How to Avoid Divisive Politization of your Findings while Advancing Equity

Culture wars. Trigger words. “Woke” language bans. Evaluators are navigating an increasingly divisive political environment. And for evaluators advancing social justice, it can feel impossible to share findings in a way that resonate across the political spectrum. If nonpartisanship is your goal (and it may not be!), we can learn from advocates across the country, particularly those in red states, who are experimenting with language to further their message without compromising their values of social justice. In this Think Tank, we will share a brief presentation of politically divisive language such as “equity” and “DEI” and some alternatives we’ve learned in our advocacy and policy work that have broader acceptance without sacrificing meaning. Then, participants will join breakout groups to share strategies for navigating the choice of being seen as political vs nonpartisan, and sharing findings to further social justice in divisive political environments.
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