5 Things / The Festival of Lights
One of the reasons I love writing 5 Things is that it requires me to stay in a consistent growth mindset. And while I speak and write about DEI all the time, one thing I don't know a lot about is international cultural competency. Naturally, there's a big correlation between DEI and cultural competency.
But that's why having a diverse network matters--I don't know what I don't know. Seema Jain, a friend and colleague, speaks about cultural competency and shared with me some inclusive tips to celebrate Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights. Diwali is a five day festival beginning on November 2, and is celebrated by billions of people around the world.
Diwali is celebrated in a big way and organizations should take note. A best practice in internal messaging is something like, "We should be inclusive and mindful of our colleagues and partners who may be taking the time to observe Diwali when scheduling meetings and sending emails during November 2-6."
Up until recent years, it was unusual to find Diwali products, but now one can purchase Diwali decorations at Party City. And Diwali USPS stamps. And Diwali greeting cards at Hallmark. This matters to Seema and lots of other Indian folks who appreciate what retailers and employers are doing to recognize this important holiday.
Here are some of the other good vibes I learned this week:
The first U.S. passport with the gender X designation has been issued. The U.S. becomes the 12th country to offer third genders on passports. This matters because there are more than two genders, and the forced binary has meant that lots of transgender and non-binary people have been excluded from traveling as their authentic selves.
Speaking of traveling, Sara Blakely, CEO of Spanx, recently sold the mostly women-run company, and rewarded her employees beautifully. Watch the Instagram video for yourself as Sara speaks about women's empowerment, and then gifts her employees two first class tickets to fly anywhere in the world + $10,000 each. Sara shared that she will stay active with the brand "to continue to fulfill my greatest passion -- elevating women." This matters because it shows the employees that they are valued and recognizes their role in the success of the company.
Nordstrom continues to be a model of diversifying their shelf space. Through new partnerships with Latinx-owned companies, a marketplace called Black Owned Everything, and more size-inclusive products, Nordstrom is a retailer that takes equity and inclusion seriously. These new partnerships are equitable and matter because those brands often struggle to get access to the mass market.
In the past, I've written about Walmart providing free college tuition and books to its 1.5 million employees, but the program has now been expanded to include education at three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Morehouse and Spelman. This matters because Walmart is providing a greater path to success for Black employees. Those schools consistently create leaders.
Image by Eduardo Casajús Gorostiaga