Throughout my career, I have often been a “first,” a “few,” or an “only.” I have been the first BIPOC person in certain leadership roles, one of only a few women in committees, and the only Black woman in the room. Through these experiences (and...

In today's dynamic workplaces, fostering an environment of inclusivity and empowerment is essential for driving innovation and success. However, many organizations struggle to effectively support underrepresented employees in their journey towards...

Accountability is an integral part of business. If someone does not finish an important project on time, that person might receive backlash from their team. If an employee does not submit travel expense reports, they will not be reimbursed. If a...

That old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is misguided and false. Words have power. They can soothe someone who is in pain, or uplift someone who is feeling down. They can also have the opposite effect, by...

In many countries across the world, the older generation is revered and honored. Younger people respect their elders’ perspectives, acknowledge their decades of accumulated wisdom, and ask them for advice and input. Older people play a significant role...

It’s easy to make a moral and ethical case for amplifying diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. All people deserve an equal chance to succeed in a professional environment, along with a basic expectation to feel welcomed and be...

Bringing Inclusion to an Individual Level

Meaningful change cannot always be achieved with a broad brush. Sometimes, we have to zoom in and start creating change with individual strokes. In other words, big-picture changes involving diversity, equity,...

For many businesses, the new year is more than a symbolic clean slate or a fresh start. It’s a time when meaningful planning takes plan—an opportunity to influence the year ahead. One critical area that currently requires a little (or more than a...

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work is not something that can be performed once and forgotten about. These initiatives and efforts are not like artifacts at a museum, stuck behind glass. This work is dynamic, instead of stagnant. It is constantly...

In a post-Affirmative Action US, I have heard a number of disconcerting reports related to the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. DEI practitioners and HR professionals have been asked to remove any mention of the words “diversity,”...