The name of our newsletter is Diversity Matters. Inherent in believing diversity matters is believing representation matters. I was recently reminded, as a panelist sharing insights with a group of HBCU college students who aspire to become attorneys, how encouraging and inspiring it is for people of color to SEE other people of color in a wide range of places and spaces. We should not be pigeonholed into equating being an attorney of color with practicing only in certain areas of the law or only in limited roles that do not include leading the case, firm, or organization. During a discussion after the panel, a co-panelist highlighted his belief that what we owe our people is our presence. I agree that being in the room, every single room, is critical. Once we are in that room, we must use our voices and our credibility to open more doors for those young aspiring students who will soon join the profession. I encourage every reader to think about how you can use your presence to help any person who suffers from imposter syndrome to see that not only can they accomplish (and become) their wildest dreams, but they also have others who will help them succeed. Be that mentor and sponsor you always wanted. Use what you have, no matter how big or small, to help the next person. You may be surprised at how much you are also helped—and inspired—in the process.
In this edition, we share insights from a panel of general counsel who offered their perspectives on how we can continue to advance diversity in law firms and the profession; we discuss ways you can become more inclusive in your holiday paid time off policies; we discuss how the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (or CROWN) Act shows why representation matters; and we discuss why businesses should be vigilant in creating inclusive policies for all employees and specifically LGBTQ employees who may be adversely impacted by current trends in legislation. I encourage you to tune in to our podcast, Diversity Ever After, and follow us on social media to stay in touch, in tune, and inclusive.