The Evolution of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Belonging

By Jenn Bakes

Ask any member of the Junior League of Cincinnati why they first joined our organization of phenomenal women, and somewhere in their response, you can bet you’ll hear the word community. A community to grow with, learn with, laugh with, volunteer with. A community of women dedicated to building better communities for others. It’s at the heart of what we represent, and what sets us apart from other volunteer organizations. For whether we gather for a day of service, an evening committee meeting, or a weekend fundraiser, we are seeking out a sense of belonging. We want to create an environment where all women can feel that sense of belonging. We are making several changes to our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Committee, the first of which is changing its name. To emphasize belonging, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion, it will now be called “DEIB.” However, efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging cannot be limited only to a name change. It requires an ongoing effort to change our culture, behaviors, policies. Our effort first began with the creation of the DE&I Committee in 2018, and now, we continue its evolution. This year, consultant Tristan Vaught, Co-founder of Transform Cincy and the Director of Education and Training at Living with Change, will provide sixty hours of consulting and three training sessions. Tristan will work alongside our DEIB Committee to identify opportunities for change and growth within the JLC, and they will help to start an action plan to achieve them. Additionally, we will be elevating our DEIB presence by placing DEIB leadership roles on both the Board and Executive Membership Team. A DEIB Vice Chair will sit on the Executive Management Team, and then the following year, the Vice Chair role will transition into the Chair role, sitting as a voting member on the Board of Directors. Our recently elected DEIB Chair will be Amber David, and the Vice Chair will be Deanna Hillard. DEIB efforts are not intended to be short term. We will continue to evolve to meet the present needs of our community. In following the lead set by AJLI, “We must be intentional and proactive in our actions to build diverse and inclusive Junior Leagues… for the good of the community, the wellbeing of our society, the strength of our relationships, the magnitude of our impact, the scope of our visibility, the quality of our leadership, the reality of our relevance and our essence as human beings.”