Empowered Leaders Value Equity and Inclusivity
By Amanda Kearney-Smith, M.S.
In honor of Black History Month, Richard and I want to focus our February blog posts on the importance of equity and inclusivity. We haven’t forgotten about, or value less, diversity and justice, but want to focus this blog on the concepts of equity and inclusivity in particular.
The reason we chose to focus on the “E and I” of Diversity Equity, Inclusion (DEI) is that while DEI is more common, many organizations and leaders in this space emphasize equity before diversity and use the acronym EDI. Why? One perspective is that elevating equity is critical because even in organizations that are both diverse and inclusive, individuals who come from different backgrounds can still run into policies, practices, or assumptions that prevent them from being fully engaged, supported, and able to reach their potential. https://www.ccl.org/leadership-challenges/equity-diversity-inclusion/
Therefore, focusing on equity first places the emphasis on the importance of having equitable practices that will (ideally) lend themselves to a more inclusive and diverse workplace. While I have no expertise in this area, that resonates with me. How does this sit with you?
Within the workplace it is also critically important to agree upon definitions…
Equity: Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are not treated differently or less favorably, on the basis of their specific protected characteristic, including areas of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.
https://diversity.social/what-is-diversity-and-inclusion/
Inclusivity: Inclusivity is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or mental disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inclusiveness
ALSO…
Inclusion is about each person feeling valued and connected. Everyone thrives in an environment where our inherent worth is recognized, we can be safe to express our authentic selves and we know we belong to something bigger.
https://diversity.social/what-is-diversity-and-inclusion/
As nonprofit leaders we are not only challenged to discuss and develop these policies, but must also put words into action. From what we’ve heard, this is the hard part. How do we create and sustain equitable organizations? After years of witnessing our clients attempt to make these changes on their own, it’s clear that bringing in an expert to guide the process is really essential. Also, it has to be the right person, the right fit for your team; somebody who has a real acknowledgement and understanding of the systemic inequalities and commitment to making change. Also important to note that this doesn’t equate to a series of “diversity trainings”. I remember doing this years ago as a program director for a medium-sized nonprofit. We had several training sessions at an offsite location with fancy lunches, and it led to zero change within the organization. It’s not that we didn’t value the topic or desire change, but that there was no plan and our leadership thought the training sessions were sufficient. Education and dialogue are SUPER important, but without a strategy, framework, and system of accountability, efforts will likely lead nowhere.
Our next blog in this series will present some additional guidance for introspection and include some local (Denver-area) experts you can connect with for guidance, as well as additional ideas for action steps. You don’t have to navigate this alone, there are a lot of resources available and amazing people we’d love to introduce you to! Also, we are walking alongside you on this journey! Richard and I have been committed to looking within and transforming our business as well. We have made some specific commitments and, with guidance from our EDI colleagues, continue to take intentional action steps to making our work more equitable and inclusive. And there’s so much more we can do!
It might go without saying but these kinds of transformational culture changes within organizations (and let's face it, in life) take time. Stay tuned for more on this topic later this month!