Embracing Diversity and Celebrating Progress: Clarity’s Q2 2023 DEI Update

Q2 was a whirlwind of celebrations and reflections led by Clarity’s DEI Taskforce, with the team commemorating numerous significant events and achievements worldwide. Our biggest focus in June was Pride Month. The team celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community and welcomed speakers from the community into the office for education sessions, as well as sharing our learnings on the Clarity blog. Join us as we look back on some of the remarkable moments and key dates that made this quarter so special at Clarity.

Pride Month: Embracing LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity:

Pride Month is a time of celebration, remembrance, and activism within the LGBTQIA+ community. It honors the Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment in LGBTQIA+ history, and serves as a platform for political activism alongside acknowledging the community’s achievements. Despite the significant strides made, we also need to acknowledge that LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face discrimination and hardships globally. 

As a team we’re dedicated to living our values and focusing on doing what we can to support the LGBTQIA+ community. This includes uplifting their voices with the power of marketing and communications and promoting inclusivity for all in our team.

One of the most important ways to celebrate Pride is through learning. With this in mind, we were honored to host an inspiring Lunch & Learn in-person and virtual session with Opening Doors. Opening Doors, one of Clarity’s pro bono clients, is a UK-based charity connecting LGBTQ+ people over-50, who are more likely to be extremely isolated, with activities, events, support, and information. 

Their invaluable insights in the global session shed light on how we can all become better allies, accelerating inclusivity for the community. The key takeaway was that we need to continue to uplift LGBTQIA+ voices, advocate for the community’s rights, and stand in solidarity with the community not just during Pride Month, but every day.

Juneteenth: Honoring Freedom and Equality:

June 19th marked Juneteenth, a day of profound historical significance in the United States. It commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and serves as a reminder of the work still needed to combat inequality, challenges, and anti-blackness in our world. 

This day has over the last few years gained renewed recognition, fueled by powerful movements like Black Lives Matter and instances of racially-motivated brutality, and has rightfully been declared a federal holiday. 

At Clarity, we took this day as an opportunity to reflect on the history of race in the U.S., and sent educational materials around the team encouraging an ongoing commitment to fight for racial justice, wherever we’re based. Read this fantastic article from Joy A. Lewis, Senior Vice President for Health Equity Strategies and Executive Director at the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity, for more.

Reconciliation Week - Strengthening Relationships and Acknowledging History:

In Australia, Reconciliation Week (May 27th to June 3rd) is a time to reflect on how Australians can contribute to achieving reconciliation between First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples. It commemorates historic milestones, such as the 1967 Referendum and the Mabo decision, which began the process of recognizing Indigenous rights, and challenged racist laws, underscoring the importance of embracing diversity. 

The team also took this as an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming referendum on the Voice for Parliament where Australians will be voting on the establishment of a group, the Voice, which will, “…advise the Australian parliament and government on matters relating to the social, spiritual and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”.

Finally, check out our top reads, listens and picks from our ‘positivity corner’ from Q2:

Every quarter the DEI Taskforce sends the team a wrap of what we’re reading, listening to, and learning about to encourage constant learning and engagement with different communities. Here’s a selection of what we shared:

• An album | ‘Raven’ by Kelela (2023) [Apple/Spotify]: A masterful body of work celebrating Black, queer femininity, packaged in a seamless, abstract album. Exploring themes of love, separation, and rebirth, ‘Raven’ is a unique fusion of dance and R&B.
• A book | ‘Good Talk’ by Mira Jacobs [Amazon]: A touching and humorous memoir that takes readers on Mira’s journey. Good Talk delves into the difficult topics about race, sex, love and family through the conversations between a mother and son.
• A podcast | ‘AWAYE’ by Daniel Browning [Listen here]: Presented by Daniel Browning, a Bundjalung and Kullilli man, AWAYE tells stories about Aboriginal arts and culture from across Australia, as well as highlighting great radio from Indigenous broadcasters around the world, showcasing the power of embracing diversity in storytelling.
• From our positivity corner | The Kaleidoscope Trust: A charity focused on fighting for the human rights of LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth and beyond.
• From our positivity corner | The Marsha P. Johnson Institute: Protecting, advocating for, and defending the human rights of Black transgender people.

Alongside our quarterly blog, make sure you follow us on social for the DEI team’s regular takeovers where we share the best resources we come across through the year. If you have any questions about our DEI efforts, drop us a line here.