The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — the federal agency that enforces laws against employment discrimination and harassment — unveiled a new “diversity, equity, and inclusion” workshop for interested Americans.
Human resources professionals, attorneys, supervisors, managers, state and local government officials, union officials, and federal employees were invited to participate in “Understanding Unconscious Bias in the Workplace” — which ranges in cost from $95 to $255 per person.
The sessions — which will occur virtually — will last between one and five hours each.
According to a press release from the agency:
This first workshop will discuss how bias happens in the workplace, the different types of biases, microaggressions, and provide best practices for employers to reduce unconscious bias in the workplace. It is geared toward attorneys, mediators, human resource personnel, union officials and equal employment opportunity (EEO) professionals in the private and public sectors, along with other interested parties.
“The fight to obtain equal employment opportunity for all is the fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace,” said EEOC Los Angeles District director Rosa Viramontes in the release. “The Los Angeles District is proud to co-sponsor this first DE&I workshop on unconscious bias with the Houston, Indianapolis, San Francisco, and St. Louis district offices.”
“In today’s society, it is vital for employers to understand the importance of DE&I training and program implementation, and the profound impact it can have on the entire workforce,” added EEOC associate director of curriculum, education, and training Katrina Grider. “The EEOC is pleased to develop and offer this important education to the employer community.”
According to consulting firm McKinsey & Company, the diversity training industry was worth up to $8 billion even before the death of George Floyd brought several prominent critical race theorists — such as Ibram Kendi and Robin DiAngelo — into the public eye.
Local, state, and federal government agencies are among the largest consumers of training curriculum and seminars.
As Campus Reform reported earlier this year, the Oregon Department of Education paid $50,000 to 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones for two virtual speeches — amounting to an average wage of over $14,000 per hour of speaking time.
Officials acknowledged that the funds paid to Hannah-Jones came from “Every Day Matters” — a state program focused on addressing chronic absenteeism among disadvantaged children. Hannah-Jones did not respond to an inquiry from Campus Reform as to whether she was aware that the Oregon Department of Education drew her payment from Every Day Matters — and whether she accordingly planned to return the funds.