A SSOCIATION A FFAIRS
On a Path of Learning, Increased Awareness, and Action
An update on the efforts of the Association’s Equity Core Team along with some initial findings from the DEI survey. By CDR Jennifer Yount, USCG (ret), ’81
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ver a month ago, I received a call asking for my thoughts and ideas related to the August/September 2020 Bulletin. In that issue, the Alumni Association and Board acknowledged systemic racism exists at the Academy and cadets of color do not have the opportunity for an equitable experience. As stated by Vice Admiral Manson Brown ’78 and Board Chair during a recent Lunch and Learn, “although this topic may be new for many of us as Alumni, the Board for more than three years has focused on enhancing their own level of cultural competence. Additionally, as a series of racially-centered incidents and reports regarding the Academy began to become public, the Board also asked the question, what can the Association do to help the Academy with its challenges involving diversity, equity, and inclusion? The board’s assertion is this: even in 2020, if you are a member of an underrepresented group at the Academy, the institutional structures, policies, and practices may not yield equitable outcomes for you as compared to the majority. We focus on race because the statistical disparities are more pronounced for individuals of color.” Throughout this article and in coming issues, I intend to share my path of initial learning and increased awareness and the Equity Core Team’s efforts and results. I am hopeful by sharing these experiences and information with you, you will move closer to my personal assessment and have a deeper understanding of the process and direction. I intend to provide a transparent, fact and data-based trail for you. First, I admit what I “thought I read” was “the Academy is racist.” How did my mind go from systemic racism to racist? I also admit a degree of ignorance and lack of education on the topic and definitions. Secondly,
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whether it’s the current influx of media coverage and emphasis on the topic, I incorrectly linked them as one in the same. Therefore, I began by deepening my understanding and distinguishing between the various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) definitions (www. cgaalumni.org/DEIFAQ). Racism is more complicated, there are at least three definitions. The USCGA Office of Inclusion and Diversity prefer to use the one popularized by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. It states racism is any policy, practice, action, or inaction that serves to overtly or covertly inhibit one group based on their race. Therefore, a racist is one who supports a racist policy through their actions or inaction or by expressing ideas which are inherently racist. Systemic racism (or institutional racism) occurs in an organization. These are discriminatory treatments, unfair policies, or biased practices based on race that result in inequitable outcomes and extend considerably beyond prejudice. These institutional policies often never mention any racial or gender group. With this new clarity, I began diving into the data from the Association’s recent survey – Getting a Pulse on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I was pleased to see when Alumni were asked “how important are Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts to “developing “Leaders of Character” at CGA enabling them to lead an increasingly diverse workforce” over 87% of Alumni respondents believed this was important. However, when asked to rate your belief on “Cadets of color have a more challenging experience at CGA than white cadets” over 46% of Alumni respondents disagreed with that statement. I found this disparity particularly interesting after I took a deep dive into December 2020/January 2021
