Diversity, Equity and Community

The team members of the Department of Diversity, Equity and Community are tired. 

Fostering an organizational culture that exudes commitment to racial and social justice is ongoing and ever-evolving work. When the Department of Diversity, Equity and Community (DEC), first embarked upon this work, there was no shortage of enthusiasm for, or belief in the ideals of justice and equity that were espoused in our formation. With this sense of urgency the department hit the ground running, hosting introductory sessions on the language of diversity and inclusion, holding conversations on equity, and evolving the Company’s foundational strategies for community engagement. Yet, there remained an underlying sense of wonder and speculation about what it is that such a department does. Everyone wanted to know - what will the DEC team actually do?

On May 25th, 2020 an event took place that exposed our nation’s dire need for critical dialogue and healing transformation centered around race and the insistence that Black Lives Matter. The murder of George Floyd called upon us, individuals and institutions alike, to reexamine what we think we know about race, privilege, power and oppression in the United States. And thus DEC’s work was thrust into a sharp focus for everyone. 

In the course of the work, we learned that disrupting and dismantling systems of inequity and oppression is tiring. We are weary because the work is deeply personal, demanding, shocking, disappointing, inspiring, and heartbreaking. The work is never done, nor does it fit within the bounds of a typical “workday,” as we carry it with us into our personal lives.

In every facet of our work we strive to embody the ideals of racial and social justice, and to disavow White supremacy culture. This work is not possible without a team who brings their own complexity, passion, and humanity in addition to their professionalism and expertise. We look forward to publishing the first-ever Diversity, Equity and Community End of Year Report in 2021.