Month: May 2016

Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision supporting nationwide marriage equality for same-sex couples was a historic ruling, and for those of us that support and promote diversity, it was a very positive development in the LGBT population’s fight for civil rights. Of course, the ruling will most directly affect same-sex couples in states that previously prevented them from legally marrying. However, employers will also feel the effects of the ruling in differing ways.

Last spring, Starbucks launched a controversial campaign called Race Together, encouraging baristas in its chain stores to write the words “Race Together” on customers’ cups to encourage dialogue about race. Swift criticism of the campaign included the belief that it was a marketing ploy, a poorly planned effort with good intentions, and the accusation that Starbucks was being hypocritical given its lack of racial diversity in leadership.

I remember the first time I saw those boxes. It was in the fifth grade, the first time I had to take a standardized testing exam. The usual blanks were there for me to fill: my name, the date, my grade and my school. But below the customary lay the unfamiliar: a heading titled “Racial/Ethnic Category,” and under it, the five racial and one ethnic categories in the United States, as defined by the US Census Bureau: African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and White/Caucasian.

Today’s executives are being asked to communicate their organization’s diversity and inclusion strategy to more diverse audiences and in a variety of cultural settings. The key to success is a well briefed executive who is comfortable with the content, understands the business relevance of diversity and inclusion, and believes that they can deliver a powerful and motivational message.

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