Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Sometime in the murky first year of the pandemic, I started jogging again. The gym closed during the lockdown, so I was forced to get fresh air. I had just moved to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, which I learned was the birthplace of civil rights advocate W.E.B. DuBois.
While I was running along the Housatonic River, I stopped at a marker dedicated to DuBois. On the marker were the dates of his birth and death. Coincidentally, DuBois and I share the same birthdate: February 23rd. One more peculiar fact is that he died the year I was born.
Sometimes it’s quirky coincidences that make one pause.
I wanted to learn more about DuBois. Incredibly, he lived to be 96, and he was still advocating for civil rights until his death. In fact, DuBois died in Africa while doing research for a book on slavery. I felt embarrassed that I had not read anything of DuBois’ work. So, I started with The Soul of Black Folks.
It was a humbling read. DuBois is a masterful and compelling writer. He is able to make strong arguments palatable with clear-eyed realism. But what really struck me was how little our culture has changed in the past century. Daily headlines remind us that as a nation, we have so much more work to do be inclusive, to be compassionate.
And as a co-op located in a diverse community, we have an obligation to do more to accept and embrace diversity in the workplace. To that end, our leadership team is embarking on a sustained focus of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion this year. Each one of our managers are tasked with enrolling in an online DEI course facilitated by National Co-op Grocers’ Racial Equity & Food Justice Manager.
I’m excited to do this work and to make DEI in the workplace—and in our commerce with local vendors—a subject that is part of our daily practice. I’ll have more to report on our DEI progress in the coming months.
If you have suggestions on how CCM can be a DEI role model for other businesses in Tallahassee, send me an email.
In cooperation,
Community Co-op Market CEO