The D&I Digest: November 2020
Featured in this issue: National Native American Heritage Month, Veterans Day and Transgender Day of Remembrance.
BR is committed to increasing and retaining diversity of thought, experience and background of our talent base at every level and function, and to actively creating a culture of belonging that embraces all of our employees as they are – because if we’re going to fully serve our clients, we need to show up as our full selves. Our goal is to develop a cross-functional team of employees and agency leaders that celebrates our people, delights our clients, better solves problems, and promotes a passion for diversity and inclusion.
National Native American Heritage Month
Volunteer Contributor: Lauren Cook
National Native American Heritage Month in November recognizes the accomplishments and history of the people who were the original inhabitants of the United States/North America. While we can’t give you a complete history lesson on every Native American tribe, please see the resources on the D&I SharePoint to start learning.
Interestingly, with our ag lens on, many farming practices still implemented today stem from agricultural influences and strategies of indigenous people. Check it out here to see some of their influence on modern diets. If you’re interested in learning more about and supporting Native American agricultural organizations, check out the D&I SharePoint.
This November, we invite you to dig deeper and learn more about the Thanksgiving holiday. You can listen to what some Native Americans think when they hear the word “Thanksgiving” and the romanticized story that many of us have been taught. Thanksgiving has a complex history, so let’s try to educate ourselves, each other and our children with Native American perspectives.
Want to celebrate Native American Heritage Month with your family? Check out this article and also:
- This interactive map showing Native American treaties and associated locations.
- This animated map shows the land-loss of Native American population from 1776 to 1887.
Veterans Day
Volunteer Contributor: Taylor Dei
Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States, annually observed on Nov. 11, honoring military veterans – any person who has served in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day in May, as Veterans Day celebrates the service of ALL military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who have died while in military service.
Honoring our very own
Please join us in recognizing the following Bader Rutter employees who have served our country:
Did you know:
- The first Veterans Day – then known as “Armistice Day” – was actually celebrated in 1919 as a result of the ending of World War 1.
- Armistice Day became a legal holiday in 1938, and the name was officially changed to “Veterans Day” in 1954.
- For a brief time in the early 1970s, Veterans Day was celebrated on Oct. 25. After much confusion and debate, President Ford signed a law in 1975 that returned the annual observance to Nov. 11 starting in 1978.
For more information on this holiday of remembrance and recognition, please visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs site.
Looking for a way to go beyond just “thank you for your service”? Check out these 10 suggestions: How to thank a veteran.
Please find a list of resources available to veterans and their families on the D&I SharePoint site under Learn More. We encourage you to share this with veterans you know, or consider getting involved yourself through donations or volunteer efforts.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. The day started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith in honor of Rita Hester (pictured here), a 34-year-old trans woman who was killed in 1998. Rita was brutally attacked in her own home and stabbed 20 times in the chest. To this day, no arrest has ever been made in response to Rita’s case. In response to her murder, the community led a candlelight vigil. The vigil, in which around 250 people participated, commemorated all lives lost due to transgender violence since Rita’s death. This vigil has now become an important annual tradition to take a moment to honor those who have lost their lives.
Pause, remember.
Starting on Nov. 20 until Thanksgiving Day, Bader Rutter will take a pause from social media channels to take a moment of silence in memory of all those lives lost this year. We encourage you to do the same. Please click on the image for a social graphic available for your use on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Please take a look at some of these resources below on how you can learn more and do more.
Human Rights Campaign – Violence Against the Transgender Community in 2019
Updates:
Thank You:
Thank you to those who contributed to the Pride shirt on GoFundMe! The total contributed from our employees was $1,540 (which the agency will be matching at 100%). We also have the funds raised from the vendor (Tsquared $594), for a grand total of $3,674. These funds will be donated to the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. For more information about their mission, please check out their website.
Also happening in November:
Nov. 14: Diwali, the Hindu, Jain and Sikh five-day festival of lights, celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and lightness over darkness.
Nov. 25-Jan. 6: Nativity Fast is a period of abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches in preparation for the Nativity of Jesus.
Nov. 27: Native American Heritage Day, held annually the Friday after Thanksgiving, encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe and honor Native Americans through appropriate ceremonies and activities. The day was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2008.
Missed our last newsletter?
Every month moving forward, D&I will release a monthly newsletter, but the previous issues are always available for you. Check out last month’s issue here:
Want to help the D&I Leadership Council? Have an idea on something that should be highlighted next month? Send us a note.
Dig in further on our SharePoint site that highlights our four pillars.
Learn More: BR supports each employee’s process of self-discovery about topics related to diversity, inclusion and belonging. We do this by providing resources and opportunities for employees to educate themselves.
Listen Harder: BR leadership commits to listening to employees about topics related to diversity, inclusion and belonging, and encourages employees to have open and honest conversations with each other. We do this by providing a range of feedback channels and spaces for discussion.
Change Faster: BR executes on action plans to become a more diverse and inclusive organization that fosters a sense of belonging. We do this by providing training for our employees, implementing talent acquisition plans and tracking our progress.
Give More: BR gives of its resources to support diversity, inclusion and belonging, and encourages employees to do the same. We do this by offering our employees service days, partnering with local organizations on pro bono work and making monetary donations.
