Affirmative Action entered our lexicon in 1961 after President Kennedy signed an executive order. Quotas were never part of Affirmative Action in the USA. Diversity was next introduced in business environments. Research has shown over and over again that diverse teams lead to better performance and innovation.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion became the corporate rallying cry in the early 2000s. While all of these concepts and phrases have been embraced and discarded, leaving us with…what? I reached out to attorney Rodney Strong to discuss.
Sometimes it seems that even with all these programs, initiatives or options the numbers in many industries still haven’t changed significantly. I asked Strong if by any name do these policies work. Strong says that things have changed substantially. He speaks about the first affirmative action program began after A. Phillip Randolph insisted black business and labor be part of the federal contract for the war effort in 1941. Strong also explains the differences between the initiatives from a legal and business perspective.
I asked Strong if he thought the communities which benefitted from many of the programs would be able to hold onto the gains that had been made. He speaks about For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. There has been a backlash to the gains that oppressed communities have made. When I asked about the future and what he tells young people beginning their careers or businesses and he explained that he has been speaking to business leaders of every age and explains that they have to keep up with the environment and reach out to their elected officials on every level. Strong emphasizes that with the “pushback” from the federal government, engaging with local governments and authorities is even more important for business leaders.
To keep up with the work of Attorney Strong, you can visit their website to follow their online blog at www.gspclaw.ocm