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OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING
The founder of The Junior League, Mary Harriman, believed that we all bear the responsibility to learn about the world around us in order to be more effective in our desire to improve it. That we should really try to understand the “why” behind something, not just superficially give it lip service.
As we strive within our organization to live up to our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, we honor and celebrate the struggles, the history and the leaders of our multifaceted world.
Our CommitmentThe Junior League welcomes all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations and communities.
AJLI's Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
The Association of Junior Leagues International condemns discrimination, racism, and racial injustice in our communities and in our Junior Leagues. Black women and other women of color have been systemically denied equity and inclusion in our economy, education, civic privileges, and responsibilities in the voluntary sector, including in The Junior League. As affirmed by our member Junior Leagues, we are accelerating our efforts to take action and advance definitive, measurable policies and practices that eliminate racism in our countries, our communities, and our Junior Leagues. When we do this, we unlock tremendous power for our communities and realize our vision of women around the world as catalysts for lasting change.
PROGRESS IS PLURAL
Diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging is one of the most critical issues of our time, so we invited others to join us in this important conversation. We assembled an impressive array of internal and external voices to help us explore the landscape of DEIB today. We invite you to listen in on this conversation and the Annual Review that grew out of it.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
- In A Divided Time, How The Junior League Is Showing The Way
- The Way Forward
- Reflections Of Monica Kaufman Pearson
VOICES OF CHANGE
As an organization, we are not alone in facing these big questions, and as we move through our diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging journey, we look to other voices of change who also blaze this trail in the important work of diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging. Here are some of our favorites:
Undoing Racism workshop by The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
BoardSource on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
RESOURCES
We recognize that a major part of our diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging journey is personal education and reflection. These are some of our favorite resources that help frame this work:
Verna Myers TED talk on "How To Overcome Our Biases"
lookdifferent.orgFacebook: Managing Unconscious Bias
Unconscious Bias @ Work Google Ventures
Women in the Civil Rights Movement Timeline
Books that can help you tackle the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging discussion:
- All Families Invited - Kathleen Goodman
- The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table - Minda Harts
- Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People - Mahzarin R. Banaji
- Moving Diversity Forward: How to Go From Well-Meaning to Well-Doing - Verna A. Myers
- What if I Say the Wrong Thing?: 25 Habits for Culturally Effective People - Verna A. Myers
- Under Our Skin - Benjamin Watson
- Crucial Conversations - Kerry Patterson
- White Fragility - Robin D'Angelo
- The Hate You Give - Angie Thomas
- Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly
- Daring Greatly - Brene Brown
- Can I Touch Your Hair? - Irene Latham & Charles Waters
- So You Want to Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo
Podcasts that can help you tackle the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion discussion:
- The New Jim Crow
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
- Pushout
- Integrated Schools