Irshad Manji: A Label-less Approach to Diversity

By: Shreeya More | November 2023

Irshad Manji is an Ugandan-born Canadian Muslim, and the daughter of Egyptian and Indian immigrants. This mouthful of demographics is a rather ironic characterization of Manji considering her “no-labels” approach to diversity.

In Manji’s latest book, Don’t Label Me (2020), she urges her readers to steer clear of deceptive labels and take an open-minded approach to diversity training and daily interactions.

I had the pleasure of attending a talk between Manji and UNC’s own Dr. Leah Cox, the Vice President of Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at UNC. The talk, a part of the ongoing Abbey Series, focused on methods to improve Diversity Equity Inclusion initiatives at Chapel Hill and beyond.

As an educator and author, Manji is committed to inspiring the public on the skills of moral courage. In this conversation, Manji illustrated that labels are deceptive because they cannot begin to explain all that we are. It is impossible to deny that labels are a part of primal human psychology but, she urges, this inevitable tendency should be used as a starting point rather than the conclusion.

Accepting a label without freezing an individual to the label is the founding principle of Manji’s favored concept of “honest diversity.” She uses this term in contrast to dishonest diversity which consists of reducing people to their labels and accepts the assumptions that come with these categories.

Manji insists that each person is a plural; no label or set of labels can encompass an identity because people are constantly evolving, sentient beings. This dynamic understanding of identity is particularly relevant to discussions of contentious issues today, because while it may be instinct to classify someone by their political partisanship or demographics, it is far more worthwhile to approach conversation with an open mind and willingness to listen.

Dr. Cox challenged this point; she questioned how to conduct a productive conversation if the other person is not willing to listen. Understandably, it is difficult to avoid labels when those around or against you are not willing to follow the same approach. Manji contends that even if your “opponent” is not listening, there is always someone listening. You cannot win them all but when you take the compassionate approach, you are inspiring other people—your friends, colleagues, family members—to become better human beings.

At the essence of Manji’s moral courage movement is the enduring belief that nothing changes if no one changes. She urges each person to bring this philosophy to daily interactions. Have the courage to look past the labels, and view those around you as complete and ever-changing human beings.