Our Commitment to Diversity

Our Commitment to Diversity by KARA WILKINS

Following the racial upheaval in response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, conversations about how to adequately address the systemic reforms needed to end structural racism have been happening

across the United States. While equity and social justice are presently in the forefront of many organizations’ minds, it has offered an opportunity for Junior League of Little Rock to further review how we effectively integrate equitable practices into our internal policies and procedures. This is addressed within the new 2020–2023 Strategic Plan and through additional steps put in place by the JLLR Board of Directors.

The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) has a standing focus on diversity and inclusion manifested through a commitment statement that was adopted by AJLI and JLLR. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitment statement reads as follows: “The Junior League welcomes all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations and communities.”

Recognizing that we all play a role and share in the responsibility of ensuring our League is open and accessible to all women who support our mission, the JLLR Board of Directors adopted four initial action steps with the goal of building a diverse and inclusive environment through our strategic plan, work plans, and ongoing actions:

First, implement a JLLR Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee to review and address League wide policies and procedures to ensure a diverse and equitable process and further our efforts to make leadership accessible to all members. This committee was placed and began work in fall 2020.

Second, assess our current JLLR recruitment efforts to ensure our League membership reflects an inclusive environment of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities.

Third, embed DEI training procedures within the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan and require DEI training for JLLR Board and committee leadership. Training opportunities

Thank you to the following Junior League of Little Rock members for serving as members of the innaugural JLLR Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee: Vontifany Smith, Chair Candace Anderson Kandi Chitman Hughes Marisha DiCarlo Janai Harris Nikki Hite Maradyth McKenzie Kerri Michael Mallory Visser