Hello hello,
I recently finished The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates, and I can confidently say it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. Many people in my circle will be getting a copy for Christmas, 😊! She’s an incredible writer, and the book is full of stories from around the world. It also includes lessons regarding equality and leadership that Melinda has learned in her work which I found very applicable. While the book is mostly focused on the work that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is doing to empower women across the globe, there’s a broader message around empowering any group that is considered to be on the margins. This includes women, people of color, immigrants, etc. Melinda outlines how entire societies benefit from bringing everyone into the fold and equally distributing opportunity.
She is very clear that the goal is not to elevate women/POC above men. With all the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, I can see and have heard fears from many that they will be negatively impacted or purposefully overlooked for things such as career advancement. I can empathize with this sentiment because everyone interprets the actions around them through his/her own world view. Melinda addresses this fear head on. In many ways, she articulates that no one is advocating for a replacement of the current social hierarchy; rather, she advocates for the disbanding of the current social hierarchy. That needs to include equal partnerships in the workplace, in society, and in the homes.
Happiest of Holidays to everyone!
#blacklivesmatter #courageousconversations #powertoprivilege
-Jessica
-P.S. It wouldn’t feel right to end this post without a podcast recommendation 😊 😊 So, here it is. From the Wall Street Journal, it’s an episode about Coke’s journey with DEI in corporate America and what we can all learn (it’s only 21 minutes!) What Corporate America Can Learn From Coke’s Reckoning With Race – The Journal. – WSJ Podcasts