"There is no American history without African American history.”
Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director, American University Antiracist Research & Policy Center (ARPC), 2022 interview with NPR
Over the past many months, we have all watched as the term DEI (for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) gets batted around by political figures, the media, and of course, social media.
Before I continue, let’s pause to acknowledge the obvious. These three words, “Diversity,” “Equity,” and “Inclusion” are self-explanatory:
At SkyWater Search Partners, we believe that vibrant communities are built through strong community partnerships. One way we live by that value is through our Employee of the Quarter Award. Each quarter, we honor a top-performing team member with the gift of a substantial financial donation, in their name, to a nonprofit organization that is important to them.
Juneteenth is a newer national holiday, and as such, many of us have the day off work. Do take a minute to think about why this day has become a national holiday. Think about your workplace and how you and your colleagues can be inclusive an welcoming to coworkers with different backgrounds and life experiences from your own.
Today, as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we would like to pause and consider the opportunity this day holds for each of us. One way we can honor Dr. King is by asking ourselves what we can do now, going forward, that is better than what we have done so far.
Learning, Understanding, and Driving Real Change
This year, as we recognize Juneteenth, we’re also reflecting on the fundamental human right to freedom itself. It’s not true freedom without truly equal access to education, rewarding work, and the opportunity to earn personal income and assets that can lead to generational wealth and security.
Yet right here, in spite of all the national attention on the Twin Cities’ woeful racial disparities in employment and income, those gaps still exist. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), unemployment rates are an impressively low 3.3%... until you look at the numbers by race. As of April 2022, Black unemployment in Minnesota was 6.7%, more than twice the state’s average – and 2.4 times the rate for white Minnesotans.
At the core of the SkyWater Search Partners promise is our commitment to the twin cities community. One way we celebrate that commitment is through our Employee of the Quarter award. Every quarter, we honor a top-performing team member with the gift of a substantial financial donation, in their name, to a nonprofit organization that is meaningful to them.
This quarter, we are delighted to say…
Earlier this year, SkyWater Search Partners was invited to join the Ramsey County Inclusive Workplaces Cohort. The group had its third monthly meeting in December 2021. We would love to share what we have learned and continue the discussion.
In late June of 2020, the editors at Twin Cities Business Magazine published a brief but poignant piece titled The Long Road Ahead: Business Leaders on Addressing Racial Disparities. It was a simple collection of quotes from local leaders, including Tawanna Black, the founder and CEO of Minneapolis-based Center for Economic Inclusion, and R.T. Rybak, former Minneapolis mayor.
Earlier this year, SkyWater Search Partners was invited to join the Ramsey County Inclusive Workplaces Cohort. The group had its third monthly meeting in December 2021. We would love to share what we have learned and continue the discussion.
