Each April is recognized as Diversity Awareness Month in the United States. In 2004, it was created as a month-long celebration of Emancipation Day, which marked the anniversary of the day President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing more than 3,000 slaves in the District of Columbia.
It has since been broadened to recognize and honor the diversity of the United States through the celebration of differences, including racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ people, disability awareness, and more.
“It is vital that the IDEA Council continuously seeks opportunities to educate employees about the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace,” said Traci Grant, Director of Corporate Services and Inclusion Diversity and Equity Awareness (IDEA) Council leader. “Employee awareness and engagement will play a critical role in expanding Santee Cooper’s diversity footprint.”
To celebrate Diversity Awareness Month, Santee Cooper’s IDEA Council has developed an internal employee campaign focusing on different topics each day that lead to LinkedIn Learning courses or internal learning and development opportunities. We’ve highlighted many topics, including the following:
Benefits of Diversity
Confronting Bias: Thriving Across Our Differences
How to Talk About Race at Work
Diversity: The Best Resource for Achieving Business Goals and Becoming a Male Ally at Work
Unconscious Bias
Civility in the Workplace
Driving Change and Anti-Racism
Adding Value Through Diversity and Become an Inclusive Leader
Santee Cooper is proud to be ranked at the top of large state agencies when it comes to achieving diverse workforce goals, as measured by the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission. Diversity and inclusion are crucial to success, and we’ll continue to look for opportunities to grow and improve in these areas.
You can celebrate diversity on your own by learning about unconscious bias, taking a LinkedIn course on inclusive leader habits, hosting a multicultural virtual movie night and more. Check out this comprehensive LinkedIn article on more ideas on how to celebrate diversity this month.