I am writing an article for business leaders who understand that they should have a solid diversity policy in place but don’t realize that those policies might miss the mark when it comes to their Black employees. These leaders might not know much about the history or current state of Black labor in the U.S. and may view D&I as just making sure there are a variety of different ethnicities at their company. They haven’t really thought much about inclusion and equity. I envision readers will be checking out their online subscription to a business magazine that regularly offers insight into employee matters.
This is shaping up really well, Sherri–please see comments I sent by email.
Sherri,
I really enjoyed your research project. It contained a lot of information. I certainly appreciated the opening paragraph since I am of Irish and Italian heritage and I listened to my relatives speak of discrimination when they first came over to the United States.
I think the various graphics throughout the article serve to enhance the message you are trying to relay. The McKinsey ones are great.
I’m trying to think of a title for your article. Here me out on my thoughts.
I like You’ve Created a Robust Diversity Initiative.
So, why are your Black employees unhappy? how about So, how can you create a positive environment for your Black employees? I know that’s not perfect but it puts the onus on the business to create a positive atmosphere or environment for their Black employees.
The other way it makes it sounds like it’s the employee’s problem that they’re unhappy.
Maybe it’s me…take it with a grain of salt or let me know if I’m off base…either way…I’d like to see your article published.
Best,
Ed
This didn’t make my original post…
“keep the wonderful but often overlooked talent and ambition of Black workers.”
well said at the end.
Best,
Ed
Hi Sherri,
This is so great, I don’t know where to start. This article is an amazing piece and I think you should try to publish it. You did so much great research and you put the truth right out there for everyone to see. All summer long I have been asking myself, do companies implement these D&I programs because it’s what they’re supposed to do (or as you say, for the “goodwill”) or do they actually want to improve things? You connect with readers using logic with the support of statistics and infographics and connect with readers using emotion by using the personal stories and experiences of Black employees. The quotes you have chosen to include are very powerful and help us hear the voices of the impacted people. I think the recommendations section is perfect for a business article because readers want solutions they can try out. The only critiques I have are really minor. The underlined links in the article PDF I downloaded didn’t work, but the links worked in the references document. And I’m not sure a business publication would reprint several large graphics right from another source like McKinsey, but these sources do provide excellent support for your article. You have a message that people need to hear and I hope you continue to work on it to get it to more readers.
Also…thank you for inspiring the choice of my research topic this summer. Reading your post during Unit 1 really motivated me to look into the way artificial intelligence is being used. I learned so much about that topic that I hope to continue to share what I know with others.
Hi Dylan,
Thanks very much for your feedback! Yes, I thought about the use of the graphics from McKinsey too. But I went for it anyway because they were so good! In “real life” I probably would have had the magazine graphic designers redo them in a slightly different way. I will see if I can fix the link problem, thanks for bringing that to my attention. I want to thank you again for your excitement about my article and that you think it should be published. You and Ed have got me all teary eyed! When you work so long and so closely on something, you wonder if it’s any good. I appreciate your kind words. Also, I am very pleased that my post on AI piqued your interest on a really fascinating topic. Good luck with your blog! I can’t wait to see how it progresses.
Best,
Sherri
Thanks so much for your feedback, Ed! I hadn’t considered that my title might be interpreted that way. Thanks for your insight, I’ll look at it again with a fresh eye! Your enthusiasm about the possibility of having my article published was very much appreciated!
Best,
Sherri