Over the past years, diversity, equity, and inclusion have become hot topics throughout the global business community. Following generations of unequal opportunity and treatment of black people, whether in the workplace, establishments, or even in the community, the time has finally come to push for real change within our business community and our society at large. More than ever, organizations are making intentional efforts to be inclusive in the workplace, give back to the communities they serve and support Black and brown businesses. While we continue to progress on the path to true equality, we still have many miles to climb to reach the mountaintop that the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has seen.
This Black History Month, the Chamber is honored to shine a light on Black leaders who continue to be trailblazers and demonstrate just how essential Black leadership is to our region’s strength, perseverance, and growth.
Diversity through the lens of our region’s Black Leaders
How diversity manifests varies from organization to organization. It can mean hiring more minority employees, partnering with more local suppliers and vendors, or ensuring that their diverse employees are represented through leadership. No matter how companies choose to practice diversity, one thing is essential – they must ask and listen to what their minority employers and colleagues are saying when discussing ways to be more inclusive. This means understanding what diversity looks like to those who identify as POC.
For Thomas Dominique, CEO, Battle’s Transportation, Inc., “Diversity is a recognition that no one voice and/or group voice should dominate any environment.” He goes on to say that “Diversity also challenges the social norms that have permeated throughout Corporate America for far too long. And diversity should not just be just about economics.”
So, what should we take away from this? That any genuine effort toward inclusion NEEDS to involve more minority voices; that it will not be easy and will require long-term dedication from top to bottom to change the current system; and that diversity, equity, and inclusion should NOT be about the bottom line, but, as Dominique says, “should be seen as an opportunity to open up some new seats at the table, and in some cases, replace some seats with different perspectives that enliven the human experience and broaden the scope.”
The importance of celebrating Black History Month and other heritage months as one avenue to bringing about change is put elegantly by Sharmain Matlock-Turner, President & CEO, Urban Affairs Coalition:
“Such observances matter greatly because they help us better understand and appreciate cultures, traditions, and histories that are different from ours. Celebrating others’ perspectives broadens our own, educating and uniting us for our differences as well as our commonalities.”
When we acknowledge our differences and commit to understanding each other, we grow as individuals and as a community.
The Shaping of Black Leadership
For many Black leaders, dealing with discrimination is all too familiar, and for some, they have to endure discrimination for more than just being Black. Yet, what they prove time and time again is that they will persevere and break through any barrier to find success and move forward the fight to be seen as equal. While it wasn’t easy, the resiliency of our region’s Black leaders has driven them to not only their own success, but also instilled in them the passion for helping guide the next generation of diverse leaders.
As a Black woman pursuing a scientific and legal career when Blacks and women were not welcome in those fields, Marilou E. Watson, Partner, Co-Chair of the Life Sciences Practice, Fox Rothschild LLP had to overcome subtle and outright discrimination from the day she entered high school. But through her own perseverance and support from trusted mentors and allies, she succeeded in building a successful legal practice as a pharmaceutical and biotechnology patent attorney. “That experience has made me a passionate advocate and mentor, especially for young lawyers of color, in the hope that the obstacles I overcame and the lessons I learned can help them chart their own paths to success.”
For Jason Evans, Manager, Responsible Sourcing & Supplier Diversity, TD Bank, existing at the intersection of being Black and gay has required a great deal of strength to combat bigotry from not only those who are against both communities, but also those communities themselves. To overcome, Jason says, “I had to understand that I belonged to both groups, and for anyone to accept me, that meant taking ALL OF ME, not just the parts a person felt comfortable being around. This strength and resilience have helped me speak out against injustice of all kinds, not just when I am affected, and I hope this has paved the way for others after me to do more of the same.”
For Matlock-Turner, discovering her passion for being civically active during high school and college has become essential to how she leads. “Building consensus and coalitions in the name of justice and humanity are elements of my leadership style that have enabled me to not only lead but be tapped to engage with other leaders to fight systemic issues that act as barriers to so many people.”
Strengthening and Supporting the Black Community is Key to Greater Philadelphia’s Recovery and Growth
The region can and should support Black and brown communities through direct investments in local, Black- and brown-owned businesses. Gregory Reaves, Co-Founder & Principal, Mosaic Development Partners, LLC, believes that “by directly investing in small, Black and brown businesses and their communities, we will significantly shift the narrative for those businesses and give them opportunities to grow and contribute toward job creation throughout the region. Wealth-building strategies transcend race, and we could and should make Philadelphia the best place for all people to invest in and live.”
Our region’s Black and brown businesses want to succeed and grow, and Reaves declares that “we [the business community] have an obligation to create new financial and legislative tools to help them.”
With a better understanding of what diversity means to our Black Leaders and seeing the impact of their resiliency and leadership, we, the business community, can take intentional steps to uplift our Black Community. As we celebrate Black History this month and continue toward an inclusive Greater Philadelphia for all people, Dominique leaves us with one last reminder:
“The common thread is the human experience which beckons for love and support. As more businesses embrace the humanistic aspect of observations and their meanings, the hearts and minds of all will begin to change as well.”
Take action: From our region’s Black Leaders
- Challenge our employers and businesses with whom we are aligned to drive diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout the region to combat complacency and fuel our work towards equity for all.
- Take the lead and make time to have authentic, often challenging, conversations with people of all backgrounds so that together you can keep moving forward toward audacious goals.
- Directly invest in small Black and brown businesses and their communities to shift the narrative for those businesses and give them opportunities to grow and contribute toward job creation throughout the region.
- Join the Chamber and businesses championing supplier diversity to better understand how to start or enhance your company’s procurement strategies to be more inclusive and agile and identify opportunities to build dynamic relationships with diverse suppliers and partners. Learn more and register.
As the Chamber continues our longstanding commitment to the fight for equality, we’re highlighting ways our business community can meaningfully increase diversity, equity, and inclusion to bring about lasting change in the workplace.
Through our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative, we work to drive economic competitiveness, highlight diverse employee populations, and promote inclusive growth throughout our region.
