To actively advance inclusion in employment and education, we must first understand the systems, behaviors, and ideologies that hinder opportunities for all Washingtonians. This resource section offers a curated collection of websites, podcasts, videos, and other tools that leaders can use to promote inclusive practices within their organizations.
Employment and education systems in the United States have a long history of perpetuating systemic exclusion, including the economic exploitation of Black and Indigenous Persons of Color (BIPOC). Today, these biases persist in more nuanced forms, deeply embedded in modern employment and education practices. In Washington state we see the effects of this exclusion in disparities across employment, education, healthcare, and the criminal justice system (PDF). For some, these inequities show up in the everyday technology they use. We respond to these ongoing injustices with a call to action for academic and business leaders to move collectively toward inclusion for all in their communities.
National research reveals that many employees are excluded:
- Referred less frequently for job opportunities – women of color are referred 35% less than white men Payscale (PDF)
- Called back less frequently for job interviews- white candidates with similar qualifications are called back 36% more than Black candidates – a gap that has persisted for 25 years (Harvard Business Review)
- Afforded less access to senior leaders – two-thirds of Black workers nationally report having no access to their senior leaders Center for Talent Innovation (PDF)
- Make up 1.6 %, or 6, CEO roles in Americas top 500 companies – 2 of these executives are Black women (Fortune)
- Just over 5% of all full-time faculty members at colleges and universities in the United States are Black (JBHE)