit together. When it comes to the work of dismantling racially oppressive structures and creating a more just world, well-done racial equity audits—that is, comprehensive assessments of the strengths and shortfalls of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices across the organization—are an important piece of the puzzle. These audits are part of the bigger picture of organizational change management. And every piece of the puzzle is required to complete the scene and make change happen.
Significant racial equity advancement will remain elusive until organizations are willing to examine their own purpose, leadership, strategy, and culture.
There is a growing conversation about equity audits in all sectors. Racial equity audits are a growth industry in the corporate world, too. KMP, a global network of professional firms providing tax and audit services, reports that they saw 19 shareholder proposals for racial equity audits in 2021 and double that number in 2022. Meanwhile, the country is rapidly changing demographically; the 2020 Census revealed…
