“Nothing worth having comes easy.”

-President Theodore Roosevelt

Working towards real diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace should not be easy. In fact, it should be an uncomfortable, arduous journey where mistakes are made, and lessons learned. On this journey, the easy way is never the right way. We should not shy away from difficult conversations with our colleagues on the most pressing and divisive current events or social issues out of fear of disagreement or of being perceived in a particular light. Nor should we discourage our colleagues from voicing their opinions on these difficult topics, simply because we disagree with them, or because of a real or perceived “majority opinion” on the topic. Applying pressure to agree or to shy away from expressing an unpopular opinion goes against the very goal of DEI initiatives—to provide a safe space for people to be and express themselves in a meaningful and respectful way.