Equity Challenge Day 17:
Building a Culture of Equity

Something to Consider:

“And I saw that what divided me from the world was not anything intrinsic to us but the actual injury done by people intent on naming us, intent on believing that what they have named us matters more than anything we could ever actually do.”
Equity at Work
Every day in the workplace, individuals face challenges being their authentic selves. As leaders and colleagues, we each have a role to play in creating inclusive workspaces. Diverse perspectives enrich our workplaces, and studies are showing that involving diverse voices improves performance, problem-solving, and decision making. Yet, people of color and women are underrepresented in C-Suite, upper management, and board roles compared to their representation in the overall working population. The culture of an organization provides insight into the racial dynamics and racial equity/parity within the organization. Today we will focus on how you can create a race equity culture at work.

Did you know? University of Michigan Professor Scott Page’s, book The Diversity Bonus, discusses in what situations diversity adds value to teams and the importance of inclusive environments. Also, check out Race, Work and Leadership: New Perspectives from the Black Experience, a collection of essays on how race impacts people’s work and leadership experiences, co-authored by a professor at The University of Michigan Ross School of Business’ Center for Positive Organizations.

Share your reflections on today’s topic on social media using the hashtag #unitedforequity and tag @acuw.
Today’s Challenge

Option 1:  Read the Building a Race Equity Culture in the Social Sector 2-pager or download the full report entitled Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture to read one or both of these excerpts:
  • Read the explanation of dominant culture in the context of building a race equity culture, found in the box on top of page 10.
  • Read the two-page executive summary on pages 2-3.

Option 2: Listen to this podcast featuring Harvard Business Review co-hosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn responding to some common challenges faced by businesses in promoting diversity and inclusion in their workplace (transcript included).

Option 3: Review Racial Equity Tools’ new Glossary of Racial Equity Terms, with over 60 terms and definitions. The words and language we use hold significant meaning; staying educated on these terms can help us engage in more inclusive and respectful dialogue.

Option 4: Watch this 3-minute video shedding light on common struggles people face bringing their authentic selves to the workplace.