171 - Slurs, Smears, and Stereotypes: Rocky Election Road Ahead

Littler Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Podcast

When President Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential campaign last month and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee, the move resulted in several historical firsts. It also placed a swift focus on intersectionality and identity politics as tensions mount in the final stretch of the 2024 election cycle. Littler Principal Cindy-Ann Thomas and her guests, University of North Carolina (Charlotte) Associate Chair of Communications Studies, Professor Debra C. Smith, and Littler Shareholder Bradford Kelley, explore: - The interplay of race, gender, and ethnicity for women in leadership and how they detract from meaningful conversations about suitability and competence; - Why and how topics like appearance, attire, voice pitch/tone, laughter, temperament, and likeability continue to persist so disproportionately for women; - The real meaning of “DEI Hire” and other coded terms; - How the perpetuation of inappropriate labels and evaluation criteria hinder progress for members of historically minoritized populations in key leadership roles – beyond the position of POTUS; - The role that the media and big tech ecosystem play in normalizing coded language, microaggressions, and stereotypes; - How biased messaging and beliefs about political candidates spill into workplaces; and - Possible guidelines – and guardrails - for implementing standards of conduct and handling discussions of politically diverse perspectives present in the workplace. This podcast offers an in-depth discussion about how and why an increasingly contentious election cycle is having such a taxing and divisive impact for so many.