BEYOND DIVERSITY
Uncovering
Talent:
A Conversation
with Kenji Yoshino
DOWNPLAYING
IDENTITY TO
BLEND INTO A
WORKPLACE
HURTS
BOTH THE
INDIVIDUAL
AND THE
ORGANIZATION.
AUTHOR AND NYU LAW PROFESSOR
KENJI YOSHINO DISCUSSES THE
PHENOMENON AND OFFERS ADVICE
ON HOW HR CAN HANDLE IT.
By Melissa Campeau
Kenji Yoshino is Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of
Constitutional Law and the director of the Centre for
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging with NYU School of
Law in New York. He’s also the author of Covering: The
Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights (published in 2006).
HR Professional spoke to Yoshino about covering, its impact on
the individual and workplace and what HR can do to ensure a
more authentically inclusive workplace.
What is covering?
Kenji Yoshino: Covering is downplaying a known stigmatized
identity to blend into the mainstream. It differs from the more fa-miliar
term “passing” in that when you’re passing, people do not
26 ❚ JANUARY 2018 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL