Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute, Joy E. Mason

by Daniel Johnson

May 13, 2024

How Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute Empowers Black Women

Joy E. Mason founded Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute in Indiana to make Six Sigma training and certification more accessible.

The Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute was founded by Joy E. Mason in spring 2021 as an offshoot of her Optimist Business Solutions company in response to the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department. Since then, the institute has grown into a space for Black women and Black Latinas to increase their skills and impact their communities.

Six Sigma certification aims to educate individuals in process analysis and outcome evaluation to minimize waste and defects. Certification levels range from basic end-user proficiency to mastery, where individuals serve as senior members in quality control, according to Investopedia.

According to its website, the Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute (SSREI) seeks to make Six Sigma training more accessible for two groups of women who are constantly underrepresented. “Black women and Black Latinas are under-represented in the Six Sigma community because they are commonly under-exposed to this training and its benefits. Six Sigma training is also costly. In addition, the Black community is oftentimes the most harmed by inequitable policies, resulting in low education attachment, poor health outcomes, and high unemployment.”

The SSREI continues, “Our goal is to upskill Black female professionals with Six Sigma green belt training and certification. This training will equip Black women and Black Latinas with the strategies and tools for complex problem-solving in the workplace and the community. We believe that Six Sigma is an ideal method for combining community voice, process thinking, and data analysis to tackle racial inequities across sectors.”

The Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute has announced their fourth cohort. Led by Joy Mason, president and founder of Optimist Business Solutions, SSREI aims to provide Black women in the Indianapolis community with leadership skills to solve community and workforce issues. pic.twitter.com/DtoBiOBZlM
— Indianapolis Recorder (@IndyRecorder) April 29, 2024

Mason told the Indianapolis Recorder that an catalyst for her initiative was the desire to help both women and the Black community.

“A number of factors divinely came together in 2021,” she said. “My love of continuous improvement, my enthusiasm for supporting women, my commitment to the Black community, an obsession for equity and my anger over George Floyd’s murder culminated into an urgent desire to step up. I believe God wanted me in this current role to address equity in this way—an institute that empowers and teaches women how to leverage Six Sigma for our communities and our workplaces.”

Mason noted that the program has so far been a tremendous success, and is an example of what can happen when a serious investment into the careers of Black women is prioritized.

“Of the previous participants surveyed, 67% stated that they received a pay raise since completing the Green Belt program, and 33% noted that they had received a promotion.” Mason told the Recorder. “After completing the program, 33% of participants noted they received a salary increase of more than $10,000, while an additional 44% received a salary increase of $1,000-$9,999 since completing the Green Belt program.”

Mason continued, “In a post-program survey of SSREI’s most recent Green Belt cohort, 100% of participants responded they gained new or increased problem-solving skills. 92% of the cohort participants said the program met or exceeded their expectations regarding improved leadership confidence. These findings are important to SSREI’s work and equity in central Indiana. Ensuring pay equity for Black women is a critical imperative in the pursuit of justice and equality. Closing the wage gap is not only a matter of fairness but a key step towards dismantling systemic discrimination.”

Mason said her primary source of satisfaction comes from seeing Black women win.

“Our participants win by gaining additional leadership skills, employers win from the additional capacity that we provide to address equity gaps and communities win because we equip employers to work and serve more equitably,” she said. “Most of all, I want our Black women to experience professional and personal transformation. The bump in salary from applying their news skills is an added bonus!”

Women Of Color, Voting, Politicians, maternal death rates, criminal justice system

by Stacy Jackson

May 13, 2024

Women Of Color Hold Great Voting Power; Will Politicians Listen?

For Black women, addressing high maternal death rates, discrimination, and reforming the criminal justice system were top priorities.

New polling data released by Intersections of Our Lives highlights the influential voting power of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Black, and Latina/x women while revealing its sentiment that policymakers and politicians are not prioritizing issues that directly impact their daily lives.

According to a press release, the poll found that reproductive justice issues concerning well-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, maternal health, cost of living, and rising prices are top priorities for these voters who could sway elections. Nearly nine in 10 women of color consider voting extremely or very important, and half of women of color view voting as an extremely effective tool for enacting desired change, underscoring that their experiences and priorities are largely absent from political and policy conversations.

Women’s rights, abortion, and rising costs top the list of issues that will influence their votes in the upcoming 2024 elections for President, Senate, Congress, and other offices. Regarding abortion, 79% of Black, 76% of AAPI, and 75% of Latina/x women agree that merely legalizing abortion is insufficient without ensuring access to abortion care. Rising costs affecting healthcare, housing, and the pay gap are among the most important vote-determining issues for 35% of Latina/x, 33% of AAPI, and 29% of Black women.

Women of color perceive a deterioration in the country over the past year and believe that, given the long history of racism, it is time for a leader who will establish long-overdue systems of racial justice.

Intersections of Our Lives is a collaborative effort by three reproductive justice organizations led by women of color from: the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice (Latina Institute); National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF); and In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. “…Women of color voters are too powerful a force to be ignored during this year’s election season,” stated NAPAWF Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow. “If our communities do not see the change we expect and deserve, we are prepared to fight for that change at the ballot box.”

“This poll makes it clear that women of color voters expect their elected officials to speak to Reproductive Justice issues that matter to them,” said Latina Institute Executive Director Lupe M. Rodríguez. “By joining forces, we can focus the power of this influential voting bloc to affect change.”

For Black women, addressing high maternal death rates, discrimination, and reforming the criminal justice system were other top priorities that each community wants Congress to act on. “Make no mistake, Reproductive Justice is a key issue…and it will determine who we support this election season,” said In Our Own Voice President and CEO Regina Davis Moss. “Our vote is key to securing equity and justice for our families and generations to come.”

The survey findings are from a national mixed-mode survey of 850 AAPI, 850 Black, and 850 Latina/x women registered voters, with ethnic and regional oversamples.

Brittany Griner, jersey, Baylor University, Russian, penal colony, coming home, Russia

by Daniel Johnson

May 13, 2024

Brittney Griner Exposes Putin’s Exploitation Of America’s Racial Tensions In New Memoir

Putin "was well aware of America’s long history of racial tensions, and he knew how to use that to his benefit,” Brittney Griner wrote in her memoir.

WNBA superstar Britney Griner’s memoir, Coming Home, co-written by New York Times bestselling author Michelle Buford, debuted at number one on Amazon’s best-seller list and has received sparkling reviews for its honesty and intimacy.

At one point in the memoir, Griner questioned how far the Black Lives Matter movement went in relation to Black queer people, as she wrote that she believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin used her detainment and incarceration as a bargaining chip.

“Black lives matter. We hear that in the streets, but what is a Black life really worth? Judging by our history, it seems not much, and even less if you’re gay. For Putin, my worth was as a pawn. My arrest gave him leverage in his clash with the West. He was well aware of America’s long history of racial tensions, and he knew how to use that to his benefit,” she wrote.

Griner detailed her disappointment at believing that she had brought shame and disgrace to the family name once the news of her arrest was reported. “I cried because I’d let down my father. The Griner name was now stained around the globe: dopehead, drug dealer, dumb. I hurt because I knew I’d handed the world a weapon. When you’re Black, your behavior is never just about you. It’s about your entire community.”

Griner also described bouts of depression and her disgust at the conditions of the shower in the Russian prison where she was initially detained.

“It was nasty, exposed pipes on every wall,” she wrote. “Long hair strands all over the tile floor and gathered in the drains. A bloody tampon was tucked between two pipes. As much as I was disgusted by the scene, I was just as repulsed by my stench. I undressed and found the cleanest part of the floor. I turned the faucet on, and rusty brown water came spouting out. I closed my eyes tight, trying to forget where I was. I thought of Relle [her wife Cherelle] and home and all I had left behind. Down the water slid from my dreads onto the floor splashing away the hell I endured. I stayed in there a good 30 minutes until I banged on the door for the guard to let me out. That was the nastiest shower I’d ever taken. It was also the best.”

Once Griner was transferred to another, more notorious Russian penal colony, her depression deepened and she cut off her hair off. “I had been frozen, sick, got my hair chopped off,” she wrote. “The girl I was lay on a heap of dreads on a concrete floor. … At a labor camp in Russia in the dead of winter, I learned how tough I was.”

Griner also revealed that the letters from family and friends kept her going as she waited. She was released in December 2022, exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death.”

Griner has resumed playing in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, which drafted her first overall in 2013. Griner is also currently seeing a therapist, and has been an outspoken advocate for the United States securing the release of Paul Whelan, a former Marine who has been detained in Russia since 2018 on suspicion of espionage.

The United States has denied the charges. However, Griner wrote, that she “will not rest until Paul Whelan is released.”

Farmers’ Market, Dr. Diedre Grimm, Forsyth, racially motivated, Grimm, Diedre, fired

by Stacy Jackson

May 13, 2024

Terminated Executive Director Of Forsyth Farmers’ Market Dr. Diedre Grimm Alleges Decision Was Racially Motivated

The former farmers' market executive claimed the Board of Directors, under the guidance of its legal counsel, declined any explanation.

Dr. Deidre Grimm’s tenure as executive director of Forsyth Farmers’ Market (FFM) in Savannah, Georgia, has ended abruptly. Grimm alleges that her termination may have been racially motivated.

The former director, who assumed her leadership role with FFM in September 2022, was informed of her dismissal while on medical leave on May 7, as reported by WSAV. No rationale was allegedly provided for the decision, despite Grimm’s request for clarification. The Board of Directors, under the guidance of its legal counsel, attorney Wade Herring, refused to offer its now former staff member any explanation of the decision.

“In the wake of my termination, I am left grappling with the troubling notion that this decision may have been racially motivated, particularly in light of my current medical leave,” Grimm stated. This allegation starkly contrasts the nonprofit organization’s principles of diversity and inclusivity. Forsyth Farmers’ Market, founded in 2009 by six women, was established with the shared vision of creating a local food system that promotes the health of all people and the environment.

During Grimm’s tenure with FFM, she spearheaded several initiatives geared to enhance community engagement. Programs included Farm-A Que, Forsyth Family Farm Share, Tiny Tots Trail Blazers, Harvest to Table Initiative, and Farmsgiving. Additionally, Grimm credited her efforts at the organization with an exceptional increase in the market’s budget from $300,000 to $1.5 million.

In the wake of Grimm’s departure, Tina Saxe, the chief operating officer, will assume the role of interim executive director until the organization appoints a new replacement.

WSAV reported that Grimm’s termination has raised concerns about potential racial discrimination, particularly in light of the organization’s stated commitment to inclusivity. As the local community grapples with this development, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market faces calls for transparency regarding the decision-making process behind Grimm’s dismissal.

by Mary Spiller

May 13, 2024

Report: Rent In Atlanta Increasing 3 Times As Fast As Wages

Zillow reported that this concerning trend has been going on in metro ATL since 2019.

According to a report from real-estate marketplace company Zillow, rent in Atlanta has been growing almost three times faster than the wages in metro Atlanta area since the COVID-19 pandemic, WSBTV reports. From 2019 to 2023, rent increased 35.6% while wages increased by 12.2%.

Nationally, the rent and wage trend had been similar until 2022, when “rent went up 30.4% and wages increased by 20.2% across major metro areas during that time.” According to Zillow, in 2023 the trend switched. Rent increased by 3.4%, and wages increased by 4.3% across most major metro areas. Not in metro Atlanta: Reports showed that rents went up by 0.3% and wages increased by only 0.2% in the last year.

According to the report, “Demand for rentals from the large millennial generation—many of whose members have remained renters longer than previous cohorts—and Gen Z adults have run headlong into the country’s housing shortage, causing rents to quickly rise.”

Zillow said the countrywide trend likely improved due to “strong multifamily construction [helping to] absorb demand for apartments, keeping rent growth in check in much of the country.”

Atlanta residents took to X to comment on the findings.

One user recounted their experience moving to Atlanta in 2019. They wrote, “I moved to Atlanta in 2018, a week after graduation. I was here for 6 months and your average rent for a high-rise apartment was about $1.1K-$1.4K in the ponce city market area, midtown, Buckhead, etc. When I moved back in 2022, apartments were between $1.6K-2.2K for something nice.”

https://twitter.com/TevonBlair/status/1788555114329833969?s=19

“I thought I was leaving the DMV for cheaper rent but no! Rent in Atlanta has become just as high as rent in DC. I lost it when I saw an apartment going for $1800 in Duluth. Georgia needs rent control badly.”

Another user wrote, “ATL has never been known for wages .. most folks I knew were working 2 jobs 20 years ago to get by.. now it seems 2 jobs don’t seem to cut it. You need to make a minimum of 85, 000 per year to live in the metro.”

ATL has never been known for wages .. most folks I knew were working 2 jobs 20 years ago to get by.. now it seems 2 jobs don’t seem to cut it . You need to make a minimum of 85, 000 per year to live in the metro..
— kevin (@kgice70) May 10, 2024

Jamila, Sams, we do it for the culture, Hip-Hop, pedagogy, schools, students

by Kandiss Edwards

May 13, 2024

Empowering Students Through Hip-Hop For Social Emotional Learning: How A Former Educator Is Revolutionizing Education

Jamila Sams, founder of We Do It For The Culture, helps children grow Social Emotional Learning skills by developing a curriculum rooted in Hip-Hop.

Jamila Sams is a former educator, hip-hop head, and businesswoman. As founder of We Do It 4 The Culture, Sams is using her experience and passion to help children grow Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills by developing a curriculum rooted in hip-hop culture. The curriculum is designed to hook and engage students in meaningful lessons beyond academics.

BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with Sams about We Do It 4 The Culture’s mission, processes, and motivation. When asked about the reason she left the traditional school system, her story echoes that of many educators across the country.

“My last year being an administrator, I was challenged as an assistant principal of what’s called a turnaround school. I wanted to elevate the consciousness of the students and parents. But to get past all of those layers of, as Lauryn says, The Miseducation, it was a lot on me,” she said.

“There wasn’t enough Jamila in the space in order to make the work happen. I was burned out.”

Understanding that the need for mental and emotional support was greater than any individual could provide, Sams stepped out of traditional education. Sams, a lover of hip-hop, is considered Gen-X. Needless to say, her experience with hip-hop culture is not the same as Gen-Z’s. While the early stages of hip-hop celebrated and revered lyrical prowess, dance, creativity, and innovation, the new generation of popular rap, critics say, sometimes focuses on negative stereotypes. Sams says even though the culture has changed, “we don’t have to demean” the new guard. According to Sams, there are ways to bridge the gaps and use the essence of the culture to help students learn and grow.

“We may talk about the RICO case with Gunna through the lens of civic action. Should lyrics be used in a court of law? Let’s have a debate about that. We can acknowledge what you’re listening to, Gunna, Megan Thee Stallion or whoever. Then have a conversation about the things that aren’t being said, like civil action or mental health” Sams said.

Sams knows of schools that have implemented programs “around hip-hop pedagogy or even just active engagement pedagogy” still there are many obstacles in the way when it comes to facilitating a program of this kind. Both school districts and teachers need to be on board in order for the program to yield results.

She explained, “I want to know if everybody knows the mission and vision of your school? What are the attitudes towards student voice and student choice? Based on the data, we’ll customize the training.”

We Do It 4 The Culture is so dedicated and confident in its ability to help students grow that We Do It 4 The Culture offers 10 free lessons. BE asked why Sams decided to sacrifice profit with this offer, she replied:

“I’m giving it away because the culture is free, right? Like when you think about it, these are things that we just do organically. So if using these free lessons can help you to engage with your students then by all means.”

Sams has built partnerships with institutions outside of the school system like the National Urban League. She invites schools of all demographics to join as the culture extends to all demographics and We Do It 4 The Culture has found success all over the United States.

“What most people don’t seem to understand is that hip-hop is universal and there’s a lot of districts, especially in the suburbs where students are engaging with hip-hop culture. The influence is there. It’s really interesting to see the impact that it’s having in spaces like Portland, Oregon, or in Lancaster, Texas,” she said.

Finding success state-wide Sams hopes to expand the curriculum.

She says, “We want to be able to leverage the culture to raise awareness about things that are happening in different parts of the world where people are not being seen, heard, and valued.”

That will be the next phase for the culture, really customizing the content based on geographic locations.

North Carolina, Kinston, comdemnation, Black homes

by Daniel Johnson

May 13, 2024

North Carolina Supreme Court To Hear Case Alleging Racial Bias In Property Condemnation

According to Black residents, Kinston is targeting homes and property that belong to Black individuals or families for condemnations.

In Kinston, North Carolina, residents are noticing a pattern with how the city is condemning homes in the town’s majority Black neighborhoods. Residents like Joseph Askew Sr., who has amassed several properties over the years, see a clear racial bias in how the city is conducting its business. According to Askew, instead of fairly assessing homes and properties in the city in need of repair or maintenance, Kinston is targeting homes and property that belong to Black individuals or families.

As Capital B News reports, once Askew started to look into how the city picked properties it wanted to condemn, he and other residents began to notice that their list mostly consisted of property in Black areas of the city and not the city’s white areas, even if those areas were in worse shape than the Black homes and properties that made the list. Askew and two others, Curtis Washington and Gordon Wade III, sued the city, white leaders of the city planning department, and the city’s all-Black city council in 2019 to stop the city from demolishing their properties. The suit worked, but then their case was dismissed by the North Carolina Court of Appeals in December 2022 because the trio failed to first engage with potential local remedies available to them.

Their case now is headed to the North Carolina Supreme Court, which as Capital B notes, is a conservative-led body. According to Justice Anita Earls, the Court’s sole Black justice and a Democrat, the case could have wide-ranging implications for the practice of condemning property. Earls expressed to the outlet that if the court rules against the trio’s case, it could make it possible for local governments to condemn property of those who condemn public officials and force them to navigate a lengthy process before the possibility of any potential First Amendment violations can be raised.

https://twitter.com/aallyahpatrice/status/1788613084585640426?t=giblsYQ1AjVLUZn7AagGvw&s=19

The city, meanwhile, defended its practice in court filings, asserting that “Despite Plaintiffs’ repeated speculation that Kinston is trying to ‘snatch’ property from African American owners, Kinston has never foreclosed to take ownership of a property after Kinston demolished the building.”

Kinston, however, is far from the only city with a predominantly Black community facing an allegedly arbitrary condemnation process. Independence, Missouri, and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, are two other cities where Black neighborhoods have been targeted for demolition through various means, including eminent domain, a practice, which has been linked to the widespread displacement of Black communities to build the American highway system. Dana Berlinger, a senior vice-president and litigation director at the Institute of Justice, who served as counsel for a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of Ocean Springs residents, told Capital B that keeping pressure on cities can help curtail actions from cities on homes.

“The public is often shocked and outraged when these projects and plans become known, and that can make cities back off,” Berliner told the outlet. “When you organize and bring to light what is happening, often the people are ashamed of what they’re doing, and they’ll proceed as long as no one calls them out on it.”

Askew, meanwhile, is determined to keep fighting for his properties, no matter what happens with the North Carolina Supreme Court, as he told Capital B. “I have to pray daily for strength for myself to take on a municipality or another arm of the government because if I don’t, then these injustices will continue on,” Askew said. “I can’t live my life knowing when I see something wrong and do nothing. No, I don’t sleep good at night, but when I know I fought a good fight — it’s just like the Bible — you don’t worry about what’s going to happen to you as long as you know that what you’re doing is right.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

May 13, 2024

Gun Presence Does Not Justify Killing Of Florida Airman, Experts And Supporters Say

Fortson was a senior Air Force airman before a Florida deputy shot at him six times.

Experts weigh in on the fatal shooting of Florida Airman Roger Fortson, stating his holding of his gun did not justify his death. A Sheriff deputy shot Fortson after he opened his apartment door with a gun in hand.

The May 3 incident occurred after the deputy appeared at Fortson’s doorstep to respond to a complaint about an argument. Fortson was allegedly by himself at his residence, and on FaceTime with his girlfriend. His advocates believe the killing was yet another instance of an officer using excessive force. It also lies as a case in which police fatally shoot a Black person in their own home, as reported by ABC News.

On the other hand, authorities argue that the deputy, who remains unidentified, had to make the timely decision if he felt a deadly risk. To some experts, however, the presence of a gun is not merely enough to justify the officer’s actions.

Ian Adams, an assistant criminology professor, explained how the increase in legal ownership of guns makes the matter tricky. Adams also has a past history as a police officer.

“The speed of the shooting is pretty intense. It’s happening very, very fast,” explained Adams on the footage. “The presence of a gun enhances the risk. But mere presence is not at all justification for using deadly force.”

He added, “We also live in a nation with more guns than people. If the mere presence of a gun were the standard for reasonable use of deadly force, we would be awash with police shootings.”

The incident garnered national attention due to the body-camera footage and the man’s rank in the Air Force. In the video released on May 9, the deputy banged on Fortson’s door, yelling that he was from the sheriff’s office. Seconds after the 23-year-old appeared at the door with his gun allegedly at his side, the deputy fired in his direction six times. He then proceeded to tell him to drop his weapon.

Ben Crump, the Fortsons’ attorney, argued that the lack of verbal warning by the deputy led to this preventable death. Fellow supporters of Fortson within the Air Force also believe his killing was unjustified.

“When he just opens the door, sees him with a gun, and unloads six rounds on the senior airman, to me that just screams unjust right away,” said Scott Lacey, a retired Air Force Special Operations Command Officer. “The airman didn’t raise his gun and showed no kind of hostile intent.”

The Okaloosa Sheriff’s Department, which employed the deputy, has its own history of unjust force claims. The department faces ongoing litigation for its treatment of Black residents, particularly LaTanya Griffin. Police opened Griffin’s home with a battering ram in 2019, and forced her to stay naked as upon arrest. She was never charged with any crime.

In regards to Fortson’s fatal shooting, investigators expect to make a decision soon on whether the officer should be charged.

by Daniel Johnson

May 13, 2024

Study: Discrimination Ages People Faster, Authors Call For More Research

Discrimination may speed up the biological processes of aging, according to a new study led by researchers at New York University.

According to a new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity-Health, discrimination is a factor in increased biological aging. The study, which was led by researchers from New York University (NYU), establishes that all forms of discrimination have the effect of increasing susceptibility to health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression.

According to the press release from NYU, researchers indicated that being exposed to various forms of discrimination, which they categorized as everyday discrimination, major discrimination, and workplace discrimination, had a negative effect on biological aging. According to Adolfo Cuevas, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Health Sciences at New York University’s School of Global Public Health, as well as the study’s senior author, “Experiencing discrimination appears to hasten the process of aging, which may be contributing to disease and early mortality and fueling health disparities. While health behaviors partly explain these disparities, it’s likely that a range of processes are at play connecting psycho-social stressors to biological aging.”

Cuevas also added, “These findings underscore the importance of addressing all forms of discrimination to support healthy aging and promote health equity.”

This link between discrimination and biological aging also varied by race, white people were also susceptible to aging as a result of discrimination against them, although they received less discrimination, which the researchers hypothesized could be due to the shock coupled with a lack of strategies to cope with discrimination. It should be noted that data on other racial groups or ethnicities were not made available during the study.

According to the study’s abstract, “Reports of discrimination were more strongly associated with accelerated biological aging among White as compared with Black participants, although Black participants reported more discrimination overall and tended to exhibit older biological age and faster biological aging. Findings support the hypothesis that experiences of interpersonal discrimination contribute to accelerated biological aging and suggest that structural and individual-level interventions to reduce discrimination and promote adaptive coping have potential to support healthy aging and build health equity.”

The introduction continues the focus on Black Americans, while also concluding that this study cannot determine if discrimination is a direct cause of poor health outcomes, it is at least an underlying factor. “The biological weathering hypothesis posits that the persistent exposure to discrimination and other psychosocial stressors accelerate the aging process, particularly among Black Americans, elevating their susceptibility to disease and premature mortality. This hypothesis finds strong support in empirical data revealing that aging-related diseases manifest at younger ages for Black Americans, Black-white disparities intensify with advancing age, and are conspicuously present across a wide spectrum of age-related health conditions. While strides have been taken in elucidating how discrimination heightens disease risk, our comprehension of the underlying biological mechanisms remains incomplete.”

In its conclusion, the study argues for more research regarding what exactly leads discrimination to link with biological aging as well as potential ways to prevent the phenomenon and to investigate more ways that discrimination affects people’s lives.

“The findings of this study shed light on a potential mechanism underlying the relationship between discrimination exposure and disease. To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine multiple forms of discrimination while considering multiple epigenetic clocks within a large community-based cohort of adults. Our results demonstrate that everyday and major discrimination are associated with accelerated biological aging.”

Corporate Leaders, DEI, Future of Work Town Hall, meeting

by Kay Rose

May 13, 2024

BE’s Future of Work Town Hall Explored Impact of Technological Progress On Black Workers With Industry Leaders

Tomorrow's workplace calls for strategies for success.

During a thought-provoking session of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Future of Work Town Hall, professionals from various fields gathered to delve into the complex terrain of the upcoming changes in the workforce, with a particular emphasis on how they would affect African-American employees. Guided by moderator Ed Gordon, the session offered an opportunity for thorough conversations on the obstacles and opportunities that arise from the rapid pace of technological progress and the changing nature of employment.

Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., CEO of BE, opened the discussion by introducing the topic and emphasizing its urgency. He highlighted the rapid pace of change reshaping the employment landscape across all fields and pointed out the exceptional stakes for Black Americans. He also discussed the gig economy’s impact on productivity, efficiency, and collaboration, raising questions about whether these trends genuinely move us forward as a nation. Butch emphasized that the future of work represents our future as a nation, and BE is fully committed to maximizing opportunities for Black Americans in the evolving employment landscape. Butch also thanked Nationwide for their continued long-term partnership.

After Graves’ introduction, Vinita Clements stepped onto the stage to commence the session. Clements, EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer for Nationwide, a longstanding supporter of BE‘s programming, set the tone for the event. Clements outlined the critical topics for discussion, including the impact of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), the rise of remote and adaptable work models, the dynamics of the gig economy, and the crucial need for continuous learning and skill development in a rapidly evolving employment sphere. She also emphasized the critical role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in crafting the future workplace. She highlighted the significance of HBCUs in equipping students for success in the professional world.

Gordon introduced the panelists, including Clements, motivational speaker Paula Fontana, and tech entrepreneur Ariel Lopez. They discussed the transformative potential of technology, particularly AI, in reshaping industries and redefining traditional job roles. The panelists stressed the importance of addressing systemic barriers to access and advancing policies promoting workplace diversity and fairness.

Fontana stressed the importance of soft skills in navigating the future of work, highlighting adaptability and resilience as essential qualities for success and to remain relevant. Lopez echoed this sentiment, underscoring the potential of AI to streamline tasks and enhance productivity, while raising concerns about biases and privacy issues inherent in AI technology. “It’s important for Gen Z or anyone actively looking for a job to understand that the difficulties in the job market should not be interpreted as a reflection of their abilities. Companies are inundated with hundreds of resumes in the current competitive job landscape, but only a few candidates are selected for further consideration. Most resumes are filtered through applicant tracking systems, underscoring the importance of standing out from the crowd,” said Lopez, founder and CEO of Knac, a hiring platform that reduces bias in the application process.

Lopez added another layer to the discussion by highlighting the transformative potential of technology, particularly AI, in reshaping industries and redefining traditional job roles. Lopez emphasized the power of AI to streamline processes, boost productivity, and drive innovation. However, she also raised valid concerns regarding biases and privacy issues inherent in AI technology, urging for greater transparency and ethical considerations in its implementation.

As the conversation concluded, panelists offered actionable advice for the audience. Fontana urged individuals to build meaningful relationships and pivot when necessary, while Lopez emphasized the importance of DEI in the workplace.