White Guys Running Corporate Diversity Programs

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal reports that an increasing number of corporate diversity programs are being run by white men:

[E]nlisting white males to foster diversity efforts ... is gaining currency at U.S. companies.  White men run the diversity programs at big employers such as Coca-Cola Co. and Southern Co.'s Georgia Power unit.  Coke last fall brought in a consultant to talk to employees about "engaging white men in diversity efforts."  PwC and others have given white male managers part-time assignments to promote diversity alongside their regular jobs.

It's part of an effort to get diversity programs off the sidelines and into the mainstream of the business.  Having a white man champion diversity efforts -- particularly one who works in operations rather than human resources -- can help bring other white males on board, the theory goes.

So . . . white men will only listen to other white men?  In any event, it goes without saying that a company shouldn't hire a white male for a corporate diversity role because he's a white male.

For more, see Corporate Diversity Programs Aim Involve [sic] White Males as Leaders.

rb