Real inclusion requires more than an invitation
Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were harmed, and they deserve formal apologies from everyone involved in inflicting that harm. Full stop!
There should be no confusion about that.
But if we are serious about learning something from this moment and not just reacting, then we also need to talk about the layers that made this situation possible in the first place.
Because there are layers.
John Davidson lives with Coprolalia, an occasional characteristic of Tourette syndrome that causes involuntary utterances of inappropriate or obscene words and phrases. In other words, when he shouted the N-word at Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan, he did not have control over what he was saying. That matters.
What he does have control over are his actions afterward. And while he did not need to apologize for having Coprolalia, he absolutely needed to apologize for the harm that was caused. Two things can be true at the same time.
But let’s be honest about something else. The BBC and BAFTA set everyone up for this moment, whether they intended to or not.
There are many people who have already analyzed this situation from different angles, and many have done a very thoughtful job. So I’m going to take the road less traveled and talk about what happens when institutions attempt inclusion without doing the deeper work required to support it. Because inclusion without preparation is not inclusion, it’s negligence. Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan deserved to be there celebrating and supporting their work. Their presence was earned and deserved.
John Davidson deserved to be there as well for his well-regarded work. In fact, the fact that someone with Coprolalia would be present at such a prestigious event should have been something meaningful. It could have been a powerful example of expanding the spaces where people with disabilities are welcomed and included. But moments like that require care. They require discernment. They require honesty.
Most importantly, they require preparation and clear, consistent communication. From what has been reported, the BBC made promises about accommodations for John Davidson that were not properly met. Those promises reportedly included editing out slurs and inappropriate language and managing microphone placement. Instead, there was a microphone near him, and the safeguards that had been discussed were not followed through. That is not a small oversight. That is a failure of responsibility.
Yes, the audience received announcements about John’s disability. But neither Michael B. Jordan nor Delroy Lindo was prepared for what might happen. And when the moment occurred, there was no immediate care taken to address the impact. That matters too. Because the impact of hearing the N-word, especially shouted publicly, is not theoretical. It carries centuries of violence, humiliation, and dehumanization. Folks who are not doing the work of studying racism globally are never going to be prepared to protect us at the decision-making tables.
That word lands in the body before the brain even has time to process context.
At the same time, we cannot ignore another impact: the ongoing exclusion of people in the disability community, particularly those with tic disorders. Imagine what it may have meant for John Davidson to be included in that room. For many people with disabilities, spaces like that are rarely accessible, rarely welcoming, and rarely designed with them in mind.
This moment sits right at the intersection of those two realities, and when institutions do not prepare for those intersections, harm becomes almost inevitable.
Right now, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts are being questioned, eliminated, and challenged across many spaces. Moments like this become examples people point to when they want to argue that inclusion “doesn’t work.” But the truth is something different. Inclusion failed here, not because people are different but because the planning was insufficient. If we truly want to widen the spaces where marginalized groups are included, we have to do more than simply want people in the room. Real inclusion requires difficult conversations and thoughtful planning.
We have to ask questions like:
- What is the historical impact of certain language, and are we studying the history of marginalized groups?
- How do we keep people psychologically and physically safe?
- What do individuals need in order for belonging to truly happen?
- What challenges might arise, and how will we address them?
- How will we communicate clearly and consistently with everyone this will impact?
- What could go wrong, and how do we plan for it in advance?
- What happens if something goes wrong anyway?
- What are our safety checks?
- What are we missing?
And perhaps most importantly: who is responsible for making sure those plans are actually followed?
Inclusion is not just about opening the door. It’s about making sure the room is ready for everyone who walks through it. When that responsibility is not taken seriously, the very people we say we want to honor, include, and celebrate end up carrying the cost. We must train leaders to be empathetic and truly inclusive. It will take more than a few of us.
With the proper training, we can do this together!
In Love,
Dr. Lynne
The question isn’t whether conflict will happen. The question is whether you’re prepared for it. Let’s talk. theconflictcloser.com/coach
