Dear Colleagues,
Let me begin by expressing my gratitude for the warm welcome I have received since starting my role as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). In this first month, I have met with many individuals and teams. I have been truly inspired in my learning of the phenomenal work being done in every corner of National CORE and Hope through Housing. I am so proud to be a part of organizations that have such a tremendous investment in providing access and opportunity to countless lives.
As your new Director of DEI, my priority has been to begin cultivating as many relationships as possible. My work is not possible without your partnership. The reality is that the work of DEI is already happening. It’s the very nature of who we are as advocates facilitating access to housing, employment, education and so much more. My role is to organize how we strategically enhance and elevate existing practices while identifying areas where we can improve. My mother-in-law often says that “charity begins at home.” By that, she means we can do a much better job of helping others when we first take care of ourselves. My hope is that I can lovingly hold us accountable to taking care of ourselves internally as we do such vital work in our communities externally.
You might wonder – what does that accountability look like? It looks like my role supporting the goals of each affinity group, offering opportunities for self-reflection and professional development to all employees, partnering with every department to offer a DEI lens to our procedures, policies and practices and continuing to create more equitable partnerships with diverse vendors and suppliers.
I would like to begin this conversation with you by sharing how I define the terms diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. I recognize that many of us have different relationships and attitudes toward DEI based on our experiences. No matter where you stand, I hope that I can guide us in developing a shared understanding and appreciation of their alignment with the work that we do together.
Diversity is the quality of being different or unique at the individual or group level. This includes age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language differences, nationality, parental status, physical, mental and developmental abilities, race, religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, skin color, body size, socio-economic status, work and behavioral styles. The perspectives of individuals are shaped by a culmination of their nationality, experience and culture. Even when people appear the same outside, they are different.
Equity acknowledges the systems that have kept marginalized identities and communities from political, social and economic opportunity. Equity is commonly mistaken for the term equality, but the two have different meanings. Equality gives everyone the same number of benefits, regardless of their individual privileges; equity considers everyone’s starting point. Equity occurs when we create an environment where a person’s background or identity is not an obstacle to achieving their greatest potential.
Inclusion and Belonging refer to creating an environment where every individual, regardless of their background, identity or abilities, feels valued, respected and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. A culture that not only embraces differences but expects to be positively shaped by those differences. (Definitions adapted from The United Way, Farzana Nayani and Matthew Kincaid)
To sum these all up, I love the following quotes and how they illustrate the ways that these terms are interconnected:
Verna Myers once said: “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” Farzana Nayani then said: “Belonging is being able to pick the playlist.”
In closing, I would like to invite you to connect with me as I continue onboarding into this new role. I’m eager to continue learning about your experiences and how my work can contribute to your success. I would love the opportunity to visit everyone in their various regions. I will be sure to work with Regional Managers to coordinate visits over the next few months. Lastly, please be on the lookout for a relaunch of our Affinity Groups. During May, we hope to see many folks sign up to join the Affinity Group listservs and learn more about how to get involved! This will continue to be a great opportunity to develop meaningful relationships.
Most sincerely,
Marissiko