Janice Gassam Ascre, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant, is under fire after her article about “decentering whiteness” was published at Forbes.
The article, “3 Ways To Decenter Whiteness In Your Workplace,” advises workplaces how to “start the process of actively decentering whiteness in the workplace.”
White-centering can be thought of as a system that prioritizes white dominant culture to the detriment of non-white groups and cultures. White-centering has been given many names including the white gaze and whiteness as the default. Because white-centering is often left unexamined and unchecked, equity and justice have continued to evade organizations.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) announced an investigation into whether Ascre or her business, BWG Business Solutions, has ever received taxpayer money.
Vance shared the article on X saying, “I’m just done with this s—. It’s racist and it’s gross.”
He added that he had directed his staff to investigate and determine if Ascre’s business received public money from the State of Ohio.
I’m just done with this shit. It’s racist and it’s gross. Forbes should be ashamed of themselves for publishing it.
The author is a “diversity, equity, and inclusion” consultant. I’ve directed my staff to investigate whether her “business” receives any public money from Ohio. https://t.co/Mce5DFVTti
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) November 22, 2023
After the blowback, Forbes made a stealth edit to the article’s headline, changing it to “3 Ways to Transform Your Workplace to Be More Equitable.”