The End of Diversity As We Know It

1The End of Diversityas We Know It

I met Aaron Evans when I was in Northern California conducting research at Silicon Valley high-tech firms. He struck me as a bright and thoughtful manager, and a genuinely nice guy. His peers had high regard for him, too, as I learned during my visit. As we talked about diversity and its role in his company, he was cordial and a little bit stiff—just his normal demeanor, I assumed. But as we talked, I sensed his increasing agitation. I asked if he was okay. He said he was fine, so we kept talking, but he still seemed uneasy. Finally I inquired, “Aaron, you really seem uncomfortable. Is everything okay?” He sat quietly for a moment and then replied, “To be honest, I know we’re supposed to spend this time talking ...