In the United States, the month of June represents pride month for the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s a time where people from all backgrounds come together to celebrate, bring awareness, and advocate human rights for people that continue to live in a world where they aren’t always accepted. The challenge of not being accepted is not only felt by those of the LGBTQIA+ community, but also experienced by women and minorities around the world. What would it mean if I lived in a world where my gender, race, or sexual orientation didn’t come into to question? How enriched would my life be if my experience and intellect unlocked the doors of opportunity currently occupied by those who don’t look like me? What would it feel like not to be the “only” in the boardroom. How impactful would it be if I truly knew that I was not standing alone? These are the questions that many minority people face each and everyday. It’s a burden to know that generations before us, and generations after us, have to continually battle. It’s a struggle that is truly ‘bigger than us’ and one where we can’t afford to stand alone.
Recognizing that the success of a business doesn’t hinge on a person’s gender, race, or sexuality; there’s an expected responsibility that the power held within the organization demonstrates their commitment to everyone creating that organizational success. This means that as a minority woman, I don’t expect you to just give me a seat at the table, but it does mean I expect to have the same access and consideration as my male counterpart. It means that my same sex marriage does not impact your decision on promoting me to the next level. It means that I’m not selected to serve as your next vice president because of your desire to meet your diversity quota, but rather my experience and intellect determined that I’m the best candidate for the position.
In a perfect world, I would be seen for all the intangible qualities I possess as a human that come from getting to know me, opposed to the limited information that is captured by seeing my outside shell.
Unfortunately, our journey to equity and inclusiveness continues to be impeded by those who can’t see past our external appearance. What would it mean for us if this barrier did not exist any longer? How could initiatives like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion impact your organization? What would it look like to have senior leaders and board members look like the people who made your business a success? What would it mean to live in a world where we did not need a dedicated month to bring awareness to human rights? We may not get the answers to all these questions in our lifetime, but we can make progress if we choose not to stand alone.
We all must play a part on the journey to equity and inclusiveness. As an employee of your company, my expectation is that you, as my employer, will not leave me standing alone. Make the commitment to educate all staff and create an action plan to demonstrate that you are standing along side your employees.