The summer of 2020 transformed many of our personal and professional lives. We saw how the outcry of racial injustice in the United States motivated companies to make anti-racist commitments and buckle down on their DEI initiatives. One year later, and some of us are noticing a decrease in the sense of urgency for change. While progress has been made …
Ask SGO: What is the Story of Your Name?
Felicia:Okay. Hi everybody. This is Felicia, Co-CEO, Co-founder of SGO here, and I’m going to share the story of my name. And first of all, you may have noticed, if you follow me or know me in any sense, that I do pronounce my name Felicia (Fe-lish-uh), and a lot of times people will call me Felicia (Fa-LEE-sha) or other …
Fourth of July and Voting Rights
Ahh, 4th of July. The day we celebrate America. Freedom. Patriotism. And this year feels like a particularly special one as many of us are vaccinated and will be able to see and hug our friends and family for the first time in 18 months or more. It’s important to remember what this day celebrates. This is the 245th anniversary …
10 ways to support your employees beyond Pride month
As June 2021 comes to a close, corporate logos will lose their rainbow colors and revert back to their previous colors and branding. We will likely see a decrease in discussions around LGBTQ+ issues and community, and we will most definitely see a dramatic drop-off in last-minute requests for LGBTQ+-focused speakers for corporate events. However, if your organization is truly …
Recommended Books to Start a DEI Book Club at Your Workplace 2021
Last year we shared a list of books employees can read together if they’re thinking of starting or continuing a DEI book club at work. This year we’ve updated our list with new books that may support you and your team in discussing issues related to identity, privilege, allyship, media, and policy change. Here are 10 hand-picked DEI-related books to …
Seven (More) Tech Tools to Mitigate Bias in Hiring
If you have open roles at your organization, you’re likely using a variety of technology platforms and tools to assist your recruiting team. The hiring tech space continues to grow and expand year by year, and there are many different options out there for companies looking for help. We’re particularly interested in tools that bring a diversity, equity, and inclusion …
Ask SGO: How do DEI facilitators work together?
Felicia:One question we get asked a lot about is who are our facilitators? And how do they work on our projects? And how do we decide who gets assigned to what work? So we do have a few in-house facilitators. I, myself, am also a facilitator from time to time. And then we work with some contract facilitators as well. …
Celebrating Juneteenth
June 19, 2021 marks 156 years since slavery was abolished, and the past year has seen a greater societal awareness of how system racism is very much still embedded in the fabric of America. Whether it’s police violence against Black people, increased violence against Asian Americans, suppressing voting rights which disproportionately affects BIPOC communities, disproportionate denials of mortgages to Black …
Ask SGO: Can white people experience microaggressions?
Felicia: One question that’s come up recently for us is, are microaggressions specific to race or issues around race. And this one’s a bit of a complicated answer. So we thought we would take a few minutes, or a few seconds, depending on how long this ends up being, to address that particular question, because it’s a really valid one. So …
Inclusive Virtual and Hybrid Team-Building Exercises
2020 saw many teams having to transition quickly from in-person processes and norms to virtual work. We learned that what worked well face-to-face doesn’t always translate when everyone is connecting via a screen and/or phone line. As we see a slow return back into the office this year, we recognize that the ‘new norm’ for many will be remote-first and …