DEI News, & Insights

America the Free?

This month, from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to honor one of the backbones of this nation, the Latine/x community. Hispanic Americans have shaped U.S. culture for centuries. From Spanish support during the Revolutionary War...

Protected By Law: Legally Protected Characteristics

The ever-diversifying workplace of today is a true laboratory for success and progress. The multitude of perspectives and identities creates an environment that challenges prior beliefs and brings unheard ones into the fold. This diversity, however, has not always...

Race vs. Ethnicity: What’s the Difference?

Race and ethnicity are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. Understanding the difference matters in life, work, and law. Why This Distinction Matters We talk a lot about race and ethnicity in conversations on identity, equity, and inclusion. But...

Remembering EDS Co-Founder Andy Reynolds

"I need to see you in my office,” Elmer Dixon, President of Executive Diversity Services recalled telling Andy Reynolds, when they worked together at the Seattle Park District. Andy was in the media relations department. Elmer was the EEOC officer. “We've had a...

Back on Track: The Harriett Tubman $20 Bill

Freed slave and freedom fighter Harriett Tubman once earned $20 a month as a civil war veteran. Now things are moving forward again for her to be the face on the $20 bill. The movement started in 2014, when former President Barack Obama received a letter from 4th...

Elmer Dixon to Speak at Black History Month Events

Social Justice Through the Lens of the Black Panther Party Thursday February 4, 2021, 7 pm ET - 6 pm CT - 4 pm PT Join the University of Tulsa's as they welcome Elmer Dixon, president of Executive Diversity Services and former Black Panther Party member. Dixon...

The Changing Politics of Racial Identity and Representation

Was Barack Obama really America’s first Black president? There have been questions swirling for decades that former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s mother was half-Black. Across the pond, people were celebrating that Meghan Markle’s son would be the first baby of...

Don’t Give up Your Right to Vote

If you are thinking you might not vote in the upcoming general election, the question is, why not? “My vote doesn’t matter” is often a response. If this is you, you are not alone. 41.3% of those eligible did not vote in the 2016 presidential election. The current...

Why It’s Time to Retire the Phrase, the “Right Fit”

When hiring, companies often talk about finding a candidate who is a “good fit.” In the context of Diversity and Inclusion, many--or more specifically women and people of color--think of this as a euphemism to exclude people based on gender, race, and ethnicity....

The Tipping Point for Change in USAmerica

We are at a tipping point in the United States. The push-back against the lack of human rights and injustices for people of color has been building since it came to the forefront, yet again, in 2016. That’s when Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem to...

A Message from EDS President Elmer Dixon

I often tell people that when I travel abroad to Europe that I feel more comfortable and welcomed than I do in my home country. This is because Europeans, for the most part, don’t bear the scars and experiences of American racism. Not that racism doesn’t exist in...

What You Need to Know about Reparations, Race and Workplace Equity

House Bill HR 40, calling for reparations, has been introduced to every sitting Congress since 1989—where it has subsequently died in committee. It was only last summer that the 2019 edition of the bill, introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, finally made it...