Why the Nike Backlash May Be Just the Beginning

When Jennifer and I wrote Beyond Diversity, one of the first things we talked about was blind spots. We knew that there would be things we could not see or cultural references we might not know. It was the reason we engaged six contributors and another eight sensitivity readers to help us uncover those deficits in our own knowledge. That's what being inclusive requires.

This week Nike saw a huge backlash to a tone-deaf billboard they created which used the phrase "Never Again," which was already used by many as a solemn pledge tied to Holocaust memory. "Observers noted that the ad’s messaging was particularly tone-deaf given its timing—appearing just days after Holocaust Remembrance Day."

So whose job is it to make sure these sorts of brand missteps don't happen? The answer is experts in diversity, equity and inclusion. Unfortunately, those are the same experts that many companies are downsizing or eliminating right now. If this continues, we may be heading toward a future where this sort of controversy becomes commonplace. When you fire the people who specialize in making everything more inclusive, it's not surprising that the opposite starts to happen.