Eight Weitz Family Foundation staff and board members are seated at a long table and are in conversation with each other.
A Board's Eye View | May 4, 2022
Weitz Insights
A large group of people are seated at U-shaped tables and are facing the presenter at the front of the room. There are large white pieces of paper affixed to the green chalkboard with handwritten community meeting notes.
Equity | February 14, 2023
This is a guest blog from Mynesha Spencer, Inclusion Strategist at All of Us Together Co. This blog is estimated to take 3 minutes to read.
As a consultant, I contracted with the Weitz Family Foundation in order to help assess and steer both internal and external human relation challenges, particularly those that fell into the realm of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (D.E.I.A.).
I think about the long decade I have spent working in the arena of D.E.I.A. In fact, I worked in the industry long before it was even called diversity, equity, inclusion or accessibility. These years of experience have taught me that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work is not the equivalent to anti-oppressive work neither in philosophy nor in practice. Additionally, my experience has taught me a lot about what inclusivity is not.
Inclusivity is NOT:
This is not to suggest that practicing inclusion or striving to become more inclusive should always be comfortable, because sometimes, it will not be. In fact, most times, it is not. We at All of Us Together Co. recognize that discussions regarding multicultural issues, race relations, and human rights may prove to be (1) either a comfortability or a competence challenge or (2) both a comfortability and a competence challenge, whether the person self-detects this assessment or not. To which we say, you are not alone! According to a 2021 Gallup survey study, 58% of professionals shared that they are not prepared to dialogue about race. (Gallup, 2021). We interpret “prepared” as both comfortable and competent enough to dialogue about race because this pair is not mutually exclusive. If you have one without the other, your organization will unequivocally reap failure. That same Gallup study suggests that “less than half of managers report having received diversity training [despite the fact that] managers who have received training are more prepared for conversations” (Gallup, 2021). This is why we prepare, facilitate, and provide a customized training curriculum to encourage human engagement so that all professionals feel both included and capable of including others.
So, what is inclusivity then? Inclusivity is making room for individuals who have historically—either by default or way of design (disregard intention)—been excluded from processes, systems, events, opportunities, or access because no institution will ever be better than the individuals responsible for managing it. If you would like that belief to read truer to you and the organization you represent, try replacing “better” with “more” then add any of the following: “anti-racist,” “equitable,” “inclusive,” “diverse,” and/or “just.”
For more tips like these, we kindly invite you to check out www.allofustogetherco.com or any of our social media channels.
A color image of a woman standing outdoors, wearing a green and white plaid skirt suit and white shirt. Her dark black hair is hanging in a curly ponytail.
Mynesha Spencer is an Inclusion Strategist at All of Us Together Co., a full-service human relations firm that specializes in diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and competencies. The firm was established to improve human relations via applied training, auditing, consulting, and workshop facilitation. The firm equips large and small workforces, public and private K-collegiate educational entities, for-profit and non-profit organizations as well as municipal, state, and federal entities with the knowledge and resources that enables space for all people.
Sources: Most U.S. Managers Not Fully Prepared to Talk About Race by Ilana Ron Levey
Eight Weitz Family Foundation staff and board members are seated at a long table and are in conversation with each other.
A Board's Eye View | May 4, 2022