Chief Diversity Officers and Dr. Martin Luther King Day: Giving Voice to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
by Dr. Denise O'Neil Green | January 20, 2014 10:00 AM
I've been living in Canada for over a year, and while things are beginning to feel normal for me, today feels somewhat strange. It's Martin Luther King Day and typically back home, in the States, my institution would have a day, week or even month long line up of activities and events to acknowledge Dr. Martin Luther King’s contributions to the nation, discuss how far we've come in terms of his dream, and how much farther we need to go. Since MLK Day is a national U.S. holiday, Dr. King is celebrated on multiple campuses across the country. There is not a comparable national holiday in Canada.
While Chief Diversity Officers, such as myself, are by no means a Dr. Martin Luther King, or for that matter, a Cesar Chavez or Rosa Parks, we have the opportunity to change things for the better. Since organizations of all kinds are so difficult to change or “disrupt” with respect to infusing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), we can fall into a pattern of complacency or laissez-faire, believing nothing will ever change. Fortunately, Dr. King did not adopt this type of thinking. He continued to give voice to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.
My question to you:
As a Chief Diversity Officer or Equity Officer,
how would you give voice to equity, diversity and inclusion?
Below is an EDI video done in collaboration with the Human Resources Department at Ryerson University in Toronto. Although the video focuses somewhat on hiring a diverse workforce, it encapsulates a verbal declaration for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for any organization.
Join the conversation by adding your comments below*. I'd love your input.
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