EQUALITY INSIGHTS
Weekly 5 Things editions plus essays and GUIDANCE on inclusive communication
5 Things / Perspectives
Last weekend I was in Ireland for my aunt’s funeral. The trip was full of storytelling and laughter, and bonding with my sister who’s 16 years older than me and of a different generation. We had vastly different childhoods and different perspectives on the world. At one point while we were chatting with a cousin about my work, my sister brought up decades-old attempts to diversify workforces where under-qualified candidates were supposedly hired because of quotas for roles they had “no business being in.” Let’s settle this question in 2022: does setting diversity hiring targets lower the bar?
5 Things / Alignment
This week, in Florida, the legislature passed a “Don’t Say Gay” bill that prohibits discussing anything LGBTQ+ in schools (among other mean-spirited things). Governor DeSantis is expected to sign it into law. As a lesbian, I’m horrified by this and the message it sends young LGBTQ+ people. As a DEI professional, I’m outraged that major Florida-based companies stood by passively. And in some cases (ahem, Disney), donated funds to Florida legislators who supported the bill.
5 Things / ISO
Each week I sit down to write about stories I find and consider to be good news about diversity, equity, inclusion, and corporate social responsibility. Some weeks it’s really hard to focus on the positive, so I look for silver linings in horrible situations. Sometimes it’s hard to find those, too. This week I’m particularly stunned by the war in Ukraine, by the racism against Black and brown Ukrainian refugees at border crossings, and by the aggressive attacks against LGBTQ (especially trans) people in a bunch of U.S. states.
5 Things / Equity First
Black History (which in my mind, should be respected and celebrated all year) Month is almost over. Before the month ends, I want to reflect on the “E” in DEI. Equity. When I first started this work, “E” wasn’t much discussed, but now I realize equity is the most important word in the acronym.
5 Things / Lessons From The Puppy
Obviously, this isn’t rocket science, and it applies in so many different contexts: with our children, with our partners, with our team. I know I like it when others relate to me in these ways. But like with so many other things, leading like this can be easier said than done.