A Seat at the Table: Diverse is the New Workplace

Loving what you do.
The saying goes, do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. So that becomes the goal. We start the long, grueling trek towards a dream that often seems unachievable. At times this dream often feels incredibly dark and just when it seems like all hope is gone something beautiful happens. Right before we shift passions, give up, or settle for a life of mediocrity, an unexpected light appears giving us the willpower to walk in our purpose.

Racial Equality in the Workplace
Interracial relationships are a highly discussed topic in America, and yet despite the redundancy of this conversation, lack of racial equality still continues to plague this nation; it's our norm. This injustice permeates all aspects of life and is heavily experienced in the workforce. Due to the commonality of minority maltreatment, within most major corporations, long-standing racially unjust practices are administered daily. Likewise, due to lack of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusivity corporations must now participate in actions aimed towards establishing a more equal future for all current and incoming employees. The path towards complete equality is never easy, but it is always worth pursuing.

There's hope.
Following President Biden's inauguration, equity and support for underserved communities was established. Equality, being a longstanding bedrock for American democracy, only became a federally enforced practice in 2021. The dream for a better life often remains unobtainable for many because the pre-existing systems are simply not in a minority's favor. However, by establishing a comprehensive approach towards advancing equity for all qualified workers, people of color now have a chance to compete with their white colleagues.

Successfully securing the job of our dreams.
In the name of pursuing our dreams, corporations must be held accountable. This is the first step.

Diversity must be seen as an asset. Having culturally diverse, multigenerational, gender inclusive workplaces where equality is both celebrated and encouraged makes a difference. As employers begin to acknowledge the oppressive role systemic racism has and is playing concerning access to desired work opportunities and as employers begin to acknowledge ideals such as white privilege deterring racial equality, vast disparities in minority employment will significantly lessen.

WITI's talent search does an incredible job of connecting qualified minority women with their most ideal employers. WITI makes it their mission to pair qualified women at their ideal job by first ensuring corporations are implementing up to date DEI practices before gifting these corporations with incredible WITI talent. So while many individuals are qualified, access is often limited, and WITI is the most ideal partner for bridging this gap.

Unlearning busy to cultivate rest.
The process is exhausting. Anyone who has big dreams and even bigger guts to pursue the life that is already for him or her will tell you that much. It's not easy going for what you want. It requires an immense amount of self-discipline, focus, and sacrifice, and yet rest is still needed. It's an imperative, non-negotiable part of the process.

Digital storyteller and video content creator, Evelyn from the Internets, talked about this idea with a twist. She tied this idea to the senseless killing of black individuals by the hands of overly brutal police officers. So following Trayvon Martin's murder and several other accounts of black indidviduals murdered as a result of excessive police brutality, Evelyn posted a video in 2015 about the need for black people to have the option to call out of work for simply being black. Following life shattering, life alternating tragedies of this magnitude rest is the only action that makes sense for proper recovery.

There is a common misconception that African-Americans are strong enough to handle anything and while our strength is often unmatched, African-Americans deserve proper rest, after all we are human.

The establishment of racial equality within corporations is no longer an option but a requirement. As corporations seek to hire the most qualified person for the job they must also be intentional about not allowing complexion to be the ultimate deciding factor as to whether an individual is hired. We all bring so much to the table. So what is being done to ensure minorities are kept in the room? This should be the most asked question.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.