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.
So where are those silver linings?
Not easy to find on those topics this week, but one thing I find myself reminded of, yet again: As a cisgender, white, English-speaking, non-disabled U.S. citizen, I have it really good. And I consider it my responsibility to show up for those who do not. I encourage you to reflect on what that could look like for you. There’s no shortage of organizations to support but email me for specific recommendations.
Here are the good vibes…
Although there’s been a coordinated legislative attack against trans people in the U.S., especially against young trans athletes, Adidas is showing its support. This Adidas ad tells us that “Impossible is Nothing” while highlighting Tifanny Abreu, an athlete and trans woman.
Clubhouse pulled out of the South by Southwest conference because of Texas Governor Abbott’s call to investigate parents of trans children as child abusers. The company tweeted, “we wouldn’t feel comfortable asking LGBTQ+ voices from the Clubhouse community to come to Texas…and if we feel that way, we shouldn’t be there at all.” These efforts matter because young LGBTQ people, especially trans people, need public support when the laws are not on their side.
I love this mini case study on how diverse teams can help inform culturally relevant products that appeal to a broader customer base. You can read how one of our clients, Ferrara (which makes candy) leveraged each Business Resource Group to assess, amplify, and better represent specific products with a lens of diversity. This matters because it creates wins for the employees, the company, and the customers.
LinkedIn now allows users to add a “Career Break” to their profile. Career breaks can be used to indicate breaks for full-time parenting, bereavement, caregiving, a gap year, and layoffs, to name a few. This matters because it helps to normalize career breaks, which disproportionately affect women who are more likely to be caregivers.
Citi has eliminated overdraft fees, becoming the largest U.S. bank to do so. This is a projected revenue loss of $100 million annually. This matters because these fees disproportionately affect Black and Latinx customers, who already face a significant wealth gap.