THE DIVERSITY BRIEFINGS eNEWSLETTER

Remembring the Scarlet Letter; Fighting Discrimination

2012-03-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Young Women and The Scarlet Letter

Just learned that AOL became the eighth advertiser to pull their ads from Rush Limbaugh's show earlier this week in wake of the controversy over Limbaugh's characterization of Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke as a "slut" and a "prostitute."

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Shantelle Hicks, kicked out of middle school and then publicly humiliated at an assembly by the school director and another staff member because she was pregnant.
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THE DETAILS OF THIS CONTROVERSY have exploded all over the Internet and you have probably read many posts condemning Limbaugh and calling for a boycott of the companies that continue to advertise on his show.

In the firestorm of responses to Limbaugh's comments and the "apologies" he has issued in the wake of sponsors fleeing the show, I have been impressed by the AOL response, quoted above and the response from another former advertiser on the show, Carbonite's CEO David Friend:

"No one with daughters the age of Sandra Fluke, and I have two, could possibly abide the insult and abuse heaped upon this courageous and well-intentioned young lady. Mr. Limbaugh, with his highly personal attacks on Miss Fluke, overstepped any reasonable bounds of decency. Even though Mr. Limbaugh has now issued an apology, we have nonetheless decided to withdraw our advertising from his show. We hope that our action, along with the other advertisers who have already withdrawn their ads, will ultimately contribute to a more civilized public discourse."

It is always brave to stand up against discrimination. For a big company like AOL, the CEO has many forces behind him -- all the lawyers he could ever need, employees, suppliers and so many others.

But what about a young person with few resources who chooses to fight a giant?

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of New Mexico yesterday filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of a young Ntive American woman in our community, 15-year-old Shantelle Hicks, after she was initially kicked out of middle school and then publicly humiliated at an assembly by the school director and another staff member because she was pregnant.

The complaint alleges that school administrators violated Hicks’ constitutional right to equal protection under the law, Title IX’s prohibitions against sex and pregnancy discrimination and violations of her right to privacy.

The story of what happened is sad, indeed.

Do you remember the story of the Scarlet Letter? In my junior high school years, my classmates and I read this 1850 romantic work of fiction placed in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of a man who conceives a daughter through an adulterous affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.

It is almost impossible not to see comparisons between Hawthorne's character and this young teen, after you hear what took place when she decided she wanted to stay in school:

“It was so embarrassing to have all the other kids staring at me as I walked into the gymnasium,” said Hicks. “I didn’t want the whole school to know I was pregnant because it’s not their business, and it wasn’t right for my teachers to single me out.”

Hicks attends Wingate Elementary School, a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school just outside of Gallup, New Mexico and is currently in the eighth grade. She discovered she was pregnant approximately three weeks before the assembly, and she and her mother told the director of the middle school and two other staff members. They initially responded by kicking her out of school.

The ACLU of New Mexico sent a demand letter to the school, informing them that it is illegal to deny a student access to education because of pregnancy status. Wingate readmitted Hicks after four missed days of instruction.

Approximately two weeks later the director of the middle school and another staff member had Hicks stand before the entire middle school at an assembly and announced that she was pregnant. Until that point, no one other than Hicks’ sister knew that she was pregnant.

“Too often, pregnant students face significant barriers or outright discrimination in school,” said Galen Sherwin, staff attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “Instead, schools should give pregnant and parenting students the support they need to help them succeed, for both themselves and for their children.”

“The ACLU’s lawsuit seeks damages and declaratory relief for violations of Hicks’ constitutional right to equal protection under the law and of Title IX prohibitions against sex and pregnancy discrimination in education.”

“We believe that Wingate intentionally humiliated Shantelle in retaliation for her refusal to leave the school,” said ACLU of New Mexico cooperating attorney Barry Klopfer.

“It is outrageous that educators would subject a young woman in their care to such cruelty. Adopting one’s moral convictions from the Scarlet Letter is completely inappropriate and fails to take into account a child’s educational needs.”

Lawyers on this case include Klopfer, Alexandra Freedman Smith, Laura Schauer Ives and Maureen Sanders of the ACLU of New Mexico; and Sherwin and Lenora Lapidus of the ACLU Women’s Rights Project.

More information about this case can be found at: www.aclu.org/womens-rights/hicks-v-edsitty-beach

Hire Diversity, Make More Money (Retailers Learn From Profs)

2012-02-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

A new business marketing study gives retailers a strong reason to hire with diversity in mind.

Yearly earnings are boosted by as much as $100,000 when they employ people who look like their customers, a new study suggests.

But this still involves more than simply playing ethnic mix-and-match, says one professor.

Temple University, Rutgers University and Davidson College profs studied 739 outlets of the U.S. department store J.C. Penney and found that where the pool of employees mirrored the ethnic makeup of the communities they served, this earned retailers an average of $94,000 more per year than stores in which staff wasn’t as representative of the wider community.

That figure averages out to $630 more per employee, and earned the company an extra $69 million last year, the study found.

The study was the first to establish such a strong link between diversity and profitability.

“In some ways the whole thing was sort of surprising,” says co-author Derek Avery, a professor of Human Resources Management at Temple’s Fox School of Management. “Even though the finding is somewhat intuitive based on social-psychological principles – similarity has got to sell. But when you look at all the literature that’s out there it really hadn’t worked. Evidence was very mixed.”

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But previous studies measured the financial effect of matching employees and customers of the same ethnic group, and Avery says his group’s study examined diversity and retail on a broader scale -- yielding a more comprehensive set of answers.

He cautions retailers and other companies not to misinterpret the study’s conclusions — setting quotas or numerical targets for employees of various ethnic groups misses the point.

Avery says customers at a mainstream retailer aren’t necessarily swayed by attempts to pander to ethnic solidarity. Instead, he says, a monochromatic sales team in an ethnically diverse area sends negative signals to shoppers of various backgrounds.

The study, titled “Is There Method to the Madness? Examining How Racioethnic Matching Influences Retail Store Productivity,” appears in the journal Process Psychology.

Too Few Black CPAs, Says Howard University Professor (Who Offers Solutions)

2012-01-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

Listen to Frank Ross, CPA:

Most of the accounting profession recognizes the importance of attracting more Blacks to the field and helping them pass the CPA exam. Few, unfortunately, have a good track record in getting results. In 2002 and 2010, Blacks hired by CPA firms accounted for only 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Even slightly lower, the percentage of Black professional staff members of CPA firms was 2 percent in 2002 and 3 percent in 2010. As expected, this has resulted in the marginal representation of Blacks at the management level of CPA firms, with only 1 percent of Black partners in 2002 and less than 1 percent in 2010, according to the American Institute of CPAs.

Have can this problem be resolved?

Ross, director of the Howard University School of Business Center for Accounting Education and a visiting professor of accounting, teaching auditing and ethics, offers his opinion.

(In 1968, Ross was one of the nine cofounders and the first president of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). In December 2003, he retired from KPMG after providing more than 38 years of service. Prior to retiring, he was the Mid-Atlantic area managing partner for Audit and Risk Advisory Services and managing partner of the Washington, D.C., offices. Ross was also a member of KPMG’s board of directors and chairman of the KPMG Foundation board of directors.)

This article continued -- http://bit.ly/ApyZiL

Not just students bully...so do teachers, says Teaching Tolerance organization

2012-01-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

When schools implement anti-bullying programs, the focus is usually centered on student-to-student bullying. However, students aren’t the only bullies in school. Teachers sometimes earn the label when they employ questionable disciplinary and management practices. Addressing Teacher Bullies is a presentation intended to help educators assess and reflect on their classroom management style and learn more about how inappropriate displays of teacher power can impact student learning.

Teaching Tolerance designed this presentation for teacher leaders, professional learning groups, staff development coordinators and other educators interested in engaging their colleagues around issues of teacher behavior and classroom climate.

Click here to learn more.

Diversity in the Workplace: must you understand others to understand yourself? To get along with Others? It helps, says the author of ‘Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace’

2011-09-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

What can we say about Americans, and how we are alike? Not much, except that … we hold a fondness for ice water!
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Leave it to fun-loving Mark Twain. This delightful spokesperson for the 19th century American popular culture, really did once say that ice water was the ONLY thing Americans have in common. Twain really didn’t know what he was talking about on this issue, but at least he wasn’t trying to force the term “melting pot” on Americans, a phrase that is still used by many Americans – and infers this country is nothing but a composite of cultures from around the world.

If not the melting pot phrase, how often do we hear something like, “It seems like every other country has a culture but we don’t” or “America is just a hodgepodge of group – we don’t really have any values that distinguish us?”

Social scientist Sondra Theiderman, a speaker and author on diversity, bias-reduction, and cross-cultural issues, asked this question in writing for Diverse issues, a Penn State publication. She is also the author of Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace (Chicago: Dearborn Press, 2003)

People talk about the "melting pot" and say that the United States is nothing but a conglomeration of cultures from around the world. Or they focus on this country as a "nation of immigrants," but there are still unique American characteristics that resulted from the synergy or coming together of these many cultures, Theiderman states.

But it is from that very fabric that a true American culture has developed, from the Puritan work ethic brought by the English to the "all-American" German hot dog, and such "American" French words as rendezvous and hors d'oeuvres.

So, it seems, we do have a culture – and there are many reasons why we need to remember this is so, most importantly to learn how to understand other cultures so we can get along with people who are different - by learning about ourselves, first.

Understanding other cultures, starts with knowing one’s own culture. And when we are master of both, it becomes far more possible to accurately interpret the needs and behaviors of colleagues, patients, and families who might be new arrivals to this country – people whose cultures have different ways of looking at the world.

Getting to a point of understanding of culture, might come through simply thinking of human beings as fish in a fishbowl surrounded by water and glass, and unaware these elements exist, thus distorting the view of the outside world.This analogy is used by Theiderman, and I think it works quite well.

Most humans functioning inside our culture (the fishbowl), have no idea that their own culture exists, let alone the cultures (fishbowls) of others, and vice versa.

To most people, cultural values -- what we do and the way we feel about things -- are assumed to be human nature, and many of us simply reason this is just the way ALL people act and behave.

Take the issue of eye contact. Americans generally believe it is a sign of respect to look someone in the eyes, or that this behavior is an accurate way to determine if a person is telling the truth.
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What we often may not realize is that direct eye contact is considered totally DIS-respectful in many cultures. While an American might see lack of eye contact as deceitful, uninterested, or shifty, a person from another culture often sees lack of eye contact as communicating respect.

A major trick for achieving and managing diversity in the workplace is to eliminate misunderstandings like this; to learn the basis of such cultural misunderstanding is first to become consciously aware of our own values and that our way of seeing the world is not automatically shared by everyone we meet, particularly from across cultures.

Once this is realized, that our views are not simply a fact of human nature, we can better interpret the behavior and needs of those around us. And voila! We have cross cultural understanding in today’s diversified workplace.

So how do we do this – become aware of how we see outside of the fishbowl, compared to the variety of viewpoints coming into the workplace from other ethnic groups and cultures?

Theiderman suggests a number of ways, including a quick lesson learned by looking at popular proverbs used in the American culture, such as “There’s no fool like an old fool” – a saying, albeit antiquated, that shows the value we place on youth.

While the saying is old, the practice continues, and the United States is practically alone in the world in its obsession with youth and cavalier attitude toward older people, suggesting it is critical that we stay alert to this contrast in values. Take a person who might be a Navajo; even as a citizen of the United States, he or she would most likely show respect for older people, looking to them for advice and counsel, because reverence for the elderly is a significant belief practiced by the Navajo culture

Hence, even for the non-Navajo person unwilling to accept advice from an elderly person, if they are going to be successful communicators with other Navajos, they must understand this cultural difference, at least when communicating across cultures. (Hopefully, the non-Navajo person who does not honor age will actually learn from the experience. But that’s another day…)

So specifically, how can one person learn values held by people from other cultures, in order to achieve better understanding? Theiderman believe this is achievable through several other means. Besides looking at proverbs, she also suggests listening to the stories told by families and cultures, to see what values they contain.

Stories are passed on through families and cultures for a reason – often, for instance, to impress values upon the next generation. A recently followed tradition for many African American families has been the telling of the story of Emmett Till, a cautionary tale for young people about a 14-year-old Chicago African American who was brutally murdered.

Emmett Till visited relatives in the Mississippi Delta in the summer of 1955, following the 1954 Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education and the second decision, known as Brown II (“all deliberate speed” in enforcement of school desegregation).

Till did not understand the Jim Crow laws in Mississippi with respect to deference paid to white women in the state at that time, and he was brutally murdered after whistling at a white store owner’s wife.

His story was told thereafter to many black children by their families in order for them to understand the Jim Crow laws and the consequences if not followed. (Fortunately, the Till incident also brought people away from the civil rights sidelines and helped initiate the modern civil rights movement.)

Values transmitted in a number of family stories – inside and outside of the American culture -- might contain themes of perseverance, the virtue of hard work, the importance of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps or the value of appreciating what you have.

And, so...bottom line: how can we move our employees' and customers' fishbowls closer together – and get our fish to start communicating, even if they come from other fishbowls?

Examining our proverbs and stories are two methods that may help employees to start learning about and appreciating other cultures – two critical steps in bringing diversity to the workplace.
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Muslim-Christian Conflicts Not Limited to United States – But Are Felt World-Wide

2011-09-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hijab -- a covering traditionally worn by Muslim women

The Muslim-Christian divide that captures almost daily attention in news coming out of the United States, is actually felt worldwide.
Although progress has been made—particularly in multinational workforces— struggles remain around religious diversity, suggests Susan Welch, executive director of Diversity Best Practices.

“With Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr just completing in the United States, now might be a good time to explore the Muslim-Christian divide around the world. It represents one of the toughest diversity issues to address, for a handful of reasons,” Welch recently asserted in an editorial written for her organization’s weekly publication.

We know that religious conflict is not always straightforward. One country bans burka wearing, -- is that rooted in religion? Or would we describe this as a gender issue?

Is banning a burka (or burqa – the full body cloak worn by some Muslim women) simply a dress code issue? Or does this represent a security concern?
If not a burka, what of the "hijab" (or "ḥijāb – referring to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general).

It is sometimes too convenient to classify these arguments into "seemingly harmless" categories. But religious problems are often rooted in historical, even traditional conflicts between two peoples. And this, Welch says, muddies the waters.

Muslims represent roughly one in four people on the globe. In some Asian countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, listed by Welch)Muslims dominate the population. In many other Asian countries, as well as European and North American countries, they are a minority ,and “This sets the stage for regional and country-specific clashes that become more political than religious,” she explains.

When considering economic status, these clashes can also represent problems between the “haves and have-nots”.

Of the 40 Muslim-majority nations worldwide, “only two outside of the Persian Gulf (Turkey and Malaysia) have GDPs above the global median GDP.” (Gross domestic product or GDP refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living.)

And so, as India, China, and Latin America grow explosively, Muslim populations are further marginalized, both within rapidly growing countries and within competing Muslim-majority nations.

But on the eve of 9/11’s ten-year anniversary, Welch believes there is a sliver of good news:

Pew Research Center (a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world) reports a thaw in attitudes toward Muslims in the United States and Europe over the past five years.

(Yet, Muslims have not experienced the same thaw in their own attitudes toward the West, the Pew report goes on to state.)

TWelch believes that herein lies the most interesting rub of all, perhaps the crux of the issue:

Both sides blame the other side for poor relations, each believing they hold the high moral ground. "Age-old beliefs dealing differently with critical debates around life and death drive apart Muslims and the somewhat Christian, somewhat non-secular West."

Cultural competency and inclusion meet their fiercest challenge here, Welch believes, yet she asks -- “Can we set aside our fundamental life-and-death beliefs and embrace different beliefs in another human being?”

Her question is a good one – and is certainly deserving of more talks and discussions.

Meanwhile, education of differences and similarities is a good place to start. Businesses and organizations, meanwhile, cannot ignore these differences, by simply blaming any clashes as “religious” differences.

Such simplistic thinking about cultures, ethnicity, diversity, inclusion and differences just does not work anymore. We need better information to identify and solve problems -- to make higher quality decisions.

2011-08-16T18:22:00.001-07:00

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in the Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases: Hollywood can still redeem itself (from The Help), by teaching diversity and tolerance through true historical movies on the civil rights movement#links

Cross-cultural leadership and understanding – not limited to the “big city”

2011-08-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

Diversity in action. Images may be subject to copyright.

“You guys live in such a nice little town,” Larry S. was telling me.

My new teaching colleague was sharing his first impressions of Lawrenceburg, Indiana soon after being dumped by the faculty dean in the teacher’s lounge of the town’s small junior college campus.

“Larry, this is Susan – Susan, this is Larry, the new accounting instructor. Susan teaches computer classes.”

It turned out that Larry had always lived in a metropolis, and was now experiencing some culture shock after relocation from Indianapolis, a city of one million plus people, to this little river town of less than 7,000.

We got to talking, and it scared me when I learned he had no place to live, let alone a place to stay his first night. Larry was quite black and Lawrenceburg was still very racist, so I invited him to live at our house until he could find a place of his own.

Larry told me he was born near Salisbury, Zimbabwe, now called Harare, the biggest city in this African country, with a population of around 2 million. Harare is also the commercial capital of the country. The British founded the city in 1890 and called it Salisbury but when Zimbabwe gained independence in the early 1980's, the name was changed to Harare after a Shona chief, Neharawa.

True, Lawrenceburg was a comfortable, little town back in the mid 1970s. Located in the tri-states of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, “Whiskey City” was situated on the Ohio River and known by this moniker, since Seagram Whiskey was the town’s main (and only) major employer.

Indiana Vocational Technical College, where Larry and I taught, was a very small local campus (known informally as Ivy Tech and headquartered in Indianapolis) that catered mostly to white, young adults studying business-related classes.

My husband Fred and I knew most people in Lawrenceburg, from the local politicians, newspaper owner and medical practitioners, to teachers and other folks who worked for the Canadian distiller. Fred worked for the region’s mental health center.
In those days, if you went shopping in downtown Lawrenceburg you would find the typical small-town stores. Of course, this was pre-Walmart and most shops and larger stores carried American manufactured items.

Meanwhile, Fred and I have moved to a somewhat larger region; the population of the small city where we now reside is about 20,000. I think my colleague, Larry, would enjoy visiting here some day!

As a teacher back in Lawrenceburg, I once had a student from Russia. That was an exciting venture for me; I enjoyed hearing his life story and about how he moved to Indiana. Where I now live, I can probably count a representation of at least 20 ethnicities and cultures represented. (Moreover, we have a Walmart.)

Honestly, the days of Mom and Pop businesses that catered to people who looked, felt, thought, and talked the same as Mom and Pop are over. Ethnic and cultural diversity have reached even the most remote and isolated regions of our nation.

In what ways are you preparing to build a successful enterprise in the midst of this diversity?

Business diversity expert Dr. Greg Waddell, who writes about adapting leadership style to cultural context, asks this question, while saying he does not lament for the days when everyone was like him – and neither do I.

It really is quite exciting to live in times where you can easily meet people from around the globe, even if you live in a small city or even a smaller little village or town.

Here are three reasons why both Dr. Waddell and I get excited about diversity:

1. Ethnic and cultural diversity is here to stay. “It’s always better to accept reality than it is to live in denial,” Dr. Waddell notes.

2. While cultures differ in fundamental ways, these differences follow certain patterns and can be learned. We CAN learn to do business with people from other cultures. It has been happening for centuries all over the world.

3. The ethnic diversity in which we live today provides an excellent opportunity to discover new approaches to leadership.

Dr. Waddell suggests this change requires effort and preparation. Even with practice, this can be an intimidating experience, “because it requires seeing yourself through the eyes of another culture.”

Many of the management theories that were inscribed in the hallowed pages of management literature of the 1970s and 80s are now obsolete. Almost all of the research behind these earlier business theories was carried out in the context of a Euro-Anglo cultural background.

Sure, there is a lot that we can learn from these classic studies, as long as we see them as one way to envision leadership and as long as we remain open to the very real possibility that these concepts may not work today.

Cultures typically differ in some predictable ways. So, if a person is willing to do what it takes to learn new information about other cultures and ethnicities, he or she can learn to be culturally and ethnically sensitive.

Not too long ago, I took a college course in intercultural communication. Students were assigned to choose a culture different from our own, and to do a report about differences.

Darned, if some of the white students didn’t pick their grandparents’ countries of Sweden, Switzerland and Germany for their reports. I was surprised they were allowed to get away with their lazy, “safe” decisions. What could they have possibly learned?

Once a person really learns about differences or uniquenesses, they are more adept at adjusting leadership behavior to fit the situation, Waddell believes.

Here is a short list of several cultural patterns that Waddell finds helpful in understanding cultural diversity.

•Power Distance. How people view power and the degree to which differences in power are not only allowed but even preferred.

•Individualism versus Collectivism. Some cultures think as a group—others think individually. The Anglo-European culture of the U.S. has been consistently identified as high in individualism.

•Uncertainty Avoidance. This is the degree to which a culture sees uncertainty as a bad thing, something to be avoided.

•Contextual versus Verbal communication. Some cultures allow the context to communicate meaning without words. In the U.S., we usually feel the need to say it.

•Human nature. Some cultures sees human nature as fundamentally evil while others as fundamentally good.

•Work and Leisure. Many cultures see work as an unavoidable or even necessary evil needed to get to what life is really about. Others see work as the main point of life.

There are so many more considerations to address when trying to become a better cross-cultural leader. This short list shows, at least, that cultural differences can be understood. In other words, these differences are not mysterious and impossible to comprehend.

Waddell suggests the main requirement is to have “an inquisitive spirit and a willingness to experience some discomfort for the sake of learning to see the world from a different perspective.”

What about you? What are some of your feelings toward cultural and ethnic diversity? To what extent is it making an impact on your organization? How well do you think other companies are adapting?

All are very good questions to consider in your journey to understanding cross cultural leadership.

A Real Civil Rights Veteran Shares Her Review of The Help - The Joyce Ladner Report

2011-08-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

No thanks Kathryn Stockett, I don't want to be "The Help" (Joyce Ladner)

"God forbid that a black maid who cooks their food would ever be allowed to use the same toilet the white people use. I guess this explains the fixation segregationists had with toilets.... for in so many public places there were four. One each for black women, black men, white women, and white men. It's no wonder they didn't have money for libraries and good schools. It was all spent making sure that no black person would ever sit on the same toilet a white behind had graced."
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Don't miss this blog post by SNCC veteran and sociologist Joyce Ladner about The Help. This native of Hattiesburg, MS, writes about her own experience as a black teenage maid for white people in her community in the 1950s. Writer Ben Greenberg blogs he was particularly moved by the anecdote about her grandmother's attendance of the wedding of a young white woman whom the grandmother, as the family's maid, had raised.

Read Ladner's review at http://theladnerreportblog.blogspot.com/

When workplace diversity becomes a fraud; don't let the PR photos fool you

2011-08-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Employees at the "XYZ" Company, where diversity reigns(?)

Now come on. Do you really believe that many (most?) large organizations are as "diverse" as they appear in their advertising and public relations venues? I am talking about that photograph of "casually" posed black and white females and males, all wearing elegant suits with their arms folded, and looking as if they are at the pinnacle of their corporations.

It’s quite unfortunate that the rally cry for diversity has companies scrambling to make sure that they appear diverse to the outsider, states William Powell, writing for The Leadership Advisor, an online publication representing an international leadership organization.

In fact, a significant percentage of companies have developed informal “quotas” to make sure they are a diverse organization, causing some business leaders to claim diversity in the workplace has become a fraud. "The common thought is that it mitigates discrimination accusations and makes them appear forward thinking to stakeholders and investors. Pretty much keeping up appearance for the current “trend”," Powell says.

Of course this isn’t true for all companies, but it’s more common than what it should be. The mantra “diversity strengthens an organization” is absolutely true, but with one caveat. You have to embrace what diversity brings. The mere existence of various cultures, ethnicities, gender and religious beliefs within the same relational space does not connote strength of anything. It’s just a description of a group of people.

Far too often, even in the face of this pseudo or fraudulent diversity, there is an expectation that those diverse groups of people must somehow lose whatever makes them diverse for the sake of conforming to specific standards so that there is less conflict.

I remember this so well from my old college sorority days. "Lose that sweater. It's the wrong color! We wear camel blazers. Cut your hair. We all wear Sassoons at Delta Delta Delta! (Now, that last remark dates me!)

Unfortunately, leadership of a number of organizations see diversity within the organization as an increased chance of conflict, "so their conflict strategy is to encourage (dare I say, enforce) this generic sense of homogeneity" (Powell's words).

Of course, this counters the power of diversity altogether and is ignorant leadership. For most people, it is common to feel threatened by an unfamiliar viewpoint. Take a look at the childish drama seen in Washington D.C. Is this how you want your organization to behave?

So where can an organization initiate change?

Start by genuinely making it a point to include the opinions and insight of those from varied cultures and ethnic groups.

"Switch off your judgment for a moment (or permanently) and instead of seeing their perspective through your filters, ask questions to understand why that seems like a viable solution for that individual. You may actually learn something. You are giving people a voice and may be able to incorporate a hybrid of what differing opinions bring to the table."

If you value what a person’s culture/ethnicity (something extremely personal) brings to the table for solution management, how engaged do you think that person will be? How likely are they to be looking for work elsewhere? Things don’t have to be perfect, just moving forward in a way that can allow them to be proud to be a part of making the solution a reality.

We now certainly know from diversity research, that embracing the true value of diversity, allows for the discovery of innovation and creativity within an organization. "Typically, turnover may decrease as engagement increases. How much stronger would your bottom be if just 8% of your workforce would increase their discretionary effort by 5%?" Powell states.

Why is Powell's message surprising?

Folks who live and work at the apex of multinationals and other large organizations, for the most part, are quite elitist. (Think Brown University, Harvard, Smith). Diversity is “in” but not so in that such an apex employee would actually send his or her child to a public school (where most of these “diverse” employees send their children).

We have seen elitist politicians kill health care, public education, social security, Medicare and Medicaid etc. in the name of greed. We have seen them short the market until retirement plans for the “diverse” are DOA.

Until rich and elite white people get serious about diversity, nothing much is ever going to change. For an organization to “look” diverse, probably fools the stockholders for a while. (But no problem, the elites are killing stockholders off, too.)

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in the Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases: Emmett Till eBook Still FREE for only one more week; Keith Beauchamp -- Murder He Wrote

2011-07-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in the Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases: Emmett Till eBook Still FREE for only one more week; Keith Beauchamp -- Murder He Wrote. (You're a teacher, historian, anthropologist, social worker and STILL don't know this piece of modern U.S. history? Here's your chance...

Are You Against Same Sex Marriages?

2011-07-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

A fellow blogger reminded me of the following:

Interracial marriage was also made legal state-by-state, until 1969, when it finally became legally recognized & allowed in all the United States. The EXACT same arguments were used against interracial marriage: "it's against teachings of the Bible", "it's against nature", "it will lead to legalizing pedophilia & bestiality", "legalizing it would encourage deviant behavior", and on & on. Also, the churches that were historically against civil rights for racial minorities were the same groups that switched over to attacking the glbt community in the 70's, after having clearly lost their fight against racial equality.

All of this is the same fight... either you are for a structure of oppression & privilege through stratified social dynamics of superiority vs. inferiority or you are against it. Because of these dynamics, if you are not against all oppression, then you are supporting a system of supremacy & oppression.

So true.

Check Out - how understanding across cultures brings fast success

2011-07-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

(Cash In On Diversity eBook author Susan Klopfer reviews The Cultural Intelligence Difference, By David Livermore. Amacom, 206 pages, $25)

So I remember the days of sorority sisterhood back in the mid 1960s. We sisters of Gamma Phi all had cute, short haircuts, wore the same camel-colored mohair blazers and pretty much dated very similar young men from the same fraternities, especially sisters who were of higher status, members of Greek Council.

While our sorority house was known to be less conforming (some people called us the "zoo") than other more popular houses at the University of Nevada, Reno, we still had a sense of safety in our ability to toe the acceptable conformity line, most of the time.

And when we finally graduated, leaving college and the safety of sisterhood to enter the workforce, what we encountered was really not much different from the institution we just left. The workplace of that era was certainly not as diverse as today; it was not even close. Nearly all co-workers were of the same ethnicity as us (white, Germanic or Irish heritage) and we closely conformed to the accepted dress norms, if we wanted to keep our jobs. Actually, one of my friends was fired from a major pharmaceutical company because he wore loafers with tassles. No kidding.

Today, many of us work with colleagues and customers from around the globe, people who may dress, talk and behave much differently from our former, cookie-cutter sorority sisters and fraternity brothers. To succeed in today's world of business, author David Livermore believes we need cultural intelligence, or CQ. A consultant, Livermore came to this conclusion because he moved from Canada to New York when he was a child. However, he made regular trips back to visit relatives, remaining fascinated by Canada's culture - the different money and way of saying things, the foods and other significant things that keep Canadians being Canadians.

Now a grownup and highly respected author on this topic, Dr. Livermore still enjoys navigating between different cultures, using CQ - "the ability to function effectively in a variety of cultural contexts, including national, ethnic, organizational, and generational."

Livermore tells us that CQ is the primary predictor of your success in today's borderless world. "It's more important than IQ or, the current darling, EQ (emotional intelligence)," he asserts.

"EQ is a strong predictor of your success when you're working with people who come from the same culture as you, but your CQ is a much better predictor of how you'll do working with people from different cultural backgrounds - the inevitable reality for all of us over the next decade," Livermore writes in The Cultural Intelligence Difference.

He clearly explains that our cultural intelligence is comprised of four different capabilities based on our motivation, knowledge, strategy and ability to adapt our behavior appropriately for different cultures.

While it might seem quite difficult to change one's CQ, this author gives specific advice making the task appear less tenuous. Most important, he tells us we must face our biases:

"Explore which subcultures really push your hot buttons, encourage your defences or just make you uncomfortable. Any time you meet someone new, make an effort to connect on a human level as early as possible rather than just seeing him or her in light of cultural context. Another approach is to explore your hobbies and pastimes - be it art, sports, or food - in new cultures."

Livermore gives us many more specific ways to become better at operating in and around cultures that are new or different. For instance, he suggests that we "Discreetly watch people from other cultures when you're in public places." Or that we "Attend celebrations of other cultures in your city; eat their foods and attend their music and events. When travelling, visit public markets, shopping districts, museums and art galleries. Increase your global awareness by visiting BBC news online and reading The Economist, for example, or by plunging into novels and movies that immerse you in different cultures. Learn about different cultural values in other countries, how they may differ in terms of factors such as individualism, avoidance of uncertainty, co-cooperativeness, and orientation to time."

Livermore's book is an excellent guide to gaining or increasing cultural intelligence as he points out some of the research and concepts; highlighting some of the critical differences between countries and spelling out specific ideas about how to improve one's CQ.

"It won't transform you overnight, but will alert you to important factors and help you along the path to fitting in beyond your traditional culture," blogger Harvey Schachter advises his followers. (I learned about this book from Harvey.)

And I am going to agree with Schachter, going a step further. Livermore's book is a must read for anyone who wants to survive (and succeed) in today's world of diversity. This means learning how to work well with older people, gay people, transgendered people and just about any people who are not the same as us (whatever this means). Is this important? Ask the CEOs of major corporations who by now should be sick and tired of being sued because an employee called an older worker an "old fogey." Or because a supervisor demanded a female remove the scarf she wears for religious reasons. Happens every day. Don't kid yourself.

This book is especially critical for those who might have just escaped a cookie-cutter world of most educational institutions and are ready and waiting to face reality. For anyone who went to private schools that specialize in all white kids, especially -- my advice, pick up a copy now.

Don't leave home (for work) without it.
* * *

Other books by Livermore

Check Out the Top Ten Facts about diversity management that could benefit your organization or business

2011-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you own or work for a business, you might not be taking advantage of all the opportunities managing diversity has to offer. Many of us are still confused over diversity best practices and how diversity benefits an organization.

Yet, research is showing that organizations close to diversity, that really know how to maximize diversity, are moving ahead.

(A group of researchers from MIT Sloan School of Management in a five-year study, for instance, found that... "To be successful in working with and gaining value from diversity requires a sustained, systemic approach and long-term commitment...Organizations that invest their resources in taking advantage of the opportunities that diversity offers should outperform those that fail to make such investments. See http://bit.ly/p8dzBK )

So, here are ten questions and answers that I believe can benefit -- and of course, I want to hear more ideas from you. So please add your comments at the end.

1. What are the advantages of a more diverse workplace?

Co-workers with different histories and life experiences may think of new, different products or services. They may have other social or information networks to enable them to promote products or services. They may also identify potential customers that we have so far missed, overlooked, or dismissed.

2. What is the matter with doing more of what has worked in the past?

Nothing — if it keeps working. Yet the population base, from which our customers come, is rapidly changing due to disease, war, travel, changing birth rates, and the rapid spread of information. If we don't adjust to what our potential customers will look like, we'll get smaller.

3. Will increasing the diversity of my company's workforce guarantee success?

No single-thing approach to management can guarantee success. Beware of fads.

4. Do I really have to change my workforce? Can't my good salespeople sell to anyone?

Selling anything to anyone is one way to define a good salesperson. Another is to say that a good salesperson can sell any one thing over any other thing. Yet even good salespeople can't make a sale if they don't know how to deliver the message in a language or in a way the customer understands. Even worse is a product name that translates poorly in the language of the customer. Barriers can also exist in terms of price. For example, India is encouraging businesses to come up with a computer device costing less than ten U.S.dollars. Cultural difference can be complex, and some of them really matter.

5. How can I get my current employees to accept new and different employees?

In general, two characteristics of success come to mind. First of all, management, from the very top down, needs to understand that success in this arena is absolutely expected and that resistance is not acceptable. Secondly, it needs to be clear that the success of new employees is not part of a zero-sum game. No one has to lose in order for the new employees to win.

6. Will an emphasis on diversity fundamentally change my business?

That depends on the nature of the business. The more you work with people instead of things, the more your business will change as the population it serves, and your employees, change with it.

7. What if my business mostly sells to other businesses? Do I still need to worry about diversity?

Who owns the other businesses? As you well know if you've ever looked at manufacturing’s "Made in" labels or tried to call customer service, many companies now outsource work to foreign companies. If your company markets to businesses, your customer base, and potential competitors are growing.

8. I make a lot of sales on-line? Does the diversity of my workforce matter when my customers are mostly ordering my products on a computer?

Of course it does. Language, whether written or oral, often contains idioms, inferences, or idiosyncrasies that a person unfamiliar with American English will not understand. If your Internet site contains videos of people talking, the nonverbal communication may also be unclear or misunderstood by persons with other backgrounds.

9. How do you "train" for diversity? Isn't this mostly a matter of tolerance?

Tolerance is part of it, and our first lessons about tolerance come during our childhood. But tolerance, and receptiveness, and active listening, and company priorities, and evaluation procedures, and many of the day-to-day details of how business is done” in your company may be able to be improved if given proper review and assessment. Learning new things is a lifelong requirement, even if we don't like it. In this case, we stand to learn some new worthwhile things.

10. Can we do our own diversity training in-house? Isn't this a good way to identify and get rid of bad supervisors? Also, What is wrong with continuing to hire people who “fit in?”

If you want the idea of Diversity Training to create hatred and resentment in your company, that would be the ideal way to do it. Instead, training should be available at all levels of the organization, with obvious top-level endorsement. It should be done by outside “experts.”

To this final question, the answer is nothing, if your business skills are good enough to hire such persons, avoid losing discrimination lawsuits, and continue to grow or maintain the business as customers change.

Tags

multicultural, psychology, business, marketing, economics, counseling, civil rights, diversity, administration, personnel, inclusion, human relations, diversity ebooks, cultural diversity

Techies call older engineer names (like "Fuddie-duddie") and run him off the job -- Who Will Pay? Why Was This Behavior Allowed?

2011-06-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

What if this happened to your dad or your mom? Would it make you angry?

What if these were your employees? Would you consider diversity training? --

A recent California Supreme Court decision involves an experienced engineer who went to work for a giant corporation (the kind of company that one would think comprehends and practices diversity).

This guy knew that going into a high-tech job would mean working in a youthful company, with fewer older workers. But he didn’t expect the bullying he received by younger workers, including his boss, who immediately started called him names like “fuddy-duddy” and “old man,” he alleged.
but
The engineer had worked successfully for years in major corporations, but was suddenly taunted with name-calling, with words like "slow," "fuzzy," "sluggish" and "lethargic."

Employees allegedly called him an "old guy" and stated that his ideas were "obsolete" and "too old to matter" and that his knowledge was “ancient.”

They allegedly joked that his office placard should be in the shape of an "LP" (i.e. a vinyl record) rather than the customary (then current music format) "CD." For several years this inappropriate behavior progressed, the engineer alleged, and after a time, when his job was taken away, he left this company, but then sued for age discrimination.

While the case had not been settled at the time I read about it, the court issued a unanimous decision that could make it more difficult for California employers to win summary judgment in certain discrimination cases involving potentially discriminatory comments.

In fact, California courts must now evaluate such “stray” remarks together with all other admissible evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence of discrimination for a case to proceed to a jury trial.

This decision reaffirms that employers must do more than simply maintain policies preventing discrimination and harassment. They must take steps, including training of supervisors and nonsupervisors alike, to ensure all employees are aware of such policies and the risk of liability posed by potentially discriminatory comments, in any context. In other words, they must learn to manage their company’s diversity.

This story leaves me wondering who raised these young employees to show such meanness and hostility toward an older, experienced co-worker? Did any professors ever discuss diversity at their schools? Or multiculturalism? Good manners? And what kind of managers and CEO led this company? Had they ever experienced any leadership education?

The failure to raise someone who tolerates people who are different, or who values the very skills and experiences others may have to offer, no matter how “different” they appear to be, has to land somewhere.

Someone failed these employees quite miserably, either their parents, teachers or employers. Perhaps all of the above tried and failed. I hope my new eBook, Cash In On Diversity, will help fill in gaps that are apparently missing for those who behave in this way and for others who tolerate or encourage this misbehavior, as well.

We are a diverse nation filled with people of many sizes, shapes, ages, religions and sexual preferences — people with missing limbs, stutters, mental challenges and so many other differences.

But too many of us still do not always recognize that all people are deserving of equal treatment. Or that even with “differences,” nearly all of us still have something to contribute, if allowed to participate. As the battles heat up at school and at work, and as the civil rights lawsuits keep piling up, isn’t it about time to change?

This eBook is an attempt to explain how our world is changing in the organizations where we work and spend much of our time each day — and will endeavor to describe where intolerance and hate come from, and why these attitudes and behaviors do not serve us well in the workplace. This book also shows many of the benefits we can achieve as individuals, and as organizations, when getting along with others, as we celebrate and appreciate our differences — as we embrace diversity.

People who care about getting along need to take a stand when intolerance is displayed. Leaders must help the people they manage with proper tools and guidance. This is the basic message presented, along with important explanations of themes, including cultural diversity, multiculturalism, cross-cultural communication and showing how all of us can become better human beings with this knowledge.

I hope that readers enjoy this information and put it to use, because we are living in a world that demands we change.
~ ~ ~
Ageism can be defined as "any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age" (Traxler, 1980). As an "ism", ageism reflects a prejudice in society against older adults.

* * * * *

~ ~ ~
A wonderful comment follows this blog. I was not able to comment back, directly, but want to add this note --

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and excellent advice. I have a friend going through this now, and the supervisor's comments are a daily assault. Boy will she be surprised when she gets zapped with a lawsuit! Companies that don't learn how to treat older workers get sued -- and good employees simply leave. What a waste of resources, either way. Take care and thanks. Susan

Defining Diversity; It's Not Just About R E S P E C T

2011-06-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

How many times have you heard a person say, "Well, I get along with everyone. We really are all alike, deep down." Or, "We don't need diversity training. We just need to learn to get along."

Wanted to share this great definition of diversity. I ran into it on a site supported by the University of Oregon --

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique,

and recognizing our individual differences.

These can be along

the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs,

political beliefs, or other ideologies.

It is the exploration

of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.

It is about understanding each other and moving beyond

simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the

rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Reminds me of R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr.'s Platinum Standard of diversity. Here is a link to a fascinating video of Dr. Thomas talking about diversity

http://youtu.be/JA3Z27RZ_bk

Have a great day. I am off to the accupuncturist... (I believe in diversity of health care.)

The Second Street Gallery of Gallup, New Mexico

2011-06-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Thank God For My Facebook Friends, New Mexico author extols.

Cash In On Diversity NEW eBook Price: 99 cents

2011-06-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Subscribers and Readers of Diversity Briefings:

After thinking about it, I decided my new eBook, Cash In On Diversity, should only cost 99 cents. It's a new eBook trend that I am responding to -- keeping the cost way down so that nearly everyone who is interested has an opportunity to read this information. And, I really like this idea!

At the same time, I also lowered the price of Who Killed Emmett Till?, as well, to 99 cents.

Please send me your comments and I always appreciate your reviews -- good and bad.

Here is a link to today's news release on the Till book with this information:

Not Enough People Know About Emmett Till; New, Low Cost eBook Could Help Solve the Problem, Author Hopes

Susan

Cash In On Diversity

Ohio Jailers Need Lesson in Diversity, Civil Rights; So Does Wolf Blitzer of CNN

2011-06-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I watched reporter Wolf Blitzer of CNN shake his head and say "I didn't think things like this happened any more." He was reporting on a civil rights violation of an African American (I don't even remember what this particular event was about).

I do remember that I was so disgusted that someone who reports national news would think racist incidents like those that used to be reported during the modern civil rights movement simply don't happen today.

Really, Wolf? Look at the story I just read this morning out of Mansfield, Ohio, reported by WFMD.com -- a news report eminating not exactly from the Deep South:

Just in case you are walking around with your head in the sand -- like the Wolf Blitzers of the world -- it does still happen.

What if this were your son?
The Mansfield Branch of the NAACP is responding to the outcome of an investigation by the Richland County Sherriff's Office into allegations of misconduct involving a juvenile that was in custody at the jail.

Three Richland County Corrections officers and one retired Corrections Officer were criminally charged Thursday. Sgt. Kristin Gillis, 41, corrections officers Rodney Gallaway, 47, and Michael Reef, 45, and former corrections officer George Isaman, 65, were charged with dereliction of duty of second-degree misdemeanor; interfering with civil rights, a first-degree misdemeanor; and endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Maj. Dale Fortney said the department will pursue separate administrative charges against Gillis, Gallaway and Reef and four other corrections officers involved in the incident.

The officers are accused of leaving 17-year-old, Kenneth Puckett, in a freezing garage on the second floor of the jail where he was shackled to a concrete pillar while fully restrained in a restraint chair. The garage doors were opened exposing Puckett to the extreme cold weather for more than two hours as he screamed in agony.

The Mansfield Branch of the NAACP issued the following news release in response to the outcome of the Kenneth Puckett investigation at the Richland County Jail:

The Mansfield Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is dismayed at the outcome of the Kenneth Puckett case. No individual should be subject to the inhumane treatment this young man received while in the custody of the County jail. It is also our position that no employee paid for with public funds should ever be allowed to participate in such a deplorable act and continue to remain in public employment. The continued public employment of these individuals is inappropriate and the decision to charge these offenses as misdemeanors is indefensible.

The corrections officers involved in this incident were seven adults who were in a position of authority over a minor in their custody. To deliberately expose him to below freezing temperatures for hours while barefoot, wearing the jail uniform and restrained to a chair can be described as nothing short of criminal. Many, many individuals in this community have felony records for much less. The outcome of this case demonstrates a systemic inability to discern what does and does not constitute inhumane treatment and spotlights an outrageous abuse of power and authority. Furthermore, the willingness of the legal system to turn a blind eye to the severity of such abuses by public employees merits further action.

The NAACP recognizes that not all jail corrections officers and Sheriff’s office personnel condoned this reprehensible behavior. We are grateful that within that institution, there were individuals who witnessed these actions and reported them to the public rather than relying on an internal investigation to ensure a just resolution.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, eradicating civil rights violations, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

Gillis, Gallaway, Reef and Isaman will make their first appearance in Mansfield Municipal Court on June 23 at 10 a.m.

Gillis, Gallaway, and Reef have been reassigned to jail posts and will have no contact with inmates until the issue is resolved. Isaman recently retired from the sheriff's office.

If you don’t think diversity is important, you are an idiot. | SmartData Collective

2011-06-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

If you don’t think diversity is important, you are an idiot. | SmartData Collective ... Diverse environments get better results.

Diversity was a hidden battle cry at Mississippi's lunch counters

2011-06-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in the Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases: From the Land of Emmett Till ..."About things that should never be forgotten"

Lack of Diversity, Discrimination Can Cause Mental Health Issues, Study Notes

2011-06-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

A story in today's Legal Industry News by KCJ News Service states that many minority workers 'feel discriminated against'

Employment law developments to promote diversity in the workplace may not be having the desired effect, as many people from minority backgrounds still feel they are being discriminated against, it has been claimed. According to a study by Business in the Community (BitC), the majority of individuals from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups believe they have been overlooked for promotion at least once.

Basically, the study found white British workers average almost four promotions during their careers, compared with 2.5 advancements for those of African, Indian or Pakistani descent, while many staff members from minorities feel they have a lack of support from their managers.

"The survey highlights evidence of racial discrimination, with African and Caribbean workers particularly feeling discriminated against," the BitC report stated, with one in four African workers and one in seven from the Caribbean saying they have been treated unfairly.

Recently, it was stated by the Mental Health Foundation that discrimination is also a problem for people who suffer from mental health issues.

Makes sense to me. We still aren't "there" when it comes to diversity. Just a few days ago, I posted a story about a major university in Missouri that refuses to ensure students receive diversity training. What are these professors afraid of?

Is it really a wonder that this can become a mental health issue for some people?

In my new eBook, Cashing In On Diversity, I tell a true story about a recent California Supreme Court decision involving an experienced engineer who went to work for a giant corporation (the kind of company that one would think comprehends and practices diversity).

This engineer knew that going into a high-tech job would mean working in a youthful company, with fewer older workers. But he didn’t expect mistreatment he received by younger workers, including his boss, who immediately started called him names like “fuddy-duddy” and “old man,” he alleged.

The engineer, who had worked successfully for years in major corporations, was suddenly being taunted with words, including "slow," "fuzzy," "sluggish" and "lethargic." Employees allegedly called him an "old guy" and stated that his ideas were "obsolete" and "too old to matter" and that his knowledge was “ancient.”

They allegedly joked that his office placard should be in the shape of an "LP" (i.e. a vinyl record) rather than the customary (then current music format) "CD." For several years this inappropriate behavior progressed, the engineer alleged, and after a time, when his job was taken away, he left this company, but then sued for age discrimination.

While the case had not been settled at the time I read about it, the court issued a unanimous decision that could make it more difficult for California employers to win summary judgment in certain discrimination cases involving potentially discriminatory comments.

In fact, California courts must now evaluate such “stray” remarks together with all other admissible evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence of discrimination for a case to proceed to a jury trial.

This decision reaffirms that employers must do more than simply maintain policies preventing discrimination and harassment. They must take steps, including training of supervisors and non-supervisors alike, to ensure all employees are aware of such policies and the risk of liability posed by potentially discriminatory comments, in any context. In other words, they must learn to manage their company’s diversity.

This story left me wondering who raised these young employees to show such meanness and hostility toward an older, experienced co-worker? Did any professors ever discuss diversity at their schools? Or multiculturalism? Good manners? And what kind of managers and CEO led this company? Had they ever experienced any leadership education?

The failure to raise someone who tolerates people who are different, or who values the very skills and experiences others may have to offer, no matter how “different” they appear to be, has to land somewhere.

Someone failed these employees quite miserably, either their parents, teachers or employers. Perhaps all of the above tried and failed. I hope this book will help fill in gaps that are apparently missing for those who behave in this way and for others who tolerate or encourage this misbehavior, as well.

We are a diverse nation filled with people of many sizes, shapes, ages, religions and sexual preferences — people with missing limbs, stutters, mental challenges and so many other differences.

But too many of us still do not always recognize that all people are deserving of equal treatment. Or that even with “differences,” nearly all of us still have something to contribute, if allowed to participate. As the battles heat up at school and at work, and as the civil rights lawsuits keep piling up, isn’t it about time to change?

One Major Midwestern University Can't Get It Together Enough to Teach Diversity

2011-06-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

It is sad when the faculty of a major University doesn't "get it" -- that we live in a global world and diversity training is highly appropriate for their students.

If you asked any University of Missouri faculty to cite reasons for why they didn’t agree to require all students to take a diversity class, they could probably come up with a few. It is pretty obvious, however, that misinformation wasn’t one of them.

Some instructors have explained they simply don’t think a diversity requirement is necessary, according to Rubin, chairwoman of the MU Faculty Council, who told this to a Missouri reporter, after the requirement was voted down. Others thought it was a knee-jerk reaction to racially charged incidents on campus.

Some saw the proposal as too broad; others thought it was too narrow and violated academic freedom, reports Janese Silvey of the Columbia Daily Tribune.

Rubin told faculty council members there were “other reasons I’d rather not discuss in public," Silvey reports."And those reasons, [according to Rubin], highlight the need to require a diversity course."

In May, MU instructors were asked to approve a plan that would have required all students to take a diversity class as part of general education requirements. Existing courses already teaching diversity issues could have been deemed as “diversity-intensive” courses to meet the requirement — much like MU’s existing writing-intensive program.

But as Silvey reports, the proposal failed with 232 members voting against it and 210 voting for it.

"At the time, Rubin blamed the Faculty Council for not communicating the plan well enough to faculty at large."

Blaming misinformation hasn’t gone over well with those who voted, Nicole Monnier, a professor of Russian, told the Tribune reporter. "Faculty members don’t like being told they voted “no” by mistake," she said. “They voted ‘no’ for a reason.”

All was quiet before the election, with only a small number of faculty members publicly voicing concerns about the proposal. According to Silvey, this was probably because they didn’t feel comfortable speaking out against a diversity plan. Silvey repeorts she was told this on the side by some faculty members.

Before the election, there was "nothing but positive feedback," one faculty member said. But later, "they expressed fear about speaking against a diversity class."“It’s easy to vote in isolation,” that faculty member told Silvey.

Others said they felt Faculty Council proponents of the plan weren’t open to other ideas.
-----
Special Announcement: As a special bonus to readers of this blog, I am offering a special discount on my new eBook, Cashing In On Diversity when they purchase it through Smashwords --

Promotional price: $2.99
Coupon Code: HC29F
Expires: July 10, 2011

To purchase your copy now, go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63393 and use the Coupon Code, above, for your special discount.

Susan
-----
Will this diversity training proposal come back to faculty for a vote next school year? Already several council members have warned against "rushing to put it up for a vote too soon."

One engineering professor and incoming chairman of the council suggests faculty "better explain that students need to understand diversity before entering a global workforce," Silvey reports.

But an associate professor of agricultural economics, questioned what happens if faculty were to vote against a diversity course a second time. “Are we going to keep coming back?” he asked. “Are we hellbent on getting a diversity requirement at this university?

Special Announcement: 25 percent discount on new diversity eBook for blog readers

2011-06-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Readers of this blog will receive a special discount on my new eBook, Cashing In On Diversity when they purchase it through Smashwords --

Promotional price: $2.99
Coupon Code: HC29F
Expires: July 10, 2011

To purchase your copy now, go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63393 and use the Coupon Code, above, for your special discount.

Susan

Good Intentions Aren't Good Enough -- When It Comes to Diversity Management

2011-06-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

Former U.S. President George W. Bush hit one nail on the head when he said, “Good intentions aren’t good enough!” Bush’s quote should be considered today by those organizations that strive for racially and ethnically diverse workplaces, but don’t necessarily meet their diversity goals.

As popular the topic, and with so much being written about valuing diversity and its management these days, many companies might recognize the value that diverse employees can bring, but as it turns out, few successfully exemplify those values.

In a recent study conducted by Commongood Careers and the Level Playing Field Institute, researchers found when it comes to promoting staff diversity there was little connection between intentions and actions of nonprofit organizations.

(Other studies show that private companies are having the same problem implementing diversity, as well. For instance, major European organizations display little diversity in the ranks of their top management according to an analysis by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) of 40 randomly selected companies from the Euro Stoxx 50 index; on average, 93 percent of the executive directors were male; 86 percent were native Europeans; and 49 percent were between the ages of 51 and 60 years old. By contrast, the market demands on these same companies are far less homogeneous: the purchasing power of women is steadily increasing; the companies generate, on average, approximately 40 percent of their revenues outside of Europe; and their customers are growing older. "Diversity must be seen as a strategic response to major business trends such as globalization, demographic shifts, and the talent shortage," explained Dr. Rainer Strack, senior partner at BCG, HR expert, and an author of the report.)

Meanwhile, in the Commongood study, of the 1,638 nonprofit professionals surveyed, 90 percent of employees said they believe their organization values diversity, but 70 percent of respondents also said their employer does not do enough to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. Commongood Careers focused on diversity as it pertains to race and ethnicity.

James Weinberg, Commongood’s founder, says the extent to which an organization embodies diversity not only affects its ability to remain competitive but it also plays a role in fulfilling its founding mission.

“In the nonprofit sector, most organizations are in the business of helping people,” says Weinberg. “You run into a particular set of challenges when you run an organization that is not representative of the community you’re serving, and that opens you up to being disconnected to the nature and challenges of those in the community.”

According to the survey results, 64 percent of the respondents who reported that they left an organization because they experienced a lack of diversity or inclusiveness were people of color. Additionally, the cost to organizations to recruit and fill a vacancy can range from 30 to 150 percent of an employee’s salary – a much bigger loss for the big picture, the report indicates.

“In our experience working with the organizations who prioritize diversity and have a fundamental understanding of the full benefits of diversity and the costs that they incur if they don’t, is what separates a successful organization from those that aren’t,” Weinberg says. “This is a mission critical core value that is vital to organizations and it’s that perception shift that we really need to encourage in the sector.”

Commongood gives several suggestions for how to build diverse and inclusive workplaces in the nonprofit sector.

--Have open conversations that lead to clarity, consensus, and commitment.Talking about race can be difficult, and yet a productive exchange of ideas and openness can take place when there is a thoughtful process involved. To get a conversation going, leaders can form a staff committee with the assignment to organize trainings, structure settings for staff conversations, and report on results.

--Communicate effectively about diversity commitments. Create and share an organizational diversity statement and plan that clearly tells how the organization defines diversity, what its goals are related to diversity, and what strategies it uses to meet those goals.

--Develop partnerships and networks that enable effective recruiting. Target community organizations that represent diversity, such as professional associations, educational institutions, alumni networks, cultural societies, etc. in order to expand the possibility of locating a more diverse candidate pool.

--Ensure hiring processes that are equitable and inclusive. Take steps to ensure that unintentional bias doesn’t affect hiring processes, and to conduct an audit around hiring-related policies for subtle cues that could be interpreted as biased, unfair, insensitive, or offensive. Weinberg suggests involving diverse individuals in the design and implementation of the hiring process. The organization should also make sure that it is clear on its messaging about diversity throughout the interview process.

--Embrace, develop, advance, and retain employees. Simply succeeding in hiring diverse employees is not enough to maintain a commitment to diversity and inclusion. To keep new people, organizations must focus on activities that promote diversity. Consider a well-designed mentoring or coaching program for new employees. There are many other ways for organizations to demonstrate a commitment to diversity throughout all the ranks, while making sure that diverse employees have opportunities to advance to senior leadership positions.

Susan

I look forward to your comments and reviews on my newest eBook, Cashing In On Diversity.

Why in the world would a business owner put up a 'right to refuse service' sign?? No diversity here!

2011-06-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Any retailer that posts a sign announcing they “reserve the right to do business with anyone for any reason," needs to at least recognize that's a pretty dumb way to attract new customers --

I really can't believe I still see these signs, but I do. What is going through the head of any business owner that appears to say, "hey, if I don’t like the color of your skin, or how you look or act, I can tell you to leave my store and I don’t have to even be rational or even follow the law.”

I moved to New Mexico in January and am really surprised that in a state with such a diversity of population, business ‘refusal’ signs are still common in many communities.

For many people – whether or not they fit into a ‘minority’ classification, such a statement harkens back to the days when non-white people were actively discriminated against by racist retailers. So, why would any business owner in their proper mind – someone who wants to make money by serving as many people as possible -- post a potentially offensive sign in their store in this day and age?

Well, here is a quick sociology lesson for anyone who would defend this practice: almost half, nearly 40 percent, of the U.S. population doesn’t fit the white family stereotype that made marketing in the 60s so easy – the image of June Cleaver and her popular family.

Guess what! Leave it to Beaver days are over! The changing cultural landscape of the country is exciting and offers so much opportunity. This requires all of us in business to think about the best way to start an engaging conversation.

An offensive sign that brings back memories of our country’s worst behaviors, the days of water hoses and black children being hosed down, simply is not a way to start a good conversation with any customer.

I DO still remembers those horrible images from the 1950s when watching television with my parents, and I often ask store owners to explain their signs when I see these discriminatory signs in their stores.
It can be an interesting encounter. Sometimes, the store owner is quite defensive, even when I quietly explain how I feel about their sign and why. But I do think they get the message, and I ask others to ‘run’ the same ‘social experiment’.

This type of bigotry, whether or not it is purposefully intended, really harms all of business and can be so hurtful.

One has to wonder. Who is the store owner targeting? Would they kick out a gay couple holding hands? Do they want poor people to stay away? Are they directly targeting Native Americans? Often, the store owner can’t even answer these questions, probably because they haven’t given their sign enough thought in the first place. Yet, I am sure they want to have a successful business and make money from lots of customers.

My new eBook, Cash In On Diversity,is published by Smashwords (distributor of eBooks to the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store) and I've tried to blend practical experience with academic findings and provide do-able solutions for companies that are trying to grow their customer base, capturing a better representation of ethnicity and cultures.

The 12 chapter eBook features a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist, a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies make, specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, an 11-point organizational diversity analysis, the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia).

So take a look -- follow the link -- and you can download 20 percent for free!

Serving the Underserved - Bringing Diversity to Your Customer Base

2011-01-24T06:08:00.000-08:00

How would you like your business to profit from “doing good”?

It takes “starting small,” according to Ron Ashkenas, writing for The Harvard Business Review.

In the past two decades, many corporations have made strides in shedding their reputations as polluters, exploiters, and gluttons, Ashkenas states. But there is still a long way to go until doing good is an accepted norm for successful businesses. How can you help your company get there? Ashkenas advises trying these first steps to diversify your customer base:

“Ask people to think about the bottom of the pyramid. There are billions of underserved, poor consumers in the world. Encourage your people to learn more about these populations and think about ways your company can serve them.

“Educate your team. Send out articles and websites, invite speakers, and get the discussion going about how your company can contribute to and profit from social change.

“Do a sustainability audit. This one doesn't have to be company-wide. Focus on how your unit can reduce waste and increase sustainability. Can you cut back on your use of supplies or make travel more efficient?”

Read more on "To Profit from Doing Good, Start Small" by Ashkenas here --.

http://bit.ly/eGgkYA

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I am taking this advice to heart as I build a Mary Kay business. How can I involve a diversity of customers and potential sales team members? Askenas advice is a good place to start.

Come join me in this new venture with Mary Kay Inc.

2011-01-17T06:11:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I am so excited to invite you along on my business venture as a new independent Beauty Consultant selling Mary Kay, Inc. cosmetics. When I first decided to do this as an extra source of income, I also knew it would be even better if you join with me as I begin this journey.

After doing my own investigation, I learned that Mary Kay, Inc. promotes positivity, integrity and most of all, DIVERSITY, in their catalogs. On my soon to appear website, you will be able to find products for every skin type and complexion. Also, you will find fragrances and great gift ideas. I am very proud to report that Mary Kay, Inc. does not test on animals and proudly signed the PETA pledge.

You will soon be able to help me as I begin this journey. Here are 5 simple ways:

1. I'll let you know when my website is up and running. You can go there and register to receive emails about new products and spread offers and create your own signature look.

2. Ask me to share the Mary Kay opportunity with you.

3. Ask me about the benefits you can receive when you schedule a skin care class, collection preview or host your own web show.

4. Ask me how you can become a preferred customer.

5. Forward this blogpost to your friends and family. Word of mouth is very helpful.

So -- I am really looking forward to sharing my journey with you. Please be a part of it! Yes, it will be hard, but setting goals will pay off. It always does.

I have more to share with you --

Susan Klopfer

2011-01-17T06:07:00.001-08:00

test

New Diversity Research From Child Psychology: Diversity More Than Doubles Learning

2010-12-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Toddlers who were given three different-looking cups demonstrated they have a better sense of what a cup is, and showed an advantage in learning new words over children who were given cups that were nearly identical. (Credit: iStockphoto)

U. IOWA (US) — Toddlers who play with a broad array of objects named by shape learn new words twice as fast as those who play with similar objects.

Outside a laboratory setting, one month after training, children in a new study who had been exposed to a diverse group of objects were learning an average of nearly 10 new words per week. Toddlers in a group that were given like objects were picking up four a week—typical for children that age without any special training.

The study is published in the journal Psychological Science.

Researchers aren’t sure how long the accelerated learning continues, but say they can explain why it may have occurred.

All of the children given extra training with words figured out that shape was the most important distinguishing feature when learning to name solid objects. This attention to shape, called a “shape bias,” is not typically seen until later in development.

However, the researchers believe that kids exposed to more variety took the knowledge a step further, also learning when not to attend to shape.

Children in the variable group learned, for example, to focus on material rather than shape when hearing names for non-solid substances.

“Knowing where to direct their attention helps them learn words more quickly overall,” explains Lynn Perry, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of Iowa and lead author of the study.

“The shape bias enhances vocabulary development because most of the words young kids learn early on are names of categories organized by similarity in shape. And, developing the ability to disregard shape for non-solids helps them learn words like pudding, Jell-O, or milk.”

The study included 16 children who knew about 17 object names when the study began. Half of the kids were taught names of objects by playing with groups of toys that were nearly identical; the other half used toys that differed significantly – for example, a small, cloth, jack-o-lantern bucket; a trash bucket with no handle; and a traditional plastic bucket.

When tested on unfamiliar objects that fit into the categories they’d been taught—such as a bucket they’d never seen before—kids in the variable group performed better, demonstrating an ability to generalize the knowledge.

“We believe the variable training gave them a better idea of what a bucket was. They discovered that the buckets were all alike in general shape, but that having a handle or being a particular texture didn’t matter,” Perry says.

“In contrast, the children exposed to a tightly organized group of objects developed such strict criteria for what constitutes a bucket that they were reluctant to call it a bucket if it was different from what they’d learned.”

In additional tests, researchers looked at whether the tots learned names of new objects by focusing on substance or shape. The variable group tuned into shape for solids but material for non-solids, a distinction children aren’t typically capable of making until the age of 3, when their vocabulary reaches 150 nouns.

Further investigation is necessary to pinpoint exactly why the variable group had more success in this area, but the researchers say their study is the first to show that variability at the local level can help children learn something more global about the importance of particular object features for different categories of things.

“What children learn about one category sets the stage for their future learning,” says Larissa Samuelson, assistant professor of psychology.

“Similar exemplars help children learn specific names for specific objects. But variable exemplars teach them more about the whole category, which helps them learn names of other new things faster.

“That’s why kids in the variable group learned more outside the lab—they learned more about naming in general, not just specific examples of the specific categories they’d seen in the lab.”

The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

More news from University of Iowa: http://news.uiowa.edu/
* * *

This study was reported in today's issues of Profit From Diversity. Subscribe For FREE -- http://paper.li/f-1293349866

Culture Shock; Learning the Culture of a New Office

2010-12-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

Changing to a new culture -- for new employee -- can have its moments. Writing on Career Strategies for the Wall Street Journal, Reporter ERIN WHITE gives this account:

For six months after starting a new job a few years ago, project-management executive Lyria Charles didn't check her email over the weekend. Finally, a colleague explained that employees were expected to read email over the weekend. "I didn't know," she says. "No one told me."

Learning a workplace's customs can be a major challenge. Regardless of prior work experience, people often struggle to discern protocols, etiquette and culture when they change employers. "It's like going to a different country," says Michael Kanazawa, chief executive of Dissero Partners LLC, an Oakland, Calif., management-consulting firm. "There are cultural norms of behavior that go way beyond what anybody would have the capability to write in a job description."

One big issue: Tolerance for questioning the boss... (Continued) --

Diversity Questions & Answers

2010-12-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Q. Is diversity training important for small businesses?

A. My answer may surprise you --

Many small business owners are not ready to handle the problems associated with cultural diversity in the workplace. If not prepared, a business may find themselves facing discrimination suits, litigation expenses, legal fees and settlements, high employee turnover, and negative community image.

Have you ever had an employee get angry with you because they felt discriminated against--even though that was not your intention? How did you respond? Were you able to diffuse the situation before it got out of control? Are you a woman business owner who takes male clients to lunch? Who pays the bill ? you or him? Do you travel abroad? What types of cultural differences do you need to be aware of? Are you prepared to deal with these situations?

If you are a business owner, you need to recognize, respect, and capitalize on the different backgrounds in our society. Different cultural groups have different values, styles, and personalities. This reflects in how businesses interact. Having a diverse workplace will improve your company?s competitive edge in the marketplace.

Diversity, or sensitivity training is very common among large corporations now. While many small business owners cannot afford this training, it is still important to put this into practice when dealing with your employees. Many companies use different techniques for sensitivity training.

Diversity Briefings Merged Into Diversity News Online

2010-12-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader:

Thank you for being a supporter and reader of Diversity Briefings. We have good news that will help you keep up with what's happening in the area of DIVERSITY. This newletter has merged into a daily online newspaper that will bring you more short briefs of diversity news everyday. Please take time now to visit Diversity News Online and be sure to subscribe to keep the diversity and multicultural news streaming to you every morning.

Thank you for being a Briefings supporter. I hope this change will be a boost to you. Remember -- now you have two online publications: Diversity Briefings (this blog) and Diversity News Online (daily, short "briefs" of diversity news).

Sincerely,

Susan Klopfer, publisher

Visit Diversity News Online here -- http://diversitynewsonline/

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Today's Online Edition

2010-12-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 12/6/2010

Volume 1, Issue 23. Published Each Monday - Friday

Diversity Briefings Daily Newsletter - Today's Edition

2010-12-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 12/3/2010

Volume 1, Issue 22. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. FREE GIFT inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here -

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

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Same-Sex Partner of Missouri Cop Killed on Duty Gets No Survivor Benefits

Reported by gayrights.change.org - Missouri residents Kelly Glossip and Dennis Engelhard were together for 15 years, building a life together, owning a home together, raising a child together, even exchanging rings with each other.

http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511

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Call for Participants in a Study of Poverty in Ethnocultural Communities in Toronto and GTA

From cleonet.ca - Call for Participants in a Study of Poverty in Ethnocultural Communities in Toronto and GTAPosted December 1, 2010From a Canada Without Poverty invitation: Canada Without Poverty [CWP] is launching...

http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511

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Children and Diversity Reported by hubpages.com - Ever thought of children and diversity training? This has not crossed most parents’ minds, but in an effort to create “glocal” children (local and global) this type of training has its benefits.
http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511/~list?topic=Education

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Diversity top on law agenda

From totalprofessions.com - The legal profession is often perceived as stuffy and almost entirely white, middle class and male. However both the Law Society and the Legal Services Board are making efforts to find out more abo...

http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511/~list?topic=Education

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Apple removes anti-gay app from App Store

Reports news.cnet.com - Apple has removed an iPhone app considered anti-gay following a wave of protests sent through the online petition site Change.org. Initially approved and available in the App Store in October, the ...

http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511/~list?topic=Living

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Companies Must Manage the ‘ISMs’ When Working With Diversity

Susan Klopfer writes

-- “We have some great new and positive ideas for restructuring our sales workforce, ultimately helping our entire company to get through this recession. But there is so much resistance to diversity that I can’t implement all of our plans and I am coming to you for some help. How do I encourage our sales division to make these changes?”

--Sales Vice President, Rema, describes her dilemma to members of her company’s special change management team during their weekly meeting at WXYZ Company.

--“Diversity is always a tough area of change,” says Pete, a team member who initiated its organization five years earlier. Pete had taken diversity management classes in college, becoming a devout follower of diversity gurus R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and William Sonnenschein. He persuaded his company’s CEO to organize this group that advises other managers as they implement change throughout the organization. “We call this time of most resistance during any change project as being in the Delta,” he explains to Rema.
--“We know you’ve worked hard to get everyone behind the sales restructuring project, and it was especially critical that you considered the diversity component in these changes,” another group member, Marilyn, joins in.

--“But I am not surprised that you are encountering serious resistance from line managers, employees, and even senior managers. Resistance typically rises from many sources.”

Continued --

http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/companies-must-manage-isms-when-working.html

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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

## End ##

Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Diversity Briefings Newsletter; November 23, 2010

2010-11-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/23/2010

Volume 1, Issue 21. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. Please note, there will be no published issues from Nov. 24 - Nov. 30. Next issue will be published Dec. 1. Have a wonderful holiday. Susan

I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. FREE GIFT inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner
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Wake up to your power
Rupert Nacoste, guest columnist for Technician Online: “I started working on diversity issues in the U.S. Navy in 1974. Back then diversity was all about black-white relations. But diversity in black and white is dead. Neo-diversity is what we live with today; a time and circumstance when for all of us, contact with people who do not look like us happens every day, and is unavoidable. Many people are having trouble adjusting to our neo-diversity America. Not so much because of prejudice and bigotry, but because of uncertainty and anxiety about how to interact.”
http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/wake-up-to-your-power-1.2414892
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Diversity Student Council looks into starting "Power of Words" campaign
Kylie Corbett, reporting for The Lariat: Saddleback College's Diversity Student Council is currently looking into ideas for future events and campaigns. The promotion of awareness of social equality issues surrounding LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people has greatly influenced DSC's interest in starting a Power of Words campaign. DSC will soon be purchasing a banner and flag due to the increasing numbers of suicides as the result of peer bullying. The banner and flag will encompass the idea of equality. This campaign will emphasize the use of better words and the importance of accepting one another.
http://www.lariatnews.com/life/diversity-student-council-looks-into-starting-power-of-words-campaign-1.2414460
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Sandra Ciseneros Lectures at UCSB
Co-sponsor Mario Garcia, professor of Chicano Studies here at UCSB, discussed why he specifically wanted Cisneros to lecture on campus.“She is without question the finest Latina writer in the country and I wanted to expose my students to her. I am using her book House on Mango Street in my class so I wanted to put a face to the book.”
http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2010/11/sandra-ciseneros-lectures-at-ucsb
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Lynchburg schools under review for civil rights compliance; U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is conducting the review.
Karen Kiley reporting for WDBJ7: The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) usually investigates complaints of civil rights violations in schools. It gets about 6,900 of those a year, nationwide, and investigates about one-third of those complaints. But now, D.O.E. officials say the OCR is trying to be proactive and is doing "random" compliance checks of school systems. Nearly two dozen of these types of investigations are currently underway, nationwide.
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj-lynchburg-schools-under-review-112210,0,5037255.story
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Travelers Share Tales of Airport Security-Induced Humiliation
Sandra Quinlan reporting for Justice News Flash: West Palm Beach, FL—Two travelers claimed they were humiliated while undergoing enhanced pat-downs by Transportation Safety Administration agents on two separate occasions in the last few months. The incidents, both of which involved cancer survivors, occurred at airports in Michigan and North Carolina.
http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2010/11/23/travelers-airport-security-induced-humiliation_201011236239.html

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FREE GIFT http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841

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Companies Must Manage the ‘ISMs’ When Working With Diversity
Susan Klopfer writes
-- “We have some great new and positive ideas for restructuring our sales workforce, ultimately helping our entire company to get through this recession. But there is so much resistance to diversity that I can’t implement all of our plans and I am coming to you for some help. How do I encourage our sales division to make these changes?”

--Sales Vice President, Rema, describes her dilemma to members of her company’s special change management team during their weekly meeting at WXYZ Company.

--“Diversity is always a tough area of change,” says Pete, a team member who initiated its organization five years earlier. Pete had taken diversity management classes in college, becoming a devout follower of diversity gurus R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and William Sonnenschein. He persuaded his company’s CEO to organize this group that advises other managers as they implement change throughout the organization. “We call this time of most resistance during any change project as being in the Delta,” he explains to Rema.

--“We know you’ve worked hard to get everyone behind the sales restructuring project, and it was especially critical that you considered the diversity component in these changes,” another group member, Marilyn, joins in.

--“But I am not surprised that you are encountering serious resistance from line managers, employees, and even senior managers. Resistance typically rises from many sources.”

Continued --

http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/companies-must-manage-isms-when-working.html
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Find still more Diversity News each day at Diversity News Online http://diversitynewsonline. Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

## End ##

Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, November 22, 2010

2010-11-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/22/2010

Volume 1, Issue 20. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.

I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. FREE GIFT inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner
----- ----- ----- -----
GINA: It's More Than Just a Pretty Name
From Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP: The employment-related provisions (Title II) of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 took effect November 21, 2009. Although the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces the GINA, issued proposed regulations in March 2009, the final regulations were issued only last week. They will take effect January 10, 2011.The GINA appears eminently reasonable on its face, but it is riddled with traps and technicalities that could create problems for inattentive employers. In general, “GINA prohibits use of genetic information in employment decision making, restricts acquisition of genetic information, requires that genetic information be maintained as a confidential medical record, and places strict limits on disclosure of genetic information.” Although this sounds unremarkable, an individual’s family history is considered “genetic information.” Thus, an essential part of most medical examinations is generally off-limits.
http://www.constangy.com/communications-308.html
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EEOC poised to help older workers fight hiring bias
From Marcia Meercer, InsideNova.com: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seems poised to fight age bias in hiring. That’s good news for workers older than 55, who have more trouble recovering from job losses than younger folks. Unemployment for people 55 and older soared from 3 percent in November 2007 to 7.3 percent in August. While 7.3 percent may not sound bad when the national unemployment rate is stuck near 10 percent, the past 22 months have been the longest spell of high unemployment older workers as a group have experienced in 60 years.
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2010/nov/21/mercer-eeoc-poised-help-older-workers-fight-hiring-ar-666516/
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Lilly Ledbetter's fight for equal pay goes on
Reports Roy L Williams, The Birmingham News: For Lilly Ledbetter, last week was a sign that her battle for equal pay is not over. On Wednesday, the Alabama native and namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was in Washington as the U.S. Senate debated the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which had already passed the U.S. House, would ensure that women aren't retaliated against for seeking information about what their male co-workers earn to ensure they are being paid properly.
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2010/nov/21/mercer-eeoc-poised-help-older-workers-fight-hiring-ar-666516/
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Workers with hygiene issues need to be told
Reports Joyce E.A. Russell, The Washington Post: Obviously, personal hygiene is important at work. Most people wouldn't go to a job interview without combing their hair or wearing clean clothes because they know that hiring decisions are heavily influenced by first impressions. Being clean and neat makes people feel more confident, especially in social situations, and those who aren't properly groomed run the risk of being ridiculed or ostracized… You do have to be sensitive to the fact that people from different backgrounds and cultures might have different norms for bathing, dress and hygiene. It is okay, though, to share the organization's norms, especially if working relationships with colleagues and clients are being affected.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/19/AR2010111906390.html
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Civil Rights Fast Continues in New York
Out In Jersey reports: On November 2, the LGBT Civil Rights Fast team of Alan Bounville and Iana Di Bona began a fast. They made a simple demand that in accordance with the successful passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (CRA), assuring full equality for all Americans, that it now include LGBTQ people by adding, “sexual orientation and gender identity. We have been sitting/standing/sleeping outside our senator’s office with one simple demand: please file the bill in Washington that adds “sexual orientation and gender identity" to the Civil Rights Act” says Alan Bounville.
http://www.outinjersey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=998:civil-rights-fast-continues-in-new-york&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50
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Is Internet Access the Next Civil Rights Battle?
Urban Inside reports: Many of the country’s leading civil rights organizations are siding with the phone and cable companies in their bid to prevent federal regulations over their broadband, or high-speed, Internet services. At stake: whether to preserve “network neutrality” — the longstanding principle that all consumers can access whatever websites or applications they want on the Internet, at the same speed and without limitations imposed by Internet service providers. Clouding the issue, however, is that more than half a dozen of these groups are fighting accusations of being bought off by the telecom industry. Records of telecom contributions to minority interests reveal a minimum of nearly $2 billion in cash and in-kind support made in the past decade by the top three providers — AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast.
http://www.urbaninsite.com/?p=12597
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Urban League supporters ponder the future of civil rights groups
Reports Robert L. Smith, The Plain Dealer: The Urban League of Greater Cleveland, which recently faced its own mortality, inspired a discussion Friday about the future of civil rights organizations and whether they can and should survive. A consensus quickly emerged that the need to address inequality remains great but that new strategies are required to pay for it.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/urban_league_supporters_ponder.html
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Workplace diversity is key to success: Nasscom to IT Inc
From Bangladore, India DH News Service reports : Nasscom, on Monday, said diversity and inclusion have become key business strategies for IT companies, who no longer view gender inclusion as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Addressing the Nasscom summit, Senior Director Sucharita Eashwar said member companies today show a great deal of maturity in the way they define policies on diversity and equality at work place. Despite encouraging 40 per cent out of an estimated 400 million IT work force in the country being women, industry leaders agree that the net has to be cast wider across disability, language, geography, age and other barriers if the 10 million deficit in manpower were to be plugged.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/114988/workplace-diversity-key-success-nasscom.html
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Demographic shift will affect how news is covered and consumed
Diversity Inc. reports: According to an August 2008 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, groups currently categorized as racial/ethnic "minorities"—Blacks and Latinos, East Asians and South Asians—will account for a majority of the U.S. population by the year 2042. In 2008, nearly half (47 percent) of the nation's children under 5 years of age were listed as a minority, with 25 percent being Latino. By the fall of 2018—just nine years away—public high schools across the nation will have a majority of traditionally underrepresented students, says the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, a research group headquartered in Boulder, Colo. Some states already have a majority population that is not white: California, 70 percent; Texas, more than 60 percent; Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, 53 percent in each. Other states stand on the brink of the majority-minority change: Illinois, New York and North Carolina. This large demographic shift will affect everything, including how news is covered and consumed.
http://www.diversityinc.com/department/103/Diversity-News/
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Why are more Latinos heading for college?
Gail Zoppo of Diversity Inc. reports: Instead of trying to compete for jobs during the economic downturn, a record 2.6 million full-time freshmen enrolled in 6,100 institutions during the start of the recession (2007–2008), reports the Pew Research Center, with the percentage of Latino enrollment outpacing all other racial/ethnic groups. According to the just-released "Minorities and the Recession-Era College Enrollment Boom," the 6 percent enrollment spike was the largest increase in 40 years. And the majority of growth came from Latino and Black student enrollment: Between 2007 and 2008, Latino freshmen enrollment grew 15 percent and Black enrollment jumped 8 percent, compared with an increase of only 3 percent among white freshmen. What else did the study find?
http://diversityinc.com/article/7789/Why-Are-More-Latinos-Going-to-College/
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Companies Must Manage the ‘ISMs’ When Working With Diversity
Susan Klopfer writes
-- “We have some great new and positive ideas for restructuring our sales workforce, ultimately helping our entire company to get through this recession. But there is so much resistance to diversity that I can’t implement all of our plans and I am coming to you for some help. How do I encourage our sales division to make these changes?”
--Sales Vice President, Rema, describes her dilemma to members of her company’s special change management team during their weekly meeting at WXYZ Company.
--“Diversity is always a tough area of change,” says Pete, a team member who initiated its organization five years earlier. Pete had taken diversity management classes in college, becoming a devout follower of diversity gurus R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and William Sonnenschein. He persuaded his company’s CEO to organize this group that advises other managers as they implement change throughout the organization. “We call this time of most resistance during any change project as being in the Delta,” he explains to Rema.
--“We know you’ve worked hard to get everyone behind the sales restructuring project, and it was especially critical that you considered the diversity component in these changes,” another group member, Marilyn, joins in.
--“But I am not surprised that you are encountering serious resistance from line managers, employees, and even senior managers. Resistance typically rises from many sources.”
Continued --
http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/companies-must-manage-isms-when-working.html
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 19, 2010

2010-11-19T12:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/19/2010

Volume 1, Issue 19. Published Each Monday - Friday

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Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

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Diversity speaker talks sexuality, racial profiling
The Kentucky Kernal reports: “I was falsely accused, arrested and sat in jail for 30 days only to have all the charges dropped because they didn’t have any evidence,” Jonathan Perry said. “I felt like my civil rights were being violated, and I’m still dealing with it two months later. It taught me to be more vigilant.”
--“It was the most traumatic experience of my entire life,” said Perry. “For law enforcement agencies to arrest people simply because they’re black — it has a profound impact on how I feel about people.”
http://kykernel.com/2010/11/17/diversity-speaker-talks-sexuality-racial-profiling/
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Other generations growing weary of Baby Boomers
USA Today reports: “Boomers have certainly sucked up a lot of cultural oxygen," says Leonard Steinhorn, 54, a communication professor at American University in Washington and author of The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy. "They are outsized. They changed America in deep and profound ways," he says. "It's natural for other generations to think they didn't get their time in the sun." Other generations tend to roll their eyes at some perceived Baby Boomer traits.
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2010-11-18-boomerloathing18_CV_N.htm
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Air Products among 'Best Places to Work' for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees
Allentown Morning Call reports: Trexlertown gas-maker Air Products and several other companies with operations in the Lehigh Valley have been recognized as "Best Places to Work" from the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights group advocating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. Air Products, the region's third-largest employer, is among 337 businesses that received top marks in the group's 9th annual survey, which analyzed and rated the work policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgencer workers at 618 of the country's largest businesses and law firms.
http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-allentown-air-products-rights-20101118,0,6869953.story
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Family farming as the backbone to ensure countries’ “food sovereignty”
From Merco Press: Representatives from Mercosur, Africa, China, India and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations [have] called for the right to “food sovereignty”, thus preventing the international corporations from taking control of the seeds’ market.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/18/family-farming-as-the-backbone-to-ensure-countries-food-sovereignty?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Phyliss Frye, who fought for transgender rights, is now a judge
From The Houston Chroncile: Thirty years ago, Phyliss Frye, a longtime activist for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes, could have been arrested for wearing women's clothing in the Houston City Council chamber.Frye, a transgender Houston attorney born as Phillip Frye, fought back tears earlier this week as the mayor appointed her to a municipal bench in the same room where she helped repeal Houston's "cross-dressing ordinance" in 1980."I almost started crying, because I remembered 31 years ago, in that very same chamber, I was subject to arrest," Frye said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7300931.html
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Museum suspends expedition to meet uncontacted tribes in the Paraguayan Chaco
Merco Press reports: London's Natural History Museum has suspended a planned expedition to a remote region of Paraguay after protests that it might disturb one of the world's last uncontacted tribes. Campaigners had warned that the expedition to the Chaco region was likely to encounter the Ayoreo people. Contact might expose them to infectious diseases that could wipe them out.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/19/museum-suspends-expedition-to-meet-uncontacted-tribes-in-the-paraguayan-chaco?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Smokers need not apply: Is hiring ban trend of the future?
The Christian Science Monitor reports: Employers have confined smokers to designated areas, moved smoking areas outside buildings, and limited smoking breaks. Now, some companies are opting to push smokers out of the workplace altogether.That's the case with the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA), an employer of 45 that announced earlier this month it would no longer hire people who smoke.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2010/1117/Smokers-need-not-apply-Is-hiring-ban-trend-of-the-future
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Civil rights leader John Lewis to get presidential medal
From Reuters: Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights leader beaten unconscious by Alabama state troopers in 1965 during a march for voting rights, is to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.The medal, to be given early next year, is the country's highest civilian award and other honorees on President Barack Obama's list include former President George H. W. Bush, writer Maya Angelou, businessman Warren Buffet and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AH3J720101118
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What Can Bosses Do About Corporate Bullying?
MyFox Houston reports: How bad is corporate bullying? Recent statistics show one in three American workers are victims. Twenty percent of bullying crosses the line into harassment which then becomes illegal. Sixty percent of corporate bullies are men. They tend to bully males and females equally, however; studies show female bullies are more likely to target other females on the job.
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/business/101117-what-can-bosses-do-about-corporate-bullying
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Year of the Woman? Eight Jobs That Are Still Sexist
Newsweek reports: In March 1970, 46 NEWSWEEK employees became the first group of media women to sue for employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Time, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and a number of other publications would follow. But 40 years later, how much has changed? We may have two female anchors on network television, but in print journalism, male bylines still outnumber female bylines by a rate of seven to one—despite women being the majority of journalism graduates since 1977.
http://education.newsweek.com/index.html
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The Discipline of Diversity
The Spec reports: In the olden days, universities were viewed as places where students learned to think. In large part, they did so through listening to a range of opinions and determining for themselves how they felt about any given issue.It appears that is, increasingly, no longer the case. It appears that, these days, if one disagrees with someone’s opinion, one simply shuts them down, makes them go away. And in doing so, one robs others of the opportunity to hear that divergent view.
http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/276931--the-discipline-of-diversity
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2-star, USNA professor clash on diversity
Navy Times reports: A Naval Academy alumni event grew contentious Tuesday when a two-star admiral clashed with an academy professor on issues of diversity and admissions standards. Bruce Fleming, an English professor who has taught at the academy for 24 years, said affirmative action and the pursuit of a competitive Division I football team led to the “corruption of the morale of the Naval Academy,” in remarks as guest speaker to the Greater Washington Chapter of the Naval Academy Alumni Association.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/11/navy-academy-diversity-111710w/
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Checking Out The Job Market – Diversity Checklist in Hand
Johanna and her academic advisor are talking about Johanna’s future. As the end of fall term approaches, the senior transgender accounting student, born as “John,” is starting to look for a good internship with a company that embraces diversity. “How can I really learn what a company really does, versus what a company says they do, with respect to diversity,” she asks her advisor.
--“Especially, when reality is that diversity hasn't really happened in most companies, and progress remains slow?”
--Johanna’s advisor understands her student’s apprehension, and adds her own perception, that by not developing a diverse workforce from the top down African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans are too often relegated to lower-skilled, lower-pay positions and are not able to fulfill their true potential. A poor economy has made this situation worse, she adds.
--“But some businesses are finally recognizing that diversity contributes to the bottom line in so many ways. They are finally understanding how diversity actually makes it easier to retain good employees or lower costs by developing skills in-house, and developing a reputation that helps attract new employees. This is especially important as the economy starts to recover and the demand for skilled labor slowly starts to increase,” the advisor states.
Susan Klopfer continues – http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/looking-for-diversity-friendly-whats.html
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 18, 2010

2010-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/18/2010

Volume 1, Issue 21. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings

Today's issue is really brief. My apologies. We will be back in full force tomorrow.

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

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Justice Department Announces Settlement of Litigation with AMC Entertainment Inc.
The Justice Departent today announced a settlement agreement with AMC Entertainment Incl to resolve a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit challenged, among other things, the design of stadium-style movie theaters that fail to provide persons who use wheelchairs with comparable lines of sight to those of other moviegoers. AMC is the second largest movie theater chain in the country with about 5,300 screens. “Going to the movies is an archetypal American leisure activity,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights. “We are pleased that AMC is taking steps to provide persons who use wheelchairs with access to the enhanced viewing experience of stadium-style theaters.”
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/November/10-crt-1319.html
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Suit says ethnic stereotypes in nursing textbook
(Reuters) - Do many African Americans tend to be high-keyed, animated, confrontational and interpersonal? Are men of Japanese heritage presumed incapable of managing their day-to-day affairs? Are Cubans particularly sexually attracted to the overweight? A former nursing professor at the University of Central Florida says she was fired in 2008 after refusing to use a textbook, "Guide to Culturally Competent Health Care" by Larry Purnell and Betty Paulanka, containing descriptions like these.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AH4OO20101118
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Senator pushes for vote on gender discrimination treaty
From Robert Koeni, St. Louis Beacon, Washington correspondent: When Linda Tarr-Whelan was President Jimmy Carter's White House assistant for women's issues in 1980, she and her 12-year-old daughter were thrilled when he signed an international pact called the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (called CEDAW). This year, that daughter celebrated her 42nd birthday, and Tarr-Whelan's 12-year-old granddaughter was assigned to write a school paper about why the U.S. Senate had never ratified the treaty, which affirms principles of human rights and equality for women -- even though 186 of 193 countries have done so.
http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/280-washington/106408-durbin-pushes-for-vote-on-gender-discrimination-treaty
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DIVERSITY BRIEFINGS NEWSLETTER: Nov. 17, 2010

2010-11-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/17/2010

Volume 1, Issue 20. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings

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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

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Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 15, 2010

2010-11-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/15/2010

Volume 1, Issue 18. Published Each Monday - Friday

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Shirley Sherrod, Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event - American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace - Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind - Hate-crime Law Called Ineffective - Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics - Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue - Brief History of Multicultural Education - Too Sensual For Promotion? - Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies + Today's Diversity Management Briefing
----- ----- ----- -----

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event
The American Institute for Managing Diversity Hosts an Evening Reception with Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. on December 8, 2010. Emory University Law School,Tull Auditorium.
--Dr. Thomas writes: “During the 25 plus years I have been active in the diversity arena, many have asked, “How can we achieve a society with communities and organizations that move beyond race?” Shirley Sherrod’s story provides a case study of how one person got over her racial animosities and developed a capability to serve non-discriminately with respect to race. Yet, as her story has unfolded, relatively little attention has been paid to her reconciliation process.” Registration information at
http://www.aimd.org/index.php
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American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace
The demographics of organizations continue to change over the years due to the entrance of younger workers and delayed retirement of older workers. As a result, organizations must effectively manage the existence of four different generational groups with divergent work ethics, values, expectations and behaviors. AIMD has culled through an array of research and diversity literature to produce two user friendly reports on approaches and practices that help foster effective cross-generational engagement.
http://www.aimd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=85
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Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind
DUQ News reports: The National Federation of the Blind has filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Penn State University discriminates against blind students and faculty. The advocacy group alleges that various university computer and technology based services and websites are inaccessible to the blind. The organization says there are text-to-speech programs and other tools to make the services accessible but Penn State has not used them.
http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2010/11/group-alleges-discrimination-against.html
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Revised hate-crime law criticized as ineffective
Chron National reports: WASHINGTON — No one has been brought to trial or convicted under an amended federal hate crimes law in the year since it was expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity.The Department of Justice reports there are about 76 such cases pending across the country, a category that includes anything from an investigation to an indictment. Some gay and civil rights groups say the law has proved ineffective.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/7293936.html
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Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics
DiversityInc reports: "In today's America, incivility is on prominent display: in the schools, where bullying is pervasive; in the workplace, where an increasing number are more stressed out by coworkers than their jobs; on the roads, where road rage maims and kills; in politics, where strident intolerance takes the place of earnest dialogue; and on the web, where many check their inhibitions at the digital door," says Pier M. Forni, author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People are Rude" and director of The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
http://diversityinc.com/article/8105/The-Culture-of-Bullying-Loss-of-Civility-at-School-Work-Politics/
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Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue
“Cultures will change, but this can't be an exporting of an American culture, a British culture, or a French culture to anywhere else. This has to be an evolution of a culture on its own. I always say to our people around the world that if we are leading that cultural change within each geography, then we're doing the right thing. If we try to be too far out ahead of it, that's not going to work.” From an interview with Jim Turley, chairman and CEO of Ernst &Young, reported by DiversityInc.
http://diversityinc.com/article/8092/CEO-Chat-EYs-Leader-Tells-How-Global-Diversity-Drives-Revenue/
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A Brief History of Multicultural Education
Paul C. Gorski, Hamline University and EdChange writes: “As conceptualizations of multicultural education evolve and diversify, it is important to revisit its historical foundation -- the roots from which it sprang. What did the earliest forms of multicultural education look like and what social conditions gave rise to them? What educational traditions and philosophies provided the framework for the development of multicultural education? How has multicultural education changed since its earliest conceptualization? The answers to these questions provide an important contextual grounding for understanding the various models of multicultural education evolving today.”
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/edchange_history.html
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“Too Sensual For Promotion?” Fired Employee Claims Harassment, Sues
Former Devereux Foundation employee, Amy-Erin Blakely, is alleging she was fired because she complained she was being harassed when she reportedly was told she was "too sensual" for promotion. Blakely is now suing the company, saying that for the six years she worked there she felt harassed and humiliated. She also said she was reprimanded for filing an initial complaint after she was told that male colleagues were distracted in meetings because of her "large breasts." She said that it was when she complained for a second time that she was fired. Devereux Foundation says the lawsuit is "purposefully inflammatory," and does not "represent the truth about our organization." Read more:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/12/too-sensual-for-promotion-amy-erin-blakely-sues-employer-for-harassment/#ixzz15N4FaMZT
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Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies
The idea of Black Faces in White Places isn't just a numbers game. It is "about pursuing greatness in ways that leverage your culture and ethnicity as assets, not as liabilities," the authors say. The conventional wisdom passed down that blacks must work twice as hard as their white counterparts isn't completely off the mark, they say. But these strategies aren't enough. Among the strategies they map out is No. 3: Demonstrate excellence. “This may sound obvious, but the challenge is that American society tells us that we will be rewarded for being our best, but sometimes when we are the best, another set of rules based on nepotism, cronyism, or some arbitrary criteria seems to apply. And the way it plays out can be subtle,” says business scholar Jeffrey Robinson.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/kay/2010-11-15-black-faces-in-white-places_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
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Managing Diversity: Success With Diversity, Globalization Means Cutting Through Communication Noise
"You're kidding me. I can't graduate unless I take a speech class? But my major is engineering." Sue isn't happy after learning about this added requirement. "It is going to cost me time and money - something I am almost out of since you keep increasing my class requirements and my tuition keeps going up," she complains to her academic advisor.
--"Is this speech class really necessary?" Like Sue, many students are not happy about taking a speech class, especially if they in an "unrelated" field. Besides time and money, fear can be another factor. (Who among us can say they were not scared stiff to give their first public speech?)
--Yet, with increased globalization and diversity, the need to learn as much as possible about communication and cross-cultural communication before taking a first job, and throughout one's professional career, is becoming more and more apparent.
--If Sue's academic counselor is at all communication savvy, she will point out three immediate reasons why a speech class is required for all students: first, communication is critical for functioning in society. Second, oral tradition is a keystone to the democratic process, and third, globalization and expanding information technologies making our world smaller, putting us in contact more and more with people who communicate differently than the members of the dominant U.S. culture. As these three reasons expand due to global economic change, there becomes even more need for people to be better communicators.
http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/muting-noise-in-cultural-and-cross.html
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment
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Diversity Briefings Newsletter: Nov. 12, 2010

2010-11-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/12/2010

Volume 1, Issue 17. Published Each Monday - Friday

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Latin American Leaders at G-20 Call For Responsibility From Rich Countries - Court Nixes Bedtime Story For Female Employee - US Airways Promises To Improve Diversity Activities - Ethnic Tensions Cost Banker Her Job, She Claims - Bad Economy Doesn’t Mean Harassment, Discrimination Okay - Millennials Have Little Patience For Bureaucracy; Want To Change The World - Experts: Not Enough Done In Schools About Anti-gay Bullying - DOMA Lawsuits Filed By Gay Civil Rights Groups - Chilean Government Supports Muslim School Girl Use Of ‘Hijab’- Lawmakers Divided Over Whether NBC-Comcast Merger Would Aid Diversity - Uneven Gains For Diversity + Today's Diversity Management Briefing

----- ----- ----- -----

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher
P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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----- ----- ----- -----

Latin American Leaders at G-20 Call For Responsibility From Rich Countries
From MercoPress: Leaders from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina in the framework of the G-20 summit in Korea called on rich countries for a commitment to end the “currencies war” and ensure balanced growth out of the current crisis. “Developed countries must increase their domestic demand, in contrast with US policy which is geared to promote domestic demand in developing countries”, said Lula da Silva in Seoul warning that if rich countries don’t increase consumption instead of promoting exports, “we’re heading for a major global collapse”.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/11/latin-american-leaders-at-g-20-call-for-responsibility-from-rich-countries?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Court Nixes Bedtime Story For Female Employee
From The HR Café Daily Post: A supervisor who lay down on a female subordinate’s hotel bed, unbuttoned his shirt and demanded a “bedtime story” has cost his employer more than $500,000. A federal appeals court upheld a jury award of $250,000 in damages for the woman, and granted her lawyers more than $300,000 in fees. The employee’s lawsuit claimed she was sexually harassed… and fired for complaining. The supervisor admitted at trial that he knew of the dangers of harassment. “I should have been much more careful,” he said. Cite: Manzo v. Sovereign Motor Cars.(Stupid Manager Tricks, Sexual Harassment Edition)
http://rapidlearninginstitute.com/hrcafe/stupid-manager-tricks-sexual-harassment-edition/?utm_source=The+HR+Cafe+Blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=504a548f73-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_HRCAFE
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US Airways Promises To Improve Diversity Activities
Diversity News reports: US Airways has pledged to strengthen its diversity initiatives in the workplace after being accused of discriminating against African Americans in a suit brought on by the NAACP. The suit was voluntarily dismissed by the NAACP last Friday after a settlement was reached.
http://diversityjobs.com/news/naccp-dismisses-discrimination-suit-against-us-airways/
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Ethnic Tensions Cost Banker Her Job, She Claims
From New York Daily News: A Trinidadian banker who worked for a Guyanese boss is suing JPMorgan Chase, saying she was fired because of ethnic tensions. Shivana Persad, 26, says she was treated like a second-class citizen at Chase Manhattan's South Richmond Hill, Queens, branch.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/11/12/2010-11-12_trinidadian_claims_bias_in_suit_vs_bank.html#ixzz1565JQA5v
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Bad Economy Doesn’t Mean Harassment, Discrimination Okay
From The Memphis Business Journal: A challenging economic environment does not alter an employer’s legal obligations to create a workplace free of harassment or other discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is as active at the present time in pursuing harassment charges as it was prior to the economic downturn.
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2010/11/12/economy-does-not-alter-need-for.html
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Millennials Have Little Patience For Bureaucracy; Want To Change The World
From BNET: “Millennials” have ADD and high expectations. When it comes to their jobs, those born in the 90s seem to want to be able to move incredibly quickly and have little patience for bureaucracy. It’s natural for Millennails to want their ideas heard and evaluated fairly; most want to change the world. That’s quite a lot to ask any manager or business owner to keep up them, but isn’t a lot of what they’re saying ultimately fairly sound and logical? What about empowering everyone in your company equally?
http://www.bnet.com/blog/virtual-manager/want-to-feel-old-in-a-hurry-try-managing-millennials/854?tag=drawer-container;load-section-river
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Experts: Not Enough Done In Schools About Anti-gay Bullying
From Hometown News: A recent spate of suicides by gay teens has brought to light that a lack of information and support for gay students in their schools can be a contributing factor in tragic results. Experts say schools must do more - in their bullying policies, sex education curricula and teacher training - to help the growing number of gay teens who are coming out at earlier ages.
--"Growing up as a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) student is hard enough when it comes to getting your family and your friends to accept you, and then you walk into a classroom and you feel even more isolated if the school is not doing enough to make sure that you have a safe and affirming environment," said Daniel Presgraves, spokesman for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. "Schools have an obligation to make sure that all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, have an opportunity to learn."
http://www.myhometownnews.net/index.php?id=74920
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DOMA Lawsuits Filed By Gay Civil Rights Groups
From Insurance Making: Gay civil rights groups trying to build momentum for a possible Supreme Court showdown filed two lawsuits Tuesday that seek to strike down portions of a 1996 law that denies married same-sex couples federal benefits.The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Connecticut and New York and come just months after a federal judge in Boston struck down a key component of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
http://www.insurancemaking.com/politics/41644-doma-lawsuits-filed-gay-civil-rights-groups.html
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Chilean Government Supports Muslim School Girl Use Of ‘Hijab’
From MercoPress: Yasmin Elsayed, a 9-year old girl who was prohibited from wearing a hijab (an Islamic head scarf) at the W. A. Mozart School in the La Reina borough of Chile’s capital Santiago, was allowed to register again for the 2011 school year this week. The school claimed the hijab was not part of the official school uniform. Yasmin’s parents complained that school officials had said their daughter would not be able to enrol for the following school year if she continued to wear the head scarf.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/11/chilean-government-supports-muslim-school-girl-use-of-hijab?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Lawmakers Divided Over Whether NBC-Comcast Merger Would Aid Diversity
From The Hill: Lawmakers are increasingly divided on whether Comcast's proposed acquisition of NBC Universal would help or harm the amount of diversity in the media. The proposed merger has drawn scrutiny from competing media companies and advocacy groups who fear the deal would concentrate too much control over media ownership and distribution in the hands of one firm. Lawmakers, especially those representing districts with significant minority populations, have increasingly found themselves choosing sides in the debate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/126051-nbc-comcast-merger-divides-lawmakers-on-diversity-
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Uneven Gains For Diversity
From The New York Times: Last month’s game between Virginia and Eastern Michigan marked a milestone for diversity at college football’s highest level as the first such matchup in which both coaches and athletic directors were African-Americans. A study released Thursday found uneven progress toward more moments like it in the future.The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida reported large gains in the number of minority head coaches at college football’s highest level, but less movement in other leadership positions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/sports/12sportsbriefs-diversity.html
/////

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Today's Diversity Management Briefing: Diversity Your Business and Watch It Grow
--My husband and I were having a quick breakfast in an unfamiliar restaurant, waiting for the doors to open at a nearby museum. As I sipped my coffee, I began to realize why I wasn't comfortable. It wasn't just because we were having Sunday breakfast away from home. Very quickly, I had realized every person serving us, from the greeter to wait staff, was young and white. I peeked into the kitchen and confirmed what I was guessing - the invisible people working behind the scenes, performing the lower paying jobs, were Latino, African American and of varying ages. Will this restaurant get my return business? Probably not.
--While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin, it seems that a number of companies still don't get it when it comes to discriminatory advertising or other issues like denying an employee the right to use the Family Medical Leave Act or allowing sexual harassment in the workplace.
--Employees understand. In a recent three year period, related employment discrimination lawsuits increased by 77 percent.
Susan's article continues --
http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversify-Your-Business-and-Watch-it-Grow&id=4728152
_____ _____ _____ _____

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration
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Diversity Briefings Newsletter: November 11, 2010

2010-11-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/11/2010

Volume 1, Issue 16. Published Each Monday - Friday

Today’s New Diversity Topics:

Veterans and Diversity *EEOC Publishes Final Regulations on GINA * Can Facebook Get You Fired? * How to work with a younger boss * Want a great workplace? Respect your employees * Supreme Court discusses gender discrimination in citizenship case * Why Diversity Is Critical to Engagement *'Honest Conversations' find intolerance dominates Tulsa * Workplace Diversity Statistics and Data Links *Disability Law – a Starting Place * The Work and Family Encyclopedia * + Today's Diversity Management Briefing

----- ----- ----- -----

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.

I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue!

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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----- ----- ----- -----
Invitation to employees, who are... Disabled Vietnam Era Veterans, Special Disabled Veterans or "Other" Eligible Veterans

According to the Code of Federal Regulations, a person with a disability is a person who has a physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.

A Disabled Veteran includes any veteran who (a) is entitled to compensation, or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or (b) was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

An Other Protected Veteran includes any veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service in a war, campaign or expedition in which a campaign badge has been authorized under laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An Armed Forces Service Medal Veteran includes any veteran who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a United States military operation for which a service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

A Recently Separated Veteran includes any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty.

More information from the Veterans Diversity Office --

http://www.bnl.gov/diversity/vetPolicy.asp

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EEOC Publishes Final Regulations on GINA

From Ford & Harrison LLP: On November 9, 2010, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published final regulations implementing Title II of the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). When the Act was first passed, Title II of GINA prohibits employers from making employment decisions on the basis of genetic information and family history. This statute also prohibits employers from acquiring genetic information and family medical history about applicants, employees, and former employees, subject to specific exceptions. Continued –

http://www.fordharrison.com/shownews.aspx?Show=6744

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Playing it safe in the social media world (can Facebook get you fired?)

From CNN: The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against a Connecticut ambulance service company after it fired a worker for posting unflattering and sometimes vulgar comments about her boss on Facebook. The organization accused the company of illegally terminating Dawnmarie Souza and denying her access to union representation during an investigatory review. The federal agency is arguing that Souza's criticism of her boss on Facebook is generally "a protected concerted activity." Read more --

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/10/facebook.fired.social.media.etiquette/

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How to work with a younger boss

From GoErie: Gary R. McClain, a psychologist and author who counsels clients on career transitions and self-defeating behavior, has written about the difficulty of accepting "kids your children's age" as your manager. First, he says, remember that generational discomfort may work both ways. The new boss may be unsure about how to establish rapport with the experienced worker. Act the grown-up and reach out. Continued --

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101111/BUSINESS05/311119976/-1/BUSINESS

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Want a great workplace? Respect your employees

From The Houston Chronicle: … the five ways managers can create great places to work -- Respect your employees enough to tell them where they stand. Are they doing a good job? Are they meeting expectations? Employees — from custodians to the C suite - want to know. If they're not meeting deadlines or sales quotas, respect means giving those employees the bad news too. And tell them early enough so they can try to turn the situation around. Read more –

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/sixel/7288970.html

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Supreme Court discusses gender discrimination in citizenship case

From the Los Angeles Times: Laws that discriminate between men and women have been regularly declared unconstitutional since the 1970s, but the Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed ready to permit an exception to that rule. At issue was when children born of mixed marriages abroad can claim U.S. citizenship.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-citizenship-20101111,0,2338681.story

/////

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Brig. Gen. Belinda Pinckney: Why Diversity Is Critical to Engagement

From DiversityInc: Pinckney said there are three major issues that endanger the nation's ability to meet security challenges: shortages in language and cultural skills, poor education levels and inadequate health and healthcare, particularly mental healthcare. Diversity, Pinckney said, is critical to engagement. "How can you face these challenges when leaders are all one gender and often one race?" she asked. "How do you develop a pipeline that ensures that we look like the nation that we'll serve some years out?" Read more --

http://diversityinc.com/article/8117/Brig-Gen-Belinda-Pinckney-Why-Diversity-Is-Critical-to-Engagement/

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Participants in 'Honest Conversations' find intolerance dominates Tulsa

From Latina Lista: Xposure, a public relations agency specializing in diversity issues, held seven discussions, titled "Honest Conversations," aimed at gauging the level of tolerance and sexual and ethnic inclusion in Tulsa. The score was low in regard to tolerance. Continued –

http://www.latinalista.net/tulsa/2010/11/participants_in_honest_conversations_fin.html

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Workplace Diversity Statistics and Data Links

U. S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/

BLS - Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/

Disability Statistics Center http://dsc.ucsf.edu/main.php

Diversity Central: Diversity Statistics http://www.diversityhotwire.com/business/diversity_statistics.html

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Disability Law – a Starting Place (Cornell University)

Disability law is largely regulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. This Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, housing, education, and access to public services. The ADA defines a disability as any of the following:

1. "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the individual."
2. "a record of such impairment." or
3. "being regarded as having such an impairment."

Learn more from the Cornell Legal Information Institute –

http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/Disability_law

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The Work and Family Encyclopedia

The Work and Family Encyclopedia is an online, peer-reviewed Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia entries have been authored by scholars with expertise in the work and family area of study. The Encyclopedia is intended to serve as a resource to academics as well as leaders at the workplace and state policy makers. This online encyclopedia, hosted by the Sloan Work and Family Research Network is authored by scholars with expertise in the work-family area of study and includes entries dealing with family diversity, gender, and generational differences. Connect here –

http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/encyclopedia.php?mode=nav

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Today's Diversity Management Briefing

Respect Others And You Are On Your Way To Embracing Diversity

We talk about embracing diversity, but what does this really mean? Say that you have employees and/or customers who speak English as a second language. Can you pronounce their names? Speak some common words or phrases in their native language? If the answer is yes, you are showing signs of embracing diversity.

For leaders, embracing diversity means they must do far more than merely accept the existence of diversity. To make diversity work, they must embrace it, and this starts by modeling good diversity skills, by showing respect and appreciation for the differences among the people they lead, and by helping others accept and value these differences.

Fundamentally, embracing diversity translates into showing respect for others and their differences. Tolerance for uncertainties (haziness) in language, styles and behavior, is at the top of a list created by William Sonnenschein, a diversity expert and author of "The Diversity Toolkit."

Susan Klopfer continues --

http://ezinearticles.com/?Respect-Others-And-You-Are-On-Your-Way-To-Embracing-Diversity&id=5174818
_____ _____ _____ _____

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration

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Diversity Briefings Newsletter: 11/10/2010

2010-11-10T15:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/10/2010

Today’s New Diversity Topics:

--President appeals for Muslim-Christian tolerance
--Difference Between Men and Women Business Owners?
--December Date Set for 2010 Civil Rights Leader Daisy Bates Summit
--Justice Department Reaches Settlement with University of South Carolina
--Demand For Equal Justice: White Farmers Still Ahead, Says Color of Change Advocate
--The Worse Mistake Supervisors Can Make
--President Obama honors Indonesia as an example of diversity, democracy
--“Defense of Marriage” Lawsuits in US,
--Another Bullied 14-year-old commits suicide,
--New York, Chicago Accused of Title IX Sports Discrimination
--Still More on Managing Diversity: People From Diverse Communities and Mental Health Services

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Volume 1, Issue 15. Published Each Monday - Friday

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Barack Obama in Indonesia appeals for Muslim-Christian tolerance

The President today, speaking at the University of Indonesia in Jakart, talked of the tolerance Indonesians had shown him (the foreign child brought up in their midst), and the tolerance needed today to eradicate the mistrust that had built up over the years between Muslims and Christians. This was the second major speech of his presidency reaching out to the Muslim world. The first was in Cairo last year. More from The Guardian --

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/10/barack-obama-indonesia-religious-tolerance

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What's the Difference Between Men and Women Business Owners?

Popular Bag Lady Linda Hollander has been watching The Apprentice as Donald Trump divides the teams into men and women to see their different motivations and leadership styles. She reports the gap between men and women seems to be closing and shares some style differences between the two. Both genders mention the same motivations according a recent study by the Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship. For example, both “had an equally strong passion to build wealth.” Hollander’s comments are interesting – Read more--

http://wealthybaglady.typepad.com/blog/

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December Date Set for 2010 Daisy Bates Summit

The NAACP 2010 Daisy Bates Summit will be held Thursday, December 2—Saturday December 4, 2010. The late civil rights advocate Daisy Bates was president of the Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP and advisor in 1957 to the Little Rock Nine, the students who braved hostile opponents of integration to Central High School. Despite mob threats and intimidation, cross burnings on her property, and other acts of attempted violence, Mrs. Bates persisted because of her strong beliefs.

For her work guiding the Nine through one of the most tumultuous civil rights crises of the 1950s, she was selected as 1957 Woman of the Year in Education by the Associated Press, and was the only woman invited to speak at the Lincoln Memorial ceremony in Martin Luther King’s March on Washington in 1963. But her importance as a historical figure has been overlooked by scholars of the civil rights movement. December’s Summit will convene grassroots organizers from across the country to focus on moving the NAACP’s education agenda forward with a combination of traditional and innovative education organizing techniques conducted in concert with local allies. Continued --

http://www.naacp.org/news/entry/daisy-bates-summit-2010/

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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with University of South Carolina to Ensure Students Are Free from Harassment

University of South Carolina has agreed to improve its policies and practices for receiving, investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination and harassment. The settlement agreement will ensure that students, faculty and administrators understand and are trained on their responsibilities under the university’s policies, including when and how to report incidents of harassment or discrimination, and will require the university to respond to such complaints in a timely and effective manner. In order to ensure ongoing compliance with its revised policies, the university also will train select administrators, faculty and students to lead future trainings on campus. The settlement provides that the university will adopt revised anti-discrimination and harassment policies before the start of the 2011-12 school year and will initiate training during the spring 2012 semester. Read on --

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/November/10-crt-1276.html

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Demand For Equal Justice: Farmers Still Can’t Get Their Settlement; White Farmers Still Ahead, Says Color of Change Advocate

From James Rucker, ColorOfChange.org: For more than a generation, managers at the United States Department of Agriculture systematically turned down Black farmers' applications for loans and other critical forms of aid. These loans are the lifeblood of farming, and without them many Black-owned farms were foreclosed on — and resold to White farmers. This insidious discrimination enabled some White farmers to prosper and grow at the expense of generations of Black families who sought to make a living off the land. At the same time, it devastated the Black farming community. While 14% of all farmers were Black at the turn of the last century,3 by 2002 only 1.4% were Black.

Black farmers eventually filed a class action lawsuit against the federal government, winning a landmark legal settlement in 1999. At the time, the USDA paid only a portion of the farmers with legitimate claims, so a second settlement was announced — but Congress never approved funding to pay the remaining farmers. This story and Rucker’s demand for equal justice continues --

http://www.colorofchange.org/pigford/?akid=1691.242831.GEK8QT&id=2413-900765&rd=1&t=3

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Handling Employee Complaints: The Worse Mistake Supervisors Can Make

Here’s a tip from the HR Cafe on the WORST mistake a supervisor can make: When employees make complaints, listen. Take good notes. Ask questions and get all the facts. But don’t judge. It's a bad idea in general to make assumptions about what employees did or didn't do. But if an employee comes to you with a complaint, those assumptions become even more dangerous. Read on to learn more about the worst mistake supervisors can make in dealing with employee complaints.

http://rapidlearninginstitute.com/hrcafe/employee-complaints-worst-mistake-supervisor-can-make/?utm_source=The+HR+Cafe+Blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=02e19878a2-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_HRCAFE

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President Obama honors Indonesia as an example of diversity, democracy

President Obama honored Indonesia, as an example of how this country embraced diversity and democracy. The president said that innocent individuals all over the world were still under attack by militants but underlined that the United States was not at battle with the Islam. According to analysts, it is the president’s greatest effort to connect with Islamic world since he talked to Cairo in 2009.

http://whatisthetrend.net/president-obama-honors-indonesia-as-an-example-of-diversity-democracy-20104618.html

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Europe’s Largest Gay News Service Follows “Defense of Marriage” Lawsuits in US

Pink News reports: “Two lawsuits have been filed against the US Defence of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of gay marriage.They were filed in Connecticut and New York by gay rights groups, who argue that the 1996 law, known as DOMA, violates the US constitution.Connecticut’s lawsuit was filed by the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders on behalf of gay couples in Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire.” Follow this report –

http://gay.pinknews.co.uk/2010/11/10/two-lawsuits-filed-against-us-defence-of-marriage-act/

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Still Another Bullied 14-Year-Old Commits Suicide

From the New Civil Rights Movement Blog: Fourteen-year old Pennsylvania high school freshman Brandon Bitner wrote a suicide note, left home around 2:00 AM Friday morning, walked thirteen miles, then, threw himself into highway traffic, killing himself. A friend says, “It was because of bullying. It was not about race, or gender, but they bullied him for his sexual preferences and the way he dressed. Which they wrongly accused him of.” Here is more --

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/bullied-14-year-old-called-gay-girly-fag-commits-suicide/news/2010/11/08/14890

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New York, Chicago Accused of Title IX Sports Discrimination in High School

Bloomberg reports: New York, Chicago and 10 other U.S. school districts failed to provide high school girls with opportunities to play sports in violation of federal law, the National Women’s Law Center said. The school systems, which also include Houston, violated Title IX by denying girls the same access to sports as boys, the organization said in a statement today. The group filed administrative complaints that are based on the schools’ data and show “pervasive and growing inequalities,” said Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the center.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-10/new-york-chicago-among-school-districts-accused-of-title-ix-sports-breach.html
/////

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Still More on Managing Diversity:

People From Diverse Communities May Be Fearful To Seek Mental Health Services

Maria recently confided to her doctor that she was having a hard time at work because of her depression. He immediately referred Maria to a psychologist and she was able to start getting some benefit from therapy, combined with medicine from her physician.

Because Maria knows her problem didn't arise overnight, she recognizes it will not go away in a week or two. Even with medicine and therapy, her treatment will probably take at least a month before any significant results occur, her therapist says.

While Maria wants to talk to her boss about this matter, particularly since she is having some trouble adjusting to her medications, she is afraid of her boss's reaction.

"Lots of people really don't understand mental illness very well, so you had better keep this to yourself," Maria's mother advises.

By Susan Klopfer -- Read On ...

http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/diversity-127391.php_____ _____ _____ _____

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

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Diversity Briefings Newsletter: 11/09/2010

2010-11-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Battle Over Jail VS Mental Health Heats Up in Orleans Parish, New Immigration Judges Sworn In, Diversity in Law Firms Takes a 'Hit', Does Real Diversity Mean We’re All the Same? (Surely Not), Still Another Bullied 14-Year-Old Commits Suicide, Guy Or a Girl? Issue a Sticky Wicket On Some Campuses, Spice and Chai Down Under, New Buddhist University in Glasgow,Management Diversity Tip: Incorporating Diversity Requires Skill

----- ----- ----- -----

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/09/2010

Volume 1, Issue 14. Published Each Monday - Friday

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue!
You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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----- ----- ----- -----

Orleans Parish: More and Bigger Jails?

Jordan Flaherty reports in today's Huffington Post, the battle is hearing up in the Orleans Parish. With 3,500 beds in a city of about 350,000 residents, the Parish Prison (OPP) is already the largest per capita county jail of any major US city. The elected official with oversight over the jail has submitted plans for an even larger complex. But a broad coalition wants what would be spent on a larger jail be diverted to alternatives to incarceration, like drug treatment programs and mental health facilities. And yet here may be a common ground, some leaders say. Read on --

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jordan-flaherty/the-incarceration-capital_b_781150.html

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New Immigration Judges Sworn In

DOJ reports Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler recently invested 23 new immigration judges during a ceremony held at the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) headquarters, marking a roughly 10 percent increase in the judges corps in just one day. Immigration judges conduct formal court proceedings to determine whether an individual from a foreign country should be allowed to remain in the United States. This story continues --

http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/1055

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Diversity in Law Firms Takes a 'Hit'

Employment statistics are showing that diversity practiced by law firms is taking a hit, thanks to recession — but the pain isn’t being spread to all firms evenly, says Elie Mystal. "The latest NALP figures show that minorities accounted for 12.4% of firm attorneys, down from 12.59% in 2009. Women represented 32.69% of firm attorneys, down from 32.97% in 2009." More figures and analyses --

http://abovethelaw.com/2010/11/diversity-issues-to-consider-before-you-accept-your-offer/

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Real Diversity Means We’re Not All the Same? Yes or No?

Some 45 years after Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, race relations in the U.S. remain difficult at best. "We have the right to drink from the same fountains, ride on the same buses, live in the same neighborhoods, attend the same schools, hold the same jobs and pursue the same dreams, but much still is not right," notes James Badham in a piece he writes for Miller McCune magazine. Continued --

http://abovethelaw.com/2010/11/diversity-issues-to-consider-before-you-accept-your-offer/

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Still Another Bullied 14-Year-Old Commits Suicide

From the New Civil Rights Movement Blog: Fourteen-year old Pennsylvania high school freshman Brandon Bitner wrote a suicide note, left home around 2:00 AM Friday morning, walked thirteen miles, then, threw himself into highway traffic, killing himself. A friend says, “It was because of bullying. It was not about race, or gender, but they bullied him for his sexual preferences and the way he dressed. Which they wrongly accused him of.” Here is more --

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/bullied-14-year-old-called-gay-girly-fag-commits-suicide/news/2010/11/08/14890

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Male, Female, Or? Issue a Sticky Wicket on Some Campuses

From Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- When Kevin Murphy entered as a freshman at Mount Holyoke, a Massachusetts women's college, in 2003, he was female. By the time he received his diploma, he was male...Defining gender on same-sex campuses has become murky as ... More schools are encountering complicated cases where not all students at men's colleges identify as male and not all students at women's colleges identify as female.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/08/single.sex.college.trangender.nongender/index.html?iref=allsearch

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Spice, Chai, Lights and Rhythms at ‘Parramasala’ in SydneyFrom Cultural Diversity News: The Indian community in Sydney is proud to have taken the Australia-India cultural relationship to a new level with Parramasala being the first ever South-Asian Cultural Festival in Sydney. Continued--

http://www.culturaldiversity.net.au/

/////

Receive a free inspirational quote every day from me. Just visit

http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841

for information. Lots of my friends are enjoying this free gift.

Susan

/////

Britain’s first Buddhist College is to open at Glasgow University.

The Buddhist College UK will be modelled on the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, the Venerable Rewatha’s home country. The Venerable Rewatha, also Buddhist Chaplain to Glasgow University. said: “The course will provide an academic approach to Buddhism and open up inter-faith dialogue in Scotland. Setting up the college is a great achievement and I am delighted to be part of it.” Read More --

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,9657,0,0,1,0

/////

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

Incorporating Diversity Management Requires Skill

Susan Klopfer

It sounded so good back in graduate school when Karen took a class in diversity management. The professor had kept everyone's attention as he lectured on this new business practice. Now her boss of two years, at the regional bank, is suggesting Karen may be asked to oversee a transition team to move the bank from affirmative action and valuing differences to a focus on managing diversity.

He tells her that bank board members, the CEO and several key executives are seriously concerned about this project, after two key new-hires recently left their positions. It was expensive to recruit them and there had been high hopes these two college superstars would easily move through the bank's executive training program. "So, do you know why Miss Morales and Mr. Diego left?" Karen asks.

"Well, I did hear they were speaking Spanish together at lunch and someone came up and complained that they didn't care about their co-workers if they didn't speak English at work," her boss says.

"Oh, brother," Karen says, shaking her head. "Why didn't that person ask for Spanish lessons − and take advantage of their ability to speak several languages?

Keep reading --

http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/cultural-diversity-119408.php

///// ///// /////

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

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Diversity Briefings Newsletter: November 8, 2010

2010-11-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Two Immigrant Americans Honored, Texas A&M Diversity Conference Set This Week, The Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement, School Warned Over Bullying, Black Legislators Lose Gains, Iowa Prosecutors Fight Free Speech, Fanatics Prefer Intolerance, Maps Errors Rekindle Border Conflict ,Using Correct Terms Increases Diversity Success

----- ----- ----- -----

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/08/2010

Volume 1, Issue 13

Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. I hope you are enjoying these diversity stories and links. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the newdiversity and multicultural glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take care and Good reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Again today -- look for a free gift offer inside today's issue!

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner
----- ----- ----- -----

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Two Immigrant Americans Honored, Texas A&M Diversity Conference Set This Week, The Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement, School Warned Over Bullying, Black Legislators Lose Gains, Iowa Prosecutors Fight Free Speech, Fanatics Prefer Intolerance, Maps Errors Rekindle Border Conflict , Using Correct Terms Increases Diversity Success

/////

Upwardly Global Honors Two Immigrant Americans for Outstanding Leadership

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Upwardly Global, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization with a mission to eliminate barriers to professional workplace entry for foreign-educated immigrants and refugees in the United States, announced today the names of two influential immigrant Americans it will recognize at its annual 2010 Passport to Possibilities Gala, on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at the Edison Ballroom. Deven Sharma, President of Standard & Poor's, and Mariam Assefa, Executive Director of World Education Services will receive the organization's prestigious Outstanding Leadership award for their personal and professional accomplishments elevating the profile of immigrant Americans as well as supporting diversity in the workplace. This story continues --

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upwardly-global-honors-two-immigrant-americans-for-outstanding-leadership-106882683.html

/////

Big 12 Diversity Conference To Be Held At Texas A&M Nov. 12-13

COLLEGE STATION, Nov. 8, 2010 – Texas A&M University will host the annual Big 12 Diversity Conference Nov. 12-13, bringing together the chief diversity officers in the top-tier athletic conference that includes schools in seven states. The keynote address will be delivered by William Harvey, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Rosemont College and formerly vice president for diversity and equity at the University of Virginia. Stanley said Harvey is expected to share examples of successful initiatives and best practices and discuss methods for collaborating on strategies that support institution-wide diversity agendas. Continued --

http://tamunews.tamu.edu/2010/11/08/big-12-diversity-conference-to-be-held-at-texas-am-nov-12-13/

/////

Speakers link start of Holocaust to civil rights movement in the South

Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus : "It all came to a head on Kristallnacht, during which police and firemen were instructed not to intervene except to safeguard German citizens and their property," the rabbi said. "Sixty thousand Jewish males were sent to concentration camps that night, the start of the Holocaust. That event took place in darkness but the second was in broad daylight. That event turned out to be a tipping point toward justice and dignity for all people."

Joseph McNeil: "We didn't want to be carried out in a pine box, but it was a possibility,"one of the four Greensboro, N.C. students who led the nonviolent protest in 1960.

Here is more --

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Speaker-links-start-of-Holocaust-to-civil-rights-802408.php

/////

U.S. Dept. of Education Warns Schools Over Bullying; Protects Gay Students For 1st Time

Joseph DiSalvo of The San Jose Inside writes: The US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Russlyn Ali, in a new advisory released Oct. 26, warns that schools can lose federal dollars if they do not comply with the civil rights laws to protect gay students. It has been a traditional Office of Civil Rights policy to protect US students against discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin and disability, however this is the first time a government advisory mentions LGBT discrimination. Here is more --

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/11_04_10_end_anti-gay_bullying_in_schools/

/////

Alabama civil rights attorney fears loss of gains by black legislators

Tuesday's elections marked the 40th anniversary of the election of the first African-American lawmakers to serve in the Alabama Legislature since Reconstruction.The year was 1970, and Fred Gray Sr. had already gained fame as a civil rights attorney. Gray, a son of Montgomery, was actively keeping the secret pact that he had made with himself to become an attorney and "destroy everything segregated (he) could find" in Alabama. This article continues --

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20101107/NEWS02/11070360/Civil-rights-attorney-Gray-fears-loss-of-gains-by-black-legislators

/////

First Amendment Rights: Iowa Prosecutors Ask Court to Ban Peaceful Protestors

Prosecutors in Polk County Iowa have requested the court ban two anti-war protestors from the Federal Building in Des Moines after their arrest for trespassing. One of the activists, Christine Gaunt of Grinnell, Iowa, has been staging non-violent protests against the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the offices of Sen. Tom Harkin (D) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R) for the past eight months.

The Right to Petition Your Government

Civil rights advocates have expressed concern about the request questioning whether such a move represents a violation of the First Amendment, which guarantees American citizens the right to free speech and the right to petition the government.

Continued --

http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/prosecutors-request-court-to-ban-protestors-from-federal-building/

/////

Receive a free inspirational quote every day from me. Just visit

http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841

for information. Lots of my friends are enjoying this free gift.

Susan

/////

Do America’s religious fanatics prefer intolerance over civil rights?

Blog Eideard: "If you want to understand how the Taliban thinks, you need look no further than America’s fundamentalist army of fanatics. Free thought and education are meaningless to ideological cave-dwellers who would not allow processes that differ with theirs..."

http://eideard.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/americas-religious-fanatics-prefer-intolerance-over-civil-rights/

/////

Still More Diversity Notes

Google Maps errors rekindle border conflict between Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Google Maps error is being blamed for Nicaraguan troops accidentally invading Costa Rica last week. The troops have been accused of crossing the hotly disputed Nicaragua border into Costa Rica in Central America and setting up camp for the night after taking down a Costa Rican flag and raising the Nicaraguan flag.

http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/08/google-maps-errors-rekindle-border-conflict-between-nicaragua-and-costa-rica?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

Working Harder at Using Correct Terms Increases Diversity Success

Susan Klopfer writes:

Ana is talking with one of her team members about a newly employed woman who has a "strange" last name. "I wonder where she's from. I'll bet you she's an illegal alien," Ana whispers to a co-worker.

But Ana receives an unexpected reaction from a nearby team member, who has been listening in to the conversation.

"Say, wait a minute. My name isn't so common, and I was born in Oregon," Jan Ishi calls over to Ana and her friend. "You had better be careful what you're calling someone at work!"

"Oh I didn't mean anything bad, especially about you," Ana says, as she grabs her coffee and leaves the room red-faced.

http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/diversity-128763.php

///// ///// /////

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

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Diversity Briefings Newsletter - November 5, 2010 Issue

2010-11-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/05/2010

Volume 1, Issue 12

Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. I hope you are enjoying these diversity stories and links. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take care and Good reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Again -- look for a free gift offer inside today's issue!

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Shariah Referendum in Oklahoma leaves questions, Best "disability" vocabulary, Iowa and same-sex marriage, Bully Schools Warned by U.S. Dept. of Education, Brief History of LGBT in U.S., From Civil War to Civil Rights, Micky's D's Responsible For Fat Overwight Worker in Brazil, Work uniform provider honored for diversity, Asking People Why They Do What They Do Can Be a Positive Step When Managing Diversity
----- ----- ----- -----

Okla. Muslims Unsure of Status after Tuesday's Shariah Referendum

Omar Sacirbey, writing for BeliefNet, comments on Tuesday's elections results from Oklahoma: "Born and raised in Oklahoma, Sarah Albahadily will wear her headscarf to a Brad Paisley concert and her cowboy boots to mosque.There are two things she says she never misses: Friday prayers or a University of Oklahoma football games.But after seven in 10 Oklahoma voters on Tuesday (Nov. 2) approved State Question 755, a constitutional amendment that prohibits courts from using Islamic law, known as Shariah, Albahadily suddenly feels a little less at home in the Sooner State." His story continues --

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2010/11/okla-muslims-unsure-of-status.php#ixzz14RIZ6DFv

/////

What Are the Best Words for Disabilities?

From DiversityInc: Maybe it seems obvious that you shouldn't use the word "retarded," but what about other terms like "handicapped" or "special"? What language should you choose when speaking about or communicating with people with disabilities? DiversityInc asked experts to provide guidance on choosing the right words. Continued --

http://www.diversityinc.com/article/6309/What-Are-the-Best-Words-for-Disabilities/

/////

Same sex marriage Not unreasonable, Says Iowan

Writes Victor Hugg of Iowa, the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality is unquestionably the imperative civil rights movement of our time. "There are several important ongoing court cases to be familiar with: The infamous "don't ask, don't tell policy" is being challenged in a federal lawsuit, Log Cabin Republicans v. United States; with the majority of public opinion on the side of eliminating DADT, the discriminatory policy will hopefully go down in flames." Hugg continues, looking at various related cases. Here is more --

http://iowastatedaily.com/opinion/article_d4ca4938-e851-11df-834c-001cc4c03286.html

/////

U.S. Dept. of Education Warns Schools Over Bullying; Protects Gay Students For 1st Time

Joseph DiSalvo of The San Jose Inside writes: The US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Russlyn Ali, in a new advisory released Oct. 26, warns that schools can lose federal dollars if they do not comply with the civil rights laws to protect gay students. It has been a traditional Office of Civil Rights policy to protect US students against discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin and disability, however this is the first time a government advisory mentions LGBT discrimination. Here is more --

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/11_04_10_end_anti-gay_bullying_in_schools/

/////

Brief history of the LGBT Movement in the US

Wayne Dynes of New York (Homolexus Blog) writes: Historically, the roots of the worldwide movement for gay and lesbian civil rights lie in Central Europe. Following important scholarly contributions by Heinrich Hoessli and K.H. Ulrichs, the world's first homosexual organization came into being: the Wissenschaftlich-humanitäre Komitee (Scientific-Humanitarian Committee), founded in Berlin on May 14, 1897 under the leadership of Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935), a physician who became the world's leading, if controversial, authority on homosexuality in the years that followed. His article continues --

http://homolexis.blogspot.com/2010/11/brief-history-of-glbt-movement-in-us.html

/////

DC Launches ‘Civil War to Civil Rights’ Promotion to Mark 150th Commemoration of the Civil War & City’s Role in Civil Rights Movement

From The Dryerbuz.com news blog: From Abraham Lincoln‘s tide-turning elections and inaugurations to Dr. Martin Luther King‘s soul-stirring “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC has served as a powerful backdrop for catalyzing moments in the Civil War and civil rights movement. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the war and to explore DC’s unique role in the civil rights movement, cultural attractions, historic landmarks, cultural organizations and historic sites throughout the capital region have joined together for a unique promotion, “Civil War to Civil Rights.” Continued --

http://www.dryerbuzz.com/2010/11/dc-launches-civil-war-to-civil-rights-promotion-to-mark-150th-commemoration-of-the-civil-war-citys-role-in-civil-rights-movement/

/////

Receive an inspirational quote every day from me. Just visit
http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841
for information. Lots of my friends are enjoying this free gift.
Susan

/////

Brazilian McDonalds Worker Wins Obesity Lawsuit

A judge in Brazil has ruled that fast food giant McDonald’s must pay a former manager $17,500 because he gained 65 pounds over the past twelve years.

http://diversityjobs.com/news/mcdonalds-pays-17500-to-obese-worker/

/////

Still More Diversity Notes

WILMINGTON, Mass., Nov. 5, 2010 /PRNewswire -- UniFirst Corporation, a work uniform provider, has been named by The Black Equal Opportunity Employment Journal as being among the "Best of the Best" diversity employers in the United States for 2010. In naming UniFirst as being "Best of the Best," the magazine surveyed more than 18,000 of its readers, asking them to nominate a company which exemplified a "firm commitment to diversity and inclusion in its workforce." Read here to see why this award was granted--

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unifirst-named-best-of-the-best-for-its-diverse-inclusive-workforce-106776593.html

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

From Susan Klopfer: Asking People Why They Do What They Do Can Be a Positive Step When Managing Diversity

Kay and Bill meet with a diversity consultant to discover underlying assumptions that hurt their company's ability to hire and retain a diversified workforce. (Excerpt from Profit From Diversity; Getting Along With Others. Publication date: Nov. 15, 2010. CreateSpace.)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/37890401/Asking-People-Why-They-Do-What-They-Do-Can-Be-a-Positive-Step-When-Managing-Diversity

///// ///// /////

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...
Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

###End ###

Diversity Briefings: 11/04/10

2010-11-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/04/2010

Volume 1, Issue 11

Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. I hope you are enjoying these diversity stories and links. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new glossary, top left. Take care and Good reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Look for a free gift offer inside today's issue!

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Today’s New Diversity Topics: New UK diversity school, Air Force Academy assigns diversity role, Why feminism must transform, Editor says books need more diversity, NLRB defends facebook post, How controlling "the seeds" reduces poverty, Keeping others from driving you mad, Diversity leadership tips
----- ----- ----- -----

British Workplace diversity group wins right to start School

A UK BUSINESS organisation specializing in bringing diversity to the region's workforces has been given approval to set up a new "free school". Continued --

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/schools/Workplace-diversity-group-wins-right.6610653.jp

/////

Air Force Academy (AFA) Faces Diversity Issues; Brings in Expert

The U.S. Air Force Academy's new diversity officer is ready to set up shop. Adis Anative of Cuba who speaks four languages fills the first academy post dedicated to promoting diversity.Vila has a law degree and arrives later this month. Continued --

http://www.csindy.com/colorado/hot-button-issues/Content?oid=1900809

/////

Union College Presents Presidential Forum on Diversity

Daughter of author Alice Walker preaches "Third Wave" feminism -- author, journalist, and feminist Rebecca Walker explains "Why Feminism as We Know it Must Transform." Walker, who is both biracial and Jewish, is noted as one of the founders of a branch of feminism which intends to make room for all people. Continued --

http://media.www.concordy.com/media/storage/paper858/news/2010/11/04/News/Author.Speaks.About.the.End.Of.Feminism-3953708.shtml

/////

Books Need More Diversity, Harry Potter Editor Says

Cheryl Klein, continuity editor for the last three Harry Potter books and senior editor of Scholastic, talks on the importance of establishing diversity in a lecture entitled "Black and White and Read All Over: Diversity and Inequity in Children's Publishing." Lecturing a Kansas group, Klein gives insight to an industry that it is not very diverse in terms of race. Click here to continue --

http://www.kstatecollegian.com/news/editor-books-need-more-diversity-1.2394168

/////

Receive an inspirational quote every day from me. Just visit
http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841 for information. Lots of my friends are enjoying this free gift. Susan

/////

NLRB Sues Company for Firing Worker Over Facebook Post

A worker who was allegedly fired for posting negative comments about her supervisor on her personal Facebook page now has the support of the National Labor Relations Board, which announced yesterday that it filed a complaint against the company. Click here to continue --

http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2010/11/nlrb-sues-company-for-firing-worker-over-facebook-post.html

/////

Who Controls the Seeds? Key to Poverty Reduction and Crop Genetic Diversity

In many developing countries the right of farmers to use and exchange farm-saved seed is a form of life insurance. Ensuring that farmers have this right is an important means of alleviating poverty and is crucial to maintaining crop genetic diversity throughout the world. To continue click here --

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/237/884/Who_Controls_The_Seeds_Biodiversity_And_Poverty_Reduction.html

Still More Diversity Notes

Help For Dealing With People Who Drive You Mad

From an old Buddhist parable comes the beginning of understanding of co-workers who make us nuts: A young farmer was paddling his boat up the river to deliver his produce to the village. He was in a hurry. It was a hot day and the farmer, covered with sweat, wanted to make his delivery and get home before dark. Looking ahead, he spied another vessel moving rapidly downstream toward his boat. The vessel seemed to be trying desperately to hit him.

“Change direction, you idiot!” he yelled at the other boat. “You’re going to hit me!” But his cries were to no avail. Although the farmer rowed furiously to get out of the way, the other boat hit him with a sudden thud. Enraged, he stood up and shouted, “You moron! How could you manage to hit my boat in the middle of this wide river? What’s wrong with you?”

As he strained to see the pilot of the other vessel, he was surprised to realize that it was empty. He was screaming at an empty boat that had broken free of its moorings and was just floating downstream with the current.

The next time you get angry and get ready to blow up because of someone else, just remember: there is never anyone in the other boat. When we are screaming, we are always screaming at an empty vessel. To learn more continue here --

http://www.bnet.com/blog/marshall-goldsmith/how-to-deal-with-a-coworker-who-drives-you-nuts/181?tag=drawer-container;load-section-river

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

Three diversity leadership tips: 1) Know your cultural identity and understand what that identity brings to your communication; 2) Ask others about yourself and listen to their answers; 3) Examine your grading of values. Learn more about these tips, where they come from, and why they seem to work at
"What Makes An Effectice Leader?" by Susan Klopfer, continued here --

http://www.scribd.com/doc/39448938/What-Makes-an-Effective-Leader

///// ///// /////

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Diversity Briefings: 11/03/10

2010-11-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/03/2010

Volume 1, Issue 10

Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Welcome back. I hope you are enjoying these diversity stories and links.

Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new glossary, top left. Take care and Good reading!

Susan Klopfer

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

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Today’s New Diversity Topics: Wage discrimination Act Exclusive, Gen-X in the Workplace, Africa's Bushmen Surprise Science, India Shows Off Diversity, UK TV Lacks Diversity, HIV Diversity Award, California School Boards Lack Latino Members, Mental Health Issues and Diversity: Stigma Gets in the Way

----- ----- ----- -----

Third Circuit Rules Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Inapplicable to Failure-to-Promote Claims

A federal appeals court in Philadelphia has narrowed the reach of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (“FPA”), determining the protections afforded by the FPA are exclusive to wage discrimination claims and do not cover failure-to-promote claims against employers.

Continued --

http://www.jacksonlewis.com/resources.php?NewsID=3450

/////

Gen X in the workplace: Stuck in the middle?

The generational debate: youngsters want the ol' fogeys out of the way, while the boomers want to keep on working, taking offense at the mention of yielding to their children...Given that baby boomers tend to play things a little closer to the vest, are Gen-Xers best positioned to bridge both worlds?

Continued --

http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/leadership_playlist/2010/11/gen-x-in-the-workplace-stuck-in-the-middle.html

/////

Genetic researchers find a broad slice of humanity in one corner of Africa

Africa's Bushmen, also known as San or Khoisan, are among the most genetically diverse people in the world. Two Bushmen who live within walking distance of each other might have more genetic differences between them than a European and an Asian, says Stephan Schuster, a geneticist at Pennsylvania State University.

Continued --

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/56419/title/Decoding_diversity_in_Bushmen

/////

India Looks to Showcase Diversity When President Obama Arrives

WSJ: The President will be visiting the Taj Mahal Hotel as well as the former home of Mahatma Gandhi in Mumbai, what would you like him to learn about India while he is in your city?

Milind Deora: I hope he can try to get a sense of its diversity and contribution to shaping India’s political opinions not just today but also back in the day. Its diversity is in some ways what India is really about...

Click here to continue --

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/11/03/mumbai-mp-wants-to-show-obama-city%E2%80%99s-diversity/

/////

ITV schedules have a “remarkable lack of diversity”, chief executive admits

ITV chief executive Adam Crozier, addressing the House of Lords communication committee, said there was a “remarkable lack of diversity” in ITV1’s schedule compared with ten years ago, and warned that Contract Rights Renewal, a mechanism which restricts how the broadcaster sells advertising airtime, had led it to “chase higher rating programmes”, such as soaps.

Click here to continue --

http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/30153/itv-schedules-have-a-remarkable-lack-of

/////

Trans woman receives HIV award at diversity conference

JoAnne Keatley receives an award given by Kaiser Permanente honoring her work with California’s HIV patients at the 33rd annual Diversity Conference.

To continue click here --

http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=112293

Still More Diversity Notes

Low diversity stifles California's education boards

While Latinos comprise nearly half of students in grades K-12, only 15 percent of school board members in California are Latino according to a report by the Cesar Chavez Institute, the community and action research center of SF State's college of ethnic studies.

Titled "Examining Latino Representation on California's School Boards," researchers found that while all board members are committed to improving schools, Latino board members were more likely than white members to focus on improving the academic achievement of African American and Latino students.

To learn more continue here --

http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/life/015690.html

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

People From Diverse Communities Too Often Fearful of Seeking Mental Health Treatment

Maria recently confided to her doctor that she was having a hard time at work because of her depression. He immediately referred Maria to a psychologist and she was able to start getting some benefit from therapy, combined with medicine from her physician.

Because Maria knows her problem didn't arise overnight, she recognizes it will not go away in a week or two. Even with medicine and therapy, her treatment will probably take at least a month before any significant results occur, her therapist says.

While Maria wants to talk to her boss about this matter, particularly since she is having some trouble adjusting to her medications, she is afraid of her boss's reaction.

"Lots of people really don't understand mental illness very well, so you had better keep this to yourself," Maria's mother advises.

Susan's article on Diversity continues here -- http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/diversity-127391.php

///// ///// /////

Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here...

Enter your email address:

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Diversity Briefings: 11/2/2010

2010-11-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/2/2010

Volume 1, Issue 9

Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

It's great to see you here. I hope you are enjoying the stories and links. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Good reading!

And remember ... It's Election Day—Get Out And Vote!

The midterm elections held today will determine who controls Congress and have a profound impact on redistricting. Be sure to make your voice heard.

Susan Klopfer

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Today’s New Topics: Searching for Religious Freedom, Mix It Up Day, Australian Pride in Diversity, Families and Job Interviews, Discrimination on Appearance, Juan Williams Redux, New Business in Battling Office Bullies, Spaghetti Wednesdays and Cultural Roots
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Searching for Religious Freedom

The Hutterites, members of a small Christian group in the United States and Canada, are no strangers to persecution. The most recent Teaching Tolerance magazine includes a short article about Hutterites.
Continued --
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-38-fall-2010/war-peaceful?newsletter=TT110210

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Are You Ready to Mix It Up?

If you haven't signed up for Mix It Up at Lunch Day yet, there's no time to waste. Add your school to the Mix It Up map now. You'll be joining thousands of other schools across the country as they help students cross social barriers and shake up cliques. National Mix It Up at Lunch Day will take place Nov. 9—next Tuesday.
Continued --
http://www.tolerance.org/mix-it-up/map?newsletter=TT110210

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Australian Federal Police Sponsor implementation of Australian Equity Index Through Pride in Diversity

The Australian Federal Police today launched the Australian Workplace Equality Index, a measure which aims to ensure gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees always enjoy a safe and supportive workplace.
Continued --
http://www.news4us.com/the-australian-federal-police-sponsor-the-implementation-of-the-australian-equity-index-through-pride-in-diversity-australia/222779/

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"How's the Family?": Family-Responsibilities Discrimination In Job Interviews

By now, most interviewers know it is inappropriate to ask in an interview: “How old are you” (you can ask if the person is 18 years of age or older) or “Do you celebrate Ramadan?” There is another danger zone in interviewing, which is often unrecognized by employers but which can get them into just as much trouble: questions pertaining to an applicant’s family or family responsibilities.
Click here to continue -- http://www.delawareemploymentlawblog.com/2010/11/hows_the_family_familyresponsi.html

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Beauty And The Bias

The controversy over discrimination in employment based on appearance is heating up again. Newsweek recently ran a special report entitled "The Beauty Advantage" that included a survey of hiring managers, 57% of whom said qualified but unattractive candidates will have a harder time landing a job. More than half of the managers in the survey advised job applicants to invest time and money in "making sure they look attractive" instead of on polishing a resume. In addition, Stanford law professor Deborah Rhode has authored a new book entitled The Beauty Bias that decries appearance discrimination and urges legal reforms to prohibit it.

Click here to continue --
http://www.laborlawyers.com/showarticle.aspx?Beauty-And-The-Bias&Ref=list&Type=1119&Cat=3386&Show=13361

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Why bias shows up in surprising places

The debate on the firing of commentator Juan Williams from NPR has addressed virtually every aspect of the topic. But it’s a good illustration of an issue that comes up in the workplace when discrimination and discriminatory words come into play: People somehow think that members of certain groups are incapable of insensitivity.
To continue click here --
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/01/2380392/why-bias-shows-up-in-surprising.html

Still More Notes

There's big business in battling office bullies:

With his goatee, Darth Vader-sized bald head, and an NFL lineman's build, Gary Namie doesn't look like someone to mess with. And in his case, appearances do not deceive. Namie has carved out a tough niche — he's the guy who bullies the office bullies. Two weeks ago in San Francisco he and his wife, Ruth, were set to give a keynote address at a seminar hosted by a group called California Healthy Workplace Advocates. They were scheduled for a similar event the next day in Sacramento. At $10,000 per appearance, the Namies are becoming the Sarah and Todd Palin of the rapidly expanding office bullying universe — a universe that owes its existence, in large part, to the Namies.
To learn more continue here --
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39914851/ns/business-bloomberg_businessweek/

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

'Don't Miss Wednesday Spaghetti'; Managing Diversity Takes Companies To Their Cultural Roots

If the idea of managing diversity has piqued your company's interest, here are several critical questions to consider: What basic assumptions drive your organization − what makes life tick at your place of business? What fundamental understandings do people quickly learn that help them fit in and work in acceptable ways, and how are these assumptions passed on to employees?

The assumptions that drive life in corporations are different from values and traditions, which are usually made clear in some way. Once I applied to work as an intern for a company that celebrated "Spaghetti Wednesdays" in the corporate lunchroom. I was told about the tradition when interviewed for the job and I still believe to this day if a person would have revealed they didn't like spaghetti, they would not have been hired!

Susan's article on Diversity continues here -- http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Susan-Klopfer-7986/diversity-119115.php

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