5 Things / Not Yet
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This week I was in a series of meetings with a client, leading them through our Inclusive 360 assessment process. Our assessment is extremely granular, breaking down DEI into a series of small tactics, across all functions. As part of the process, we put employees in small group meetings and go through the assessment questions.
One leader repeatedly used the phrase “not yet” when answering my questions – not yet because we’re at the beginning of this process. Not yet because they’re learning, still understanding the current state of affairs. Not yet – but they’re excited about it. They’re ready to do better as soon as they know better. It’s coming from leadership. Not yet, but the tactics are bite-sized. They’re doable. They’re cumulatively impactful but many are small enough to generate momentum through quick wins.
So while we may start with “not yet”, I believe in the power of forward momentum, the kind that can come from a cross-functional approach. Celebrate the quick wins and keep going.
This Week's Good Vibes:
Disneyland Rebuilds Mickey’s Toontown From The Ground Up For Kids Of All Abilities
Toontown at Disneyland has been redeveloped to meet the needs of kids with differing needs. The redesigned spaces are designed to include kids with physical, developmental, behavioral, emotional and sensory disorders and disabilities. This means the space has no curbs, activities at lower heights for people in wheelchairs, dedicated wheelchair pathways, a play yard with calming, natural sound effects, and a whole lot more. The gift shop now sells adaptive Minnie ears headbands with a chin strap for visitors who wear a cochlear implant for hearing. I love this. Around 20-25% of Americans have some form of disability, and these redesigns are wonderful so all kids can play.
Thousands of Catholic Nuns Unite to ‘Wholeheartedly’ Declare Trans People Are Beloved by God
A coalition of Catholic nuns and other religious partners wrote an open letter in support of transgender rights in honor of Trans Day of Visibility. The group represented more than 6,000 nuns and stated, “We will remain oppressors until we – as vowed Catholic religious – acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ+ people in our own congregations.” As someone who was raised Catholic and is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m particularly impressed by this statement. I remember one Sunday, a priest holding up a permission slip from my public school for an HIV/AIDS awareness event that, he said, “condoned homosexuality.” He asked parents not to sign it. This open letter from the nuns gives me hope.
Companies That Get ‘Woke’ Aren’t Going Broke — They’re More Profitable Than Ever
The companies that have been canceled for going “woke” are super profitable. They’re not, in fact, going broke, as the right-wing rallying cry suggests. That’s according to this article in Rolling Stone. Last week I wrote about the backlash to Bud Light’s new campaign with a trans influencer, but the article examines Keurig, Kellog’s, United Airlines, Nike, and others. The bottom line here is that companies will be rewarded by their customers if they speak out for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Beau Jo’s Is Selling His Famous Colorado Pizza Shop — To His Employees
The owner of a popular pizza shop chain in Colorado is selling his company to his employees through an Employee Stock Option Plan. Founder Chip Blair started Beau Jo’s 50 years ago and grew it to 252 employees and 6 locations. Now that he’s retiring, he wants the employees to have shares of the business to “create an atmosphere in the restaurant for pride, inclusion, and people working together.” I love this story because restaurant workers are often underpaid and underappreciated, but why? We’re so reliant on them, and it’s wonderful to see them being valued.
BBC Education Show in Afghanistan Helps Children Banned From School
The BBC launched a new television program specifically for Afghan children 11-16 who are banned from school, particularly girls whose education has been halted by the Taliban. Until a “suitable environment” is created, the Taliban has closed schools for girls. The weekly show is hosted by Afghan women journalists and presented in Dari, one of Afghanistan’s official languages. The program is focused on “adapting math, history, science, and Information and Communications Technology modules from BBC Bitesize, the BBC's free online resource for pupils in the UK.” Girls’ lack of access to school is a lack of equity, and I love the creativity that arose from the diverse team coming together.
Call to action:
Planning an event or meeting in a state with anti-diversity laws or bills? Your attendees can now offset the cost of their spending in that state by supporting charities that align with their values. This is super cool! Learn more at: https://socialoffset.org/
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