The Elephant in the Room [B0299]

2022 - The Elephant in the Room is a racial equity business parable that asks readers to reckon with the complex topics of race, ethnicity, and racism within the U.S. The story begins with Derek Blain, a young Black executive for one of the world's largest energy companies, and follows him as he navigates the highs and lows of an annual diversity, equity, and inclusion conference called Having the Race Conversation Summit. Derek carries the weight of all the perils, opportunities, and awkwardness surrounding racial conversations in the workplace as he prepares to deliver his keynote speech at the summit. His fellow workshop facilitators, well-seasoned and respected DEI practitioners, reveal their own shortcomings as they facilitate dialogue on hot button subjects like reparations, Black Lives Matter, and Whiteness. As if the stakes weren't high enough already, a notorious White supremacist group forms an armed protest just outside the summit. The Elephant in the Room provides opportunities for professionals and everyday people to practice navigating the intricacies of racial difference.