Objectivity

As I write this, we are in the height of the season of distorting MLK and his words. People will proclaim their intent to being color-blind and attribute it to King saying, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Why do people insist on color-blind approach to when research shows race-neutral policies is connected to less racially diverse outcomes and even perpetuate racial inequities that some think it addresses?

This strive and desire to be race neutral and twisted uses of justification through the distortions of MLK makes me think about the white supremacy characteristic of objectivity. Here are some of the ways it shows up:

• the belief that there is such a thing as being objective or ‘neutral’
• the belief that emotions are inherently destructive, irrational, and should not play a role in decision-making or group process
• assigning value to the “rational” while invalidating and/or shaming the “emotional” when often if not always the “rational” is emotion wrapped up in fancy logic and language
• requiring people to think in a linear (logical) fashion and ignoring or invalidating/shaming those who think in other ways
• impatience with any thinking that does not appear ‘logical’ or ‘rational’ in ways that reinforce existing power structures; in other words, those in power can be illogical, angry, emotional without being disregarded while those without power must always present from a ‘rational’ position
• refusal to acknowledge the ways in which ‘logical’ thinking and/or decision-making is often a cover for personal emotions and/or agendas often based in fear of losing power, face, or comfort
• refusal to acknowledge the ways in which objectivity is used to protect power and the status quo

As I reflect on this characteristic, I realize that this comes up so often with leadership, politics, news reporting, science, and so much more. I’m curious how this reflection will go, but I know the impact of our society not addressing objectivity as a toxic trait and instead promoting it as a virtue has slowed progress towards dismantling structures, attitudes, and behaviors that perpetuate oppression. I’ll be curious how often the tactics to addresses objectivity show up and are resisted.

Antidotes to objectivity include:

• realize that everybody has a world view and world view affects the way we understand the world
• realize this is true for you too; you are not “objective,” you are steeped in your own world view and if it is the dominant world view, realize how that world view includes the belief that it has the capacity to be objective
• support yourself and your group to sit with discomfort when people are expressing themselves in ways which are not familiar to you
• support yourself and your group to sit with discomfort when people are sharing points of view or lived experiences that are not familiar to you
• understand that emotional intelligence is real and valuable; work to become more emotionally intelligent
• assume that everybody has a good reason for what they are feeling and your job is to understand that reason and how it connects to their position, particularly if you are the one with more formal or informal power
• ask yourself and/or the group what a situation might look like from the point of view of those not present; better yet, develop authentic relationships with those whose world view and/or experience could and will inform your world view
• engage in the simple act of using “I” statements, which leads us to claim our own experience rather than generalizing from our experience in ways that can exclude those who have a different experience or perspective (thank you Cristina Rivera-Chapman)
• get curious about sources of information and stories, both to insure that those who are often overlooked as sources get lifted up and recognized and also to insure that those who claim credit are grounded in lived experience and social justice values (thank you Cristina Rivera-Chapman)

Reflection to Action exercises

a. What does this look like when you act with objectivity?

I have an extreme focus on my intent and quite dismissive of the impact my attempts of being objective. I will also focus on logic over emotions. I will value the objective view of a subject and dismiss the emotions as being irrational.

b. What feelings do you have when you are objective?

I will feel self-righteous and feel more superior in my rationality when I embrace objectivity.

c. What programs, rules, and/or practices does the community around you (work/neighborhood/organization) that reinforces or encourages objectivity?

My mind went to thinking about hiring. I feel like this can have a big focus on being neutral and that translating to everyone conforming to a certain way of viewing candidates. There is also a notion that only leadership or management should be in the interviews. With leadership and management being racially and gender homogenous, this seems like a road block to including more perspectives in the process.

d. What actions can you take to go from objectivity to validation?

Increasing the diversity of people in the process is something that I think will go a long way to including and validating different opinions during the interview process.

e. What benefits do you think you would get from applying more of the replacement characteristics?

By having more opinions and perspectives in the hiring process, I would expect us to hire people that will support our work through different perspectives and enhance our overall work because it will encourage others to be more inclusive.

Action Plan Statement
From now on when I feel the urge to act with objectivity, I will encourage more diversity and inclusion efforts because it provides me with a broader and more inclusive perspective. I will also support my work objectivity by addressing hiring practices. When I do act with objectivity, I will give myself some grace, acknowledge the impact I had on others, and engage in repair work.