Resources
Future of Civil Rights: Survey Results
We asked participants to fill out an optional survey that asked about the future of Civil Rights and Affirmative Action. We know the history of the past, but is history still relevant today? Why should corporations care about diversity and inclusion and should that effort be linked to Civil Rights and Affirmative Action? Here's what participants had to say:
How can we ensure fairness and inclusion for our future generations?
- Mentoring and volunteering in our communities and classrooms
- By mentoring and teaching
- Being open, listen, honest, respect, mentors
- Through open discussion with workforce leaders, educators
- Continue to educate on the past and continue looking at the numbers - data is critically important
- Build diverse teams
- Invite people into uncomfortable/awkward situations
- Ask questions
- Teach our kids not to be "victims"
- Keep the dialogue going - sharing ways to gain exposure to where there is injustice in our community
- Raise awareness in schools by using the media
- Establish a consistent process; assure hiring decisions including candidate pools covering all groups especially those underutilized. Make sure best candidate is selected, not best candidate in an underutilized group.
- To have better opportunities for K-12
- Involve more people - call attention to issues - need for change
Is there a place for Civil Rights and Affirmative Action in the future of your organization?
- Diversity initiative, but not super clear message
- Always
- Yes - the question is how. We have a strong AAP in the organization - affinity groups are not feeling affected. Will one future drive us to equality in selection areas so managers have no way of knowing diversity aspects from employment applications?
- Yes! (5)
- Yes - however, mindsets much change
- Yes - make sure you people in organizations have equal education and good education on each culture
If yes, what will that look like to you?
- People not being discriminated against because of culture, and to help each other excel
- Reinforcing the fact that people don't patronize businesses where they don't' get hired or promoted
- Need to ask ourselves and understand our institutional racism and other biases. We need to stop being satisfied with efforts that don't yield results.
- Openness
- A diverse workplace
- Assure that the best candidate is hired regardless of race, sex, orientation, religion and/or veteran status. Make sure outside opportunity is clearly published.
- I thin the future will be a better place for us!
- Hire a diverse workforce that matches our customers
If no, why not?
No responses were submitted for this question.
Session One was the first of the 10th annual 2008 NW Diveristy Learning Series - Leveraging the tensions of diversity: Igniting sparks of opportunity. The Series, held in Seattle, WA, is organized by The GilDeane Group, publishers of DiversityCentral.com.
Presenters were Professor James Gregory and Graduate Student Trevor Griffey, University of Washington History Project, creators of the Seattle Civil Rights Labor History Project, Seattle, WA, and Mic Crenshaw, Educator, Activist and Hip-Hop Artist, Portland, OR
Session Six: Thu, Nov 13, 2008
Confronting Global Diversity: Imagining a Wide Circle of Inclusion
Patricia Digh
David Robinson