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Following a wave of high-profile criticism and new state legislation targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, it may seem that the corporate DEI movement is retrenching. But regathering would be a more accurate assessment. In this day and age of labor shortages, a strong DEI profile is all the more essential for businesses to thrive and grow. 

DEI is good for business 

So far, much of the media attention has focused on state-based legislation that bans DEI programs from public schools and universities. Florida is the most notorious epicenter of such activity, though bills in Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and both of the Dakotas have also been signed into law, with many more in the pipeline, according to the online education tracker BestColleges.

In contrast, the private sector is relatively untouched, enabling businesses to continue their DEI practices without interference, for the most part.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) provides a good example of private-sector momentum on DEI. The trade organization represents one of the fastest-growing sectors of the United States’ economy. They are keenly aware of the need to attract, cultivate and retain enough workers to keep supporting that growth.

“Prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) programming is the path forward to helping the solar and storage industry achieve its goals,” wrote Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, and Erika Symmonds, vice president of equity and workforce development at the association, in a blog post. 

“It’s how we spread wealth, deliver upward mobility, and ensure that the workplace support systems we put in place are fully embraced and elevated in tandem with our industry’s growth,” they added. “It’s also how we attract and retain the top talent we need to become the dominant energy source in our economy … A company’s workforce is its most powerful asset. As companies seek to increase profit and reduce turnover, well-executed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are great for business and great for our industry.”

Amplifying the DEI effect

SEIA also demonstrates how trade organizations can educate and support their members, helping to amplify DEI messages about workforce development. The organization launched a DEIJ Certification program three years ago, and so far the program has enlisted 52 participants across the solar industry spectrum, including SEIA itself as well as developers, manufacturers, financiers and service providers.

The program includes an assessment step, a communications plan, a mentorship program and training for hiring managers. Since launching, the program has also expanded in response to emerging needs.

“This includes new modules on mentorship, LGTBQ+ inclusion in the workplace, creating inclusive spaces, and strategies for attracting, hiring, and retaining military veterans and spouses,” Hopper and Symmonds wrote.

“In addition, all 52 organizations report that they are working directly with the frontline communities impacted by energy development and have either created a process or are working on a process to collect feedback from impacted communities,” they reported. “Inclusion assessments, feedback processes, and mentorship programs … help boost retention and generate a more inclusive culture. As these programs expand, participating companies will see the benefits and become more competitive when they’re trying to hire top talent.” 

Vigilance needed to preserve DEI progress

Although private-sector action on DEI has been relatively free from partisan political interference, cracks in the shield have appeared.

In 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning DEI programs among federal agencies, a policy that also impacted private sector contractors and grant recipients. The order was later rescinded by President Joe Biden. However, it served as the inspiration for Florida’s new “Stop WOKE” legislation, which prohibits employers from enrolling their workers in DEI programs. The Florida law seems unlikely to survive a First Amendment challenge, though it could nevertheless inspire copycat bills elsewhere.

Another form of attack on corporate DEI initiatives appears in the torrent of state-based legislation aimed at criminalizing transgender existence and reproductive health care, to the extent that they impact corporate health plans and other aspects of employee relations.

Influencers continue to influence against DEI

More broadly, the persistent influence of former President Trump on the U.S. political landscape all but guarantees the anti-DEI movement will continue to wield power over state legislation in the coming years. Trump may or may not survive as a political force past the 2024 election cycle, but the anti-DEI torch was also taken up and amplified by other influential private-sector figures. 

Most notably that includes Tesla investor and CEO Elon Musk, whose views on DEI attracted renewed attention after he purchased the social media site Twitter, now known as X, in 2022. Tesla’s latest 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission omitted all references to minority inclusion, a break with the company’s past practice, according to Bloomberg Law.

Musk also posted anti-DEI statements on social media, such as a December 2023 post in which he stated, “DEI must DIE. The point was to end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination.”

In other words, programs that support inclusion and diversity are somehow unfair to, well, everyone. If that sounds like a weak argument, it is. And most of corporate America is ignoring it.

The latest example of corporate indifference to the “different discrimination” argument comes from a new national survey of senior executives in companies with more than 1,000 employees by the research organization Public Private Strategies Institute.

The survey reveals “a strong consensus across political affiliations that diversity initiatives are critical for business strategies, create significant value, and will become increasingly important,” according to the institute. “Business leaders across the board see diversity initiatives as very important for their business strategy and expect it will become more important in the coming years.” 

“With 82 percent of executives indicating that diversity initiatives are critical for their business strategies, the connection between business diversity and business success is undeniable,” Tammy Halevy, executive director of the institute’s Reimagine Main Street program, said of the survey. “It’s not just about being on the right side of public opinion, but on the right side of growth, innovation, and performance in a rapidly evolving business landscape.”

Staying the DEI course has been a winning business strategy, partisan politics or not. However, the background chatter against DEI is all but certain to gather steam in the run-up to the 2024 Election Day. Business leaders will need to push back more aggressively in order to ensure that their workforce keeps thriving and growing into the future.

Marketers tackled Super Bowl LVIII with a star-studded lineup of ads featuring everyone from Tina Fey and Jennifer Anniston to Michael Cera and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A 30-second spot during this year's Super Bowl set advertisers back around $7 million, and while standard product features with a side of comedy dominated the airwaves, a number of brands took the opportunity to raise awareness for a bigger message. From Dove's short film about empowering girls in sport to Google's take on accessibility for people with disabilities, here are all the brands that took stands in their Super Bowl ads this year. 

Dove 

Unilever brand Dove is at it again with another purpose-driven ad campaign focused on body positivity and empowering women and girls. The personal care brand's short film for the Super Bowl opens with footage of young women athletes falling down and getting back up during sport. Then comes the message: "The knocks don't stop girls playing sports. Low body confidence does." 

The film then shifts to a young girl peering self consciously at herself in the mirror as she tugs on her swim uniform. The spot aims to raise awareness of the role unattainable beauty standards and body image play in 45 percent of girls quitting sports by the time they're 14. "Together we can keep them in the game," the brand declares, with a call-to-action for viewers to get involved in Body Confident Sport, an evidence-based effort to build girls' confidence and keep them playing the sports they love. 

The program was developed over three years in partnership with Nike, the Center for Appearance Research and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, with input from girls and coaches across six countries. The program trains coaches, physical education teachers, and other educators to deliver confidence-building programming to girls aged 11 to 17, and training materials are available for free on its website. 

Google

Most of us love the advanced cameras on our smartphones because they help us snag a better shot for Instagram, but features like these can also serve a deeper purpose. That's the focus of Google's 2024 Super Bowl ad spot, which features the story of a visually-impaired person using the guided frame feature on the Google Pixel phone to snap selfies with his partner and document his life. 

The film contrasts Javier's blurred vision with perfectly framed, crystal clear photographs taken with an artificial intelligence assistant that lets the user know how many faces are in the frame and takes hands-free shots when they're ready. The rapid-fire montage of Javier's trips with his partner, his first completed marathon, his first home and, finally, the birth of his first child make clear how much adaptability features like these mean for people who walk through the world with different abilities — and it's a perfect example of how brands can sell their cool stuff, while making it much bigger than selling their cool stuff. 

The National Football League

The NFL leveraged its own ad space at Super Bowl LVIII to raise awareness for the International Player Pathway Program, launched in 2017 to reach talented athletes around the world with training and an opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL team. The ad spot opens with a young boy running through a crowded outdoor market in Ghana's capital city of Accra, imagining he is playing football with NFL stars. With a little help from a nearby dog, he discovers an NFL training camp and meets former New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who tells him, "It doesn't matter where you're born, as long as you're born to play." It's a heartwarming message that resonates instantly and showcases the program that brought 37 international athletes to the NFL over the past six years. 

The International Pathway Program Class of 2024 includes 16 athletes from around the world. Umenyiora, who has Nigerian-British roots, will spearhead the NFL's outreach program in Africa. "This is only the beginning for these players," he said of the incoming class. Watch the ad on YouTube here.

The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism 

This powerful ad spot opens with the voice of Clarence B. Jones, a draft speech writer for civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "Sometimes I imagine what I'd write today for my dear friend Martin," Jones says. "I'd remind people that all hate thrives on one thing: silence." 

Images of Black Lives Matter activists and peace demonstrations against anti-Jewish hate fill the screen as Jones goes on: "The people who will change the nation are those who speak out, who refuse to be bystanders ... When we stand up to silence, we stand up to all hate." 

The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism was founded in 2019 by sports executive Robert K. Kraft with $20 million of his own investment. It says it aims to unite Jewish and non-Jewish people to stand against hate and discrimination of all forms. As antisematism rises in the U.S. amidst Israel's war with Hamas, the organization is doubling down on its mission to raise awareness under the call to action, "When one hate rises, they all do." The organization invites viewers to join the conversation on social media using the hashtags #StandUpToJewishHate and #StandUpToAllHate in a poignant message that unites around a common goal of equality for all. 

Microsoft

In another ad focused on the power of artificial intelligence, Microsoft showcases how modern technology can help people realize their dreams. The spot opens with people going about their daily lives, as superimposed text spells out judgements placed on them by others: "They say I'll never open my own business, or get my degree. They say I will never make my movie, or build something. They say I'm too old to start something new, too young to change the world." It shifts to a young woman who stares at the camera defiantly and says simply, "Watch me." 

The film then shows off how Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot can help creators get tasks done and make their visions a reality — from a young woman filmmaker storyboarding with help from AI-generated images, to a student asking the tool to quiz her in organic chemistry. Copilot's response to each query — "yes, I can help" — puts a punctuation on a powerful narrative that advertises the company's technology while delivering a relatable message about overcoming naysayers, obstacles and self doubt. 

Homepage image: Phillip Goldsberry/Unsplash

The field of sustainable living casts a wide net and raises many questions. First and foremost is whether or not it makes a difference. After all, if you invest in a new water-saving toilet and your neighbor expands their two-bedroom starter home to a five-bedroom, six-bath mansion, where is the impact?

The answer is simple. Sustainable living makes a big difference to the person who practices it. That is the impact.

Take me, for example. The neighbor conundrum happened to me, only it did not involve a neighbor. When I moved from a small apartment in a city to a house in the suburbs, my no-car, small footprint, energy-efficient lifestyle exploded into two cars and my own in-ground oil tank, among other routine features of raising children in a single-family suburban home.

Year by year, ways to lessen the blow began to emerge. Replacing a 50-year-old, 35 percent energy-efficient oil furnace with a 95 percent efficient gas system was a good start, along with a new set of double-pane windows.

Joining my town’s environmental commission, connecting with the local Democratic Party organization to help environment-wise candidates campaign for office, and giving public workshops on creating art with recycled materials also enabled me to participate in community-wide conversations about sustainable living choices. Community engagement is not simply a box to check on a to-do list. It fosters life-long social connections and support networks, adding to the enjoyment of community life and personal well-being.

A similar principle applies to sustainable choices made in the home. They open up a chance to enjoy parts of an ordinary day that would otherwise go unnoticed or unattended. To the extent that sustainable living also reduces utility bills and other expenses, that’s icing on the green cake. Here are some of the ways that sustainable living adds to my enjoyment of life.

Home heating 

I love winter. I love bulky sweaters, scarves, slippers and housecoats. And hats. I love bundling up with grandma’s crochet blanket on the couch to watch TV, and I love a thick layer of quilts on the bed at night. Because I love all of these things, I keep the temperature in my home fairly low during cold weather. If you are not a fan of this choice, that’s okay. You can try something else.

Air-drying laundry

My gas-powered clothes dryer is a real energy hog, but I used it all the time until I read an article about preserving the lifespan of blue jeans by air-drying them. At first, I only air-dried jeans, towels and other heavy items. After a while, it seemed just as easy to air-dry entire loads.

Hanging everything up piece by piece takes time, and that’s okay. I use that time to relax from a hectic day and catch up with my favorite radio programs. Podcasts and audiobooks are other options. 

Using alternative transportation

When my family was young and my work commute required a car, I was dashing back and forth in the car all day every day, and into the evening. Nowadays it’s different. I have enough free time to enjoy a 40-minute round-trip walk into town for errands. Walking is an exercise session and I save on parking fees, too.

Rediscovering local mass transit options is another lifestyle enhancement because that’s the time I get to read a book without interruption. I get much more reading done now than ever before, even though trip planning can sometimes be a hassle especially when a train gets stuck.

Yard care

Yard care is another choice that varies widely according to circumstance and personal inclination.

Choosing not to use a gas-powered lawn mower or apply chemicals to my new suburban lawn was an easy choice for me. When weeds began to take over parts of the grass, I replaced them with beds of hostas, daffodils and other easy-care perennials. Existing forsythia bushes and English ivy were also allowed to run rampant.

On the downside, hostas, daffodils, English ivy, and forsythia are not native to the United States, and they are not particularly friendly to pollinators. A more sustainable choice would have been replacing weedy parts of the lawn with native wildflowers. Eventually, I ripped out the non-native beds, threw down some wildflower seeds, and invested in a few wildflower seedlings from the local nursery.

With the non-native plants out of the way, volunteer tree species also began to appear, including locusts and sassafras. The sassafras in particular were a big thrill that triggered childhood memories with their deliciously fragrant leaves. Last year I added a pair of pawpaw saplings just to see how they would do, too.

My yard looks dreary all winter but that’s nature for you. The reward is a lively display of birds, bees and butterflies beginning in early spring and lasting into the fall, along with the occasional visitor in search of spare seeds during the winter.

No buying new

I love hunting through thrift shops for buried treasure, so buying second-hand is another sustainability checkoff box that adds zest to my life.

Garage sales are another option, of course. My town established a formal freecycle schedule, where residents can drop off used goods and pick up something else without exchanging money.

The internet also opened up a wide field of second-hand buying opportunities, including no-buy clubs on social media and online marketplaces.

Cooking at home

Cooking at home is yet another sustainable living choice that varies widely according to circumstance. I love it, so I do it, and I compost my food waste.

Within the cooking space, energy-saving choices include avoiding the oven during summertime and cooking enough at one time to make meals with leftovers.

What else?

With the exception of the new furnace and windows, my sustainability choices have not involved any significant new investments. Nevertheless, solar panels, home energy storage, smart home systems, electric vehicles, and other new carbon-cutting technologies are becoming more affordable, and my neighbor across the street just cut down a huge old tree that was shading parts of my roof all day.

My next step is checking out the new tax credit for home solar panels under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. What’s yours?  

Carbon emissions from the global shipping industry are “headed in the wrong direction,” despite efforts to replace the heavy fuel oil currently used by most ships with cleaner fuels, according to a 2023 assessment from the United Nations. 

Still, the fuel transition is just one pathway to decarbonize the shipping industry. New technologies are also emerging to help get shipping emissions back on track until heavy oil is banished forever.

Emissions from the shipping industry are headed in the wrong direction

“The shipping industry accounts for over 80 percent of the world's trade volume and nearly 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with emissions escalating by 20 percent in just a decade,” according to the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTD).

The UNCTD also notes that almost 99 percent of the global shipping fleet still relies on conventional fuels. With an estimated 60,000 cargo ships currently in operation, alternative fuels have barely made a dent.

The future looks somewhat brighter in the years to come, with 21 percent of new ships on order designed for alternative fuels. However, that still leaves plenty of room for conventional fuel. With a cargo vessel’s typical lifespan of 20 to 30 years, the gears of decarbonization will grind slowly.

The persistence of conventional fuels notwithstanding, new technologies can help make a significant reduction in shipping industry emissions within the near future. Here are five retrofits that can make a difference.

1. The return of wind power

New high-tech, rigid sails are appearing on cargo ships. While not entirely replacing conventional fuel, they can make a significant cut in fuel use, drawing aerodynamic lessons learned from racing yachts, motorsports and aircraft.

Some don’t resemble sails at all. The Swedish firm Oceanbird and the United-Kingdom-based startup Green Energy Technologies, for example, are developing rigid sails for shipping vessels that resemble long, tall smokestacks.

Another kind of approach is represented by the Finnish company Norsepower. Its hard sail is based on the Magnus effect, which refers to a sideways force on a spinning object, such as a curveball. Norsepower harnesses the Magnus effect in a long tube called a Flettner rotor. 

Norsepower has installed its Rotor Sail technology on cargo vessels for 10 years. The company recently announced that it is preparing for mass production.

In a recent voyage to validate the technology, a tanker owned by the Japanese firm Sumimoto made the Atlantic crossing between Amsterdam and New York City with a fuel savings of 16 percent attributed to the Rotor Sails alone. Another 12 percent in fuel savings came from Norsepower’s route optimization system, for a total of 28 percent.

2. Producing calcium carbonate at sea

Another emerging trend that could be brought to bear on ship emissions is the carbon capture-and-recycling trend, in which airborne carbon is repurposed to make fashion accessories, plastics, yarns, fabrics, synthetic fuels, and other products normally made with virgin petrochemicals.

In a seagoing twist, the U.K. startup Seabound created a system aimed at capturing 95 percent of the carbon emissions from a cargo ship’s exhaust. The exhaust is exposed to calcium oxide pebbles in a controlled environment, which traps carbon in the form of calcium carbonate.

In addition to its use in medicine, calcium carbonate can be rendered back to calcium oxide, a common industrial chemical used in making cement, paint, chalk, paper and plastic, among other products.

Seabound recently completed a two-month pilot test of the system on a 787-foot long cargo ship capable of holding more than 3,200 standard containers. The real-life pilot project achieved promising results with a carbon capture efficiency of 78 percent.

Near-term prospects for commercial development also look promising. In addition to funding from the U.K. government, Seabound is working with investors and leading stakeholders in the global shipping industry toward a goal of launching the technology into the market in 2025. 

3. New energy-efficient materials and designs

A transition to lighter, more fuel-efficient materials is taking shape. The superstructure of a cargo ship, which refers to the parts of the boat above the main deck, is one key focus of attention. The U.S.-based shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO, for example, began the complex process of transitioning its ship works from heavy gauge steel plates to lightweight, ultra-thin plates for use in superstructures beginning in 2017. 

The European Union also launched a fuel-efficient materials initiative, one result of which is the introduction of lightweight plastic composite “sandwich” panels for deck structures. 

New treatments for the hull of a ship can also make a significant difference in fuel consumption by reducing friction as the ship moves through water. For example, in December the global shipping firm Stolt Tankers announced the world's first application of a new graphene coating on the hull of its Stolt Lotus ship that resulted in an estimated fuel savings of between 5 percent and 7 percent.

“[The] graphene technology, developed by Graphite Innovation and Technologies Coatings, has the potential to reduce fuel consumption and resulting greenhouse gas emissions,” according to Stolt. 

4. The solar-powered ship of the future

Solar panels are another way to introduce alternative energy into the shipping industry, though a lack of adequate deck space presents an obstacle. The newly launched U.S. startup Voltic Shipping is addressing that hurdle. It’s developing a barge that provides more space for solar panels. The company’s ultimate aim is to apply its system to seagoing cargo ships, enabling them to run on 100 percent solar energy.

That may take years of development and testing, but the near-term goal of a solar-enabled barge appears well within reach. The leading U.S. firm Crowley already introduced an electric tugboat that could be powered by solar panels on a solar-equipped barge. Shipbuilders in China and Turkey also introduced electric tugboats.

To maximize deck space, Voltic’s solar array is arranged on a retractable, expandable rack elevated above the deck, allowing for cargo underneath. While the barge is moving in open water, the rack can expand well beyond the footprint of the deck, significantly increasing the area available for solar panels. The rack folds up accordion-style for cargo loading and unloading and maneuvering in tight spaces.

“Our barges will be able to transport cargo in a wide variety of settings, including low sunlight and night-time thanks to onboard batteries,” according to the company.

5. The seagoing energy storage systems of the future

The high cost of batteries is an obstacle to ship electrification. Voltic’s solar solution could help cut costs by enabling batteries to recharge while at sea. A broader downward trend in the cost of energy storage could also help propel the ship electrification movement.

Last May, participants in a U.S. Department of Energy workshop on energy storage were presented with a 2022 study that found electrification to be a more efficient way to cut shipping emissions compared to another emerging electricity-based option, carbon-neutral electrofuels.

The advantage of direct electrification is a steep drop in the cost of battery-type energy storage systems alongside improvements in battery performance, according to the study.

“Past studies on ship electrification have relied on outdated assumptions on battery cost, energy density values and available on-board space,” the researchers with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, observed. 

“We describe a pathway for the battery electrification of containerships within this decade that electrifies over 40 percent of global containership traffic, reduces [carbon dioxide] emissions by 14 percent for U.S.-based vessels, and mitigates the health impacts of air pollution on coastal communities,” they concluded.

The signs of progress are clear, though it will take years before new technologies and alternative fuels make a significant impact on global shipping emissions. In the meantime, a complete rethinking of the way that goods and materials are used in the global economy would go a long way toward reducing unnecessary emissions by eliminating unnecessary trips.  

This story about discussing race at work is part of Let's Talk About It, a guest-contributed column exploring how to navigate hard conversations and complex challenges in the workplace. If you're interested in contributing your perspective to this column, please get in touch with us here. 

Many of us have been there. We’re in a workplace meeting and someone starts talking about the importance of having “uncomfortable conversations.” You don’t have to go far before stumbling into the buzz about being “authentic” and “living your truth” as part of your professional development and career advancement. 

“Difficult conversations” is a jargon-y catchphrase that many leaders endorse as part of their approach to managing teams and analyzing anything from disastrous product launches to dumpster-fire company mergers. Self-aware organizations are supposed to courageously embrace candid feedback and radical truth. Well, that’s until that unvarnished truth is about race, diversity, unconscious bias, discrimination and equity. 

Interest in transparent conversations involving race is often mere performative lip service. 

Wading through discomfort quickly comes to a screeching halt when confronting racial biases on an individual or organizational level. And those speaking the truth are often gaslit, sidelined, experience hostility, and are eventually shown the door. These are defensive knee-jerk reactions to feeling threatened since taking an honest look at racism challenges people’s sense of self and whether they view themselves as a “good person” or “racist.”

A line from the Hollywood film "American Fiction" sums up the challenges around discussing racism. “White people think they want the truth, but they don’t. They just want to feel absolved.” 

Suffering from not-here syndrome: Why white people struggle 

If a company can deconstruct failed business decisions, why can’t it tackle failures in recruiting and retaining people of color? Or why it’s being sued for racial discrimination? Why there are few executives of color? Why a particular key leader has high turnover with talent of color?

Discussing race is deeply personal. Many lack basic skills and cultural intelligence to not fumble. They allow fears of being judged or an allergy to self-analysis to prompt toxic reactions. Except difficult conversations inherently involve taking an inventory of your mindset, values and decisions.

For white people to have more productive conversations where they can learn and grow, and that minimize marginalizing people of color, they must transition away from white exceptionalism (i.e., an inability to look inward and acknowledge when leaning into racism). They should expand their definition away from seeing racism only in extreme forms (e.g., hate crime perpetrators) where it always manifests elsewhere and never at home.

The benchmark for what’s racist isn’t about “hearts and mind” ideologies where we theoretically believe in racial equality. Nor is it about intentions. Intent isn’t a shield from engaging in racism. The barometer is tied to the impact of your actions and choices – including how you behave and what you say or don’t say when discussing race. People of color care less about what white people feel or intend and more about how white people treat or harm them.

You must have a growth mindset to evolve and have productive conversations about racism, bias and discrimination. You should arrive capable of managing your own feelings while accepting and admitting hard truths about yourself. 

Best practices for white people: What to do

Respect is the critical starting, middle and end point in cross-racial interactions. If you can’t modulate your behavior and self-censor to avoid subjecting people of color to verbal trauma, micro-aggressions and demoralizing overt racism, then you’re not ready for substantive and meaningful interactions with people of color. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

• Bring kindness, compassion, empathy, patience and civility.
• Arrive ready, willing, and able to prioritize the views and feelings of people of color above your own.
• Insist on race-centered conversations, avoiding distractions discussing gender, sexuality, class and other -isms. Focus strategically on racism, even if exploring intersectionality with race, to avoid hijacking the topic. The goal isn’t to use people of color as vehicles for other groups’ progress while ignoring the need to tackle race. 
• Come willing to trust by believing what you’re told by people of color. Accept what they say is racist as a fact instead of questioning or pushing back.
• Avoid interrupting even when excited or wanting to support an idea. Avoid steamrolling and hogging up space. No one wants to speak with those seeking to hear their own voice.
• Leave your debate skills at the door. It’s a conversation, not a moot court competition. People of color shouldn’t feel attacked, challenged, worn out and depleted from spending time with you.
• Create space for people of color to share their views and feelings. If you notice others being dismissive of them or white colleagues engaging in offensive or micro-aggressive behavior, strategically shift the discussion to limit the negative impact on participants of color. This supports voices of color.

…. and what not to do

At the core of why conversations are often unsuccessful is because many white people come ill-prepared to navigate their own feelings and those of people of color. Here are some things to leave behind:

• Unrealistic expectations: Don’t expect to solve racism or repair relationships in one discussion, or for marginalized groups to be devoid of emotions, anger and resentment. The goal isn’t to create false unity or reconciliation, which in this context is often code for sweeping racism under the rug and making white people feel better without accountability.
• Forgiveness: Don’t anticipate exoneration or manipulate forgiveness when it’s not yours to give.
• Hostages: Avoid forcing people of color into discussions on racism when they’re not interested, expecting them to reveal intimate, personal stories when you have no right to this information.
• Inquisition: Avoid asking questions about unimportant details or focusing too much on information that misses the big picture.
• Comedy central: Don’t tell jokes. Period.
• Defensiveness: When your behavior is called out as being prejudiced or topics hit home, don’t get defensive. The only preemptive move is not to offend in the first place. Own your behavior and don’t express hostility, shut down or make excuses.
• White victimhood: Avoid talking about your own personal struggles. Don’t make this about you! This is invalidating and negates the impact of race. People of color don’t want to hear about hardships you’ve overcome, making them feel ignored and relegated to the service road.
• White tears and fragility: Avoid crying or becoming overly emotional when struggling to cope with mirrors held to your face or confronting racism. People of color do not appreciate discussions being commandeered. It’s coddling and prioritizes your emotional needs at their expense. While you’re important, the larger issue is you’re always important and they’re not. You must create space for them to speak and you to learn and develop better coping skills.
• White grievance: Don’t raise gripes about perceived wrongs to white people. White people still hold most of the political and societal power as the dominant group. If you feel maligned as a white person, it’s time to recalibrate your outlook. This thinking shows you’re not getting it and there’s a vast sea of misunderstanding between you and people of color.

By following this advice, you’ll be better prepared to have more transparent, difficult conversations around race while also limiting shutting down and tuning out. Understanding how to create and respect boundaries at work is crucial for creating a healthy and diverse modern workplace that focuses on employee well-being and psychological safety for colleagues of color. These tips can support people of color feeling respected and equally free to “live their truth” like their white coworkers.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Ensia. It is part of a collaboration between Ensia and Egab exploring environmental efforts by communities facing potentially more urgent concerns such as war and poverty. Egab is a media startup that helps young local journalists from across the Middle East and Africa get published in regional and international media outlets, with a focus on solutions journalism.

Many brands will mark Black History Month by announcing new investments aimed at supporting Black communities. But how will they measure the results? A coalition of Black-led community development financial institutions (CDFIs), credit unions and venture capital firms has a tool that can help, but few financial companies actually use it. 

The African American Equity Impact Scorecard uses a set of metrics to help financial institutions assess if the investments they make actually have an impact in Black communities. It was created by the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, which represents 76 Black-led financial institutions serving all 50 U.S. states.

"The scorecard could be a game-changer," says Lenwood V. Long Sr., CEO of the Alliance. "We have areas that look at the health, economic, and governance strength of CDFIs, foundations and banks to measure the impact of those who say they’re investing in Black communities."

Since it rolled out last year, 24 financial institutions have used the scorecard to assess their investments, and leaders at these organizations say the findings were eye-opening. At a time when unprecedented funds are being directed in pursuit of racial equity, it's more critical than ever to ensure those investments actually reach Black communities and make them better, Long says. 

Brands need to learn from their mistakes

Unlike big banks and other mainstream financial companies, U.S. federal regulations require CDFIs to channel at least 60 percent of their investments toward underserved low- and middle-income communities. That comes in the form of affordable financial services for low-income people, loans for entrepreneurs, investments in new affordable housing and backing for development projects that create jobs. 

Black-led CDFIs in particular make most of their investments and loans directly within the Black communities where they do business. But even as a record level of capital was earmarked for racial equity in the summer of 2020, Black-led CDFIs didn't see much of it. 

"You look at the money that came out — that just flooded the streets on the pretense of racial reckoning after the death of George Floyd — if you track that money, that money didn't go a lot to Black organizations," Long remembers. "It went to a number of organizations who said they were ‘serving the Black community.’ That's where those funds went."

As of 2023, companies had committed an estimated $340 billion in support of racial equity in the U.S., but analyses found that many of the commitments were light on details about how funds would be deployed. 

Rather than partnering with Black-led organizations already doing the work, many of these investors created their own (white-led) nonprofits or foundations and put their money there, Long says. Others sought out national nonprofits or larger CDFIs they perceived as having more established track records which were, again, predominantly white-led. 

Even if well intentioned, the results only entrenched existing disparities that leave Black-run organizations undercapitalized and unable to govern the funds supposedly meant to improve their communities. White-led CDFIs, for example, own more than six times the assets of Black-led CDFIs in the U.S., according to 2020 research from the Hope Policy Institute. 

"If you ask, 'Where did that come from?' It's racist investment. That's where it came from," Long says. "Until we stop this nonsense about 'we are fair, we are equitable,' it just won't happen. If these institutions looked at their balance sheets and how they’re investing in Black- and white-led organizations, they’ll find out they’re part of the problem." 

This search for visibility into the tangible outcome of billions in investments inspired the creation of the scorecard, and it's already changing how some financial companies do business. 

"It is up to us to use it to hold ourselves accountable to Black communities" 

The scorecard takes the form of a questionnaire to measure investments across five categories — including how well they reflect the needs and wants of the community, how they address historic disparities, and how they create well-paying jobs.

Though quick to make flashy announcements about big-dollar investments, large financial institutions in general — and white-led financial institutions in particular — have been slower to assess outcomes. "When you look at the scorecard, I call it looking in the mirror," Long says. "And that’s why the white institutions don’t want to look at the scorecard, because they don't want to see the results of it."

While some are resistant, the co-creator of the scorecard is actually a white-led CDFI, Community Vision out of California. "Until now, mission-driven lenders have lacked a coordinated way to track and report on how capital is being deployed into Black-led and Black-centered projects," says Catherine Howard, president of Community Vision. "Without this important data set, it is difficult to implement strong accountability measures that change investment behaviors." 

Community Vision now uses the scorecard to assess all of its investments, totaling around $40 million in loans and grants annually across California. "The African American Equity Impact Scorecard gives us that ability," Howard says. "Now it is up to us to use it to hold ourselves accountable to Black communities."

The data available through the scorecard also moved another white-led community financial institution, Maine-based Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), to change its lending and investment practices. 

"The scorecard has been a catalytic tool for CEI, transforming our learnings about racial equity and impact into action as we reevaluate products and underwriting practices," the company's chief investment officer, Daniel Wallace, told the Alliance in a case study. "The scorecard has helped CEI move toward an anti-racism framework for our lending team as we built the language and understanding around the racial equity impacts of lending."

The scorecard also informed the creation of Maine-specific metrics for the organization, including investment targets that cover child care providers and businesses creating products and service to fill unmet community needs.

"The inclusion of a race-explicit equity lens in our deals, the engagement with our staff around these topics, and outreach to our local community have all helped move us toward building stronger community partners, creating a collaborative culture and buy-in at CEI around racial equity, and adding capacity to undertake this work," Wallace said. "For the financial industry, waiting on racial equity work isn’t an option. This work is necessary for all of us to overcome the structural biases and racism that has been built into the lending industry over centuries, to rebuild and revitalize our communities, and to make economic justice a reality for all our borrowers.”

The scorecard is available for all financial companies, developers and funders, not only CDFIs. And leaders at the Alliance and Community Vision believe it's just what the space needs to channel well-intended investments in a way that actually makes a difference for those they're intended to serve. "Don't run away from looking at yourself," Long says. "What matters is the impact of your investment."

(Homepage image: James Eades/Unsplash)

An unusual experiment is unfolding in Tennessee, where the state’s Department of Transportation just allocated the first round of federal funding for new electric vehicle charging stations. As expected, practically all of the new stations will be located at gas stations with retail food outlets, where drivers can grab a bite to eat while they charge up. But there is one outlier. A lone Waffle House represents the only standalone restaurant, and practically the only non-gas station site, in the entire allocation. So, what makes Waffle House so special?

What’s so special about Waffle House?

The inclusion of Waffle House in the Tennessee EV charging station program is all the more impressive because competition for the installation contracts was fierce. Only 30 new charging stations are planned for the first round of buildout, but the state Department of Transportation received applications for contracts covering 167 different locations.

The department ultimately awarded contracts to 10 charging station installers based on a long list of requirements for the charging stations and their proposed locations. The Georgia EV charging station firm EnviroSpark was one of the 10 contract awardees, and it will partner with Waffle House to install four fast chargers at a location in Lakeland, about 25 miles outside Memphis.

“Like all Waffle House locations, the restaurant at 9780 U.S. Highway 64 in Lakeland is open 24/7,” according to EnviroSpark, noting that around-the-clock operation is one of the requirements to receive funding under the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. 

Waffle House did not issue a press statement to mark the occasion, but EnviroSpark hailed: “Waffle House, a culinary icon of the South, and famous for its commitment to customer satisfaction and community engagement, is embracing the opportunity to contribute to the green energy movement.”

The importance of community engagement

The idea of Waffle House “embracing the opportunity to contribute to the green energy movement” is a long time coming. Unlike other chains like McDonald’s and Starbucks, for example, Waffle House has refrained from applying renewable energy or sustainable building standards to its public profile.

Nevertheless, Waffle House is in a position to make a significant contribution to the zero-emission transportation trend. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for federal funding, Waffle House has acquired a reputation as a trusted center of community engagement, and EnviroSpark already hinted that the Lakeland EV charging stations will be the first in a series of partnerships with Waffle House.

Waffle House has worked to create an open door, all-are-welcome atmosphere that aligns with EnviroSpark’s approach to the EV charging station market. The company says it operates under two missions — "to raise awareness around the benefits of electric vehicles and to build a more robust EV charging infrastructure" — and seeks to address "the pain points of property owners and drivers by enhancing EV accessibility in customer-friendly ways."

Community resilience and the EV connection

Perhaps the most widely known element of Waffle House’s community commitment is its policy of staying open or re-opening as soon as possible after a natural disaster or other catastrophe strikes. The policy includes reverting to a limited menu if necessary to ensure that first responders and residents can get shelter and a hot meal. The company also operates its own fully staffed storm center out of its headquarters in Norcross, Georgia, to help its restaurants prepare.

Waffle House sees its restaurants as a "welcoming beacon after a storm or other natural disaster,” the company states. “Our goal is to get open quickly so we can serve our communities in their time of need. Many customers have had their first hot meal and experienced their first sense of normalcy and comfort after a storm because we were open for them. Our immediate involvement during these difficult times is an extension of our commitment to serving our communities 24/7, especially when they need us the most."

The details of the company’s disaster plans are so meticulous that the Federal Emergency Management Agency uses a “Waffle House Index” to rate the impact of a storm on community resources.

“The index has been used to predict how severely weather will affect an area's accessibility to food, water and essential resources,” USA Today reported in August when Hurricane Idalia was bearing down on Florida. “When the Waffle House turns the lights off, it's bad."

Warning signs on climate change

As a corollary to USA Today’s reporting, one might say that when Waffle House decides to support vehicle electrification, something is afoot.

The EV charging partnership with EnviroSpark seems to be the first noteworthy decarbonization step undertaken by Waffle House since 2010 when the media covered a new solar panel installation at a Waffle House in Norcross, Georgia.

Considering the Waffle House focus on storm tracking, recovery and resiliency, the company might be starting to make the connection between its weather know-how and climate science. That remains to be seen, but vehicle electrification is a good start.

With approximately 2,000 locations across the southeastern U.S. and a solid reputation for community engagement, Waffle House could become a leading ambassador for the transition from fossil energy to zero-emission transportation.

(Image credits: Simon Daoudi and Jon Tyson via Unsplash)

While we live in an age of hyper-connectivity, it often feels like people are more detached from their local communities than ever before. A majority of Americans (57 percent) only know some — or none — of their neighbors, and few socialize with them, according to Pew Research. And businesses are susceptible to the same trap. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs abound, few organizations go beyond the act of making monetary donations, missing major opportunities to build meaningful connections with the communities they engage. 

At Subaru, we are committed to being a positive force in the communities where we live and work. It’s part of the Subaru Love Promise, our vision to show love and respect to all people at every interaction. This has come to life across dozens of CSR programs over the years. Working together with our nationwide network of retailers who know and understand their communities, we’ve established and nurtured longstanding relationships on behalf of Subaru. From supplying local high-needs schools with critical funding to purchase classroom supplies to teaming up with animal welfare organizations to help shelter pets find loving homes, we’ve had the privilege of interacting with community members on a personal level. 

We’ve learned a lot over the years, but one lesson rises above the rest: Businesses cannot make a genuine impact on behalf of a community without building a meaningful connection first.

And our communities need these connections now more than ever. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing homelessness and other urgent need situations. Roughly 653,100 people were experiencing homelessness during a single night in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report. That’s a record high since data collection began in 2007 and a 12 percent increase over the year before. Nearly three of every 10 people (28 percent) experiencing homelessness are part of a family with children.

Over the years, we've made helping those in urgent need a priority through our Subaru Loves to Help initiative, but with the need higher than ever, we knew we had to do more. 

Enter Operation Warm, our new Subaru Loves to Help charity partner. Operation Warm is a national nonprofit that manufactures brand-new, high-quality coats and shoes for children in need. Its mission is to provide warmth, confidence, and hope through basic needs programs that connect underserved kids to the community resources needed to thrive.

In addition to having over 25 years of experience and expertise, Operation Warm stood out to us because it is one of a few organizations helping to provide for children’s basic needs, as well as for their social and emotional development. Per the nonprofit’s motto, it’s offering “more than a coat.” 

Through this partnership, local gifting events are organized so children can personally choose the items in styles and colors that they prefer. In February, Subaru retailers across the nation will actively engage with local shelters and organizations supporting youth in their communities. These special events, facilitated with the assistance of local beneficiary partners, offer a range of coat and shoe styles and colors, as well as socks — all donated by the Subaru retailer.

At these events children can try on, be fitted for, and choose brand-new coats, shoes and socks that reflect their personal style. These essential items not only keep children safe and warm, but they also provide confidence and can mean the difference between participating in school, activities, and other experiences critical to social and emotional development.

Subaru is proud to be the largest automotive supporter of Operation Warm and shares the organization’s values of community connection. And as with any good partnership, both organizations are benefiting tremendously. Operation Warm is helping Subaru create longstanding relationships between our retailers and local shelters. Our employees and retailers now have the chance to directly engage with people in their communities and fill a very specific need. Hosting gifting events allows them to interact with the children firsthand and connect with each of them individually, which is incredibly emotional. 

Simultaneously, Subaru has played a vital role in the expansion of Operation Warm, enabling it to increase its impact in over 600 ZIP codes nationwide. Recognizing the demand for socks as a top request from shelters, Subaru initiated their production, complementing the provision of coats and shoes by Operation Warm. This underscores the strength of the collaboration between national partners and the collective achievements made possible through joint efforts.

We’ve always looked for ways to support those who need it the most in our communities, which is how our Subaru Loves to Help initiative came to be what it is today. Whether it is by providing blankets and socks to homeless shelters, donating food to Feeding America and local food banks, helping Meals on Wheels deliver meals to seniors, or supporting the American Red Cross in disaster response, we believe our communities get stronger when everyone is cared for. Together with our retailers and partners, we are committed to identifying the needs of the people in our communities and helping support them with actions that set an example for others to follow.

We are proud to partner with Operation Warm to offer children in urgent need both physical and emotional warmth, in turn providing them comfort, confidence and hope. As we look to grow our impact in the years ahead, Subaru and our retailers plan to continue going beyond just donations. We believe in the importance of meaningful human connections because nurturing and building relationships within our communities is equally as important as the work we do and the contributions we make.

This article series is sponsored by Subaru of America and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team. 

This story on fighting plastic pollution in Bali is part of From the Frontline, a guest-contributed column where we hear directly from those who are impacted by climate change and environmental pollution and pushing for action. If you're interested in contributing your perspective to this column, please get in touch with us here. 

Scroll idly through Instagram’s explore page and it won’t be long before you encounter an influencer’s trip to Bali, full of dream-like beaches, boasting pristine sands and crystal waters. They paint a paradisiacal vision, but if you walk down those beaches yourself, the stark reality of plastic debris intermingled with the sand and a growing tide of trash washed ashore quickly shatters the illusion so carefully cultivated for your digital consumption. 

Regrettably, there are no beaches in Bali free from plastic pollution. Each year, an astounding 300,000 tons of plastic waste is generated on the island, with over 50 percent of it either openly burned or thoughtlessly discarded. Consequently, an estimated 33,000 tons of plastic waste find their way into Bali's waterways and oceans annually.

In this era of growing climate consciousness, surfers find themselves on the frontlines of confronting plastic pollution while pursuing their passion. I often have to push debris away from my board when simply paddling out to the lineup, a sadly common occurrence for surfers on the island. It falls upon us, as lovers of the ocean, to ensure its protection by embracing eco-friendly choices whenever possible. Every decision we make, even down to the suits and sunscreen we wear as we ride the waves, contributes to the collective effort of making a positive impact, no matter how small it may seem.

Plastic paradise

Three decades ago, this plastic predicament scarcely existed on the shores of Bali. Back then, everyday materials leaned toward natural biodegradability — picture palm leaves being used as food wrapping. Disposing of these materials meant returning them to the earth from where they came, completing a satisfying cycle of renewal. Almost catastrophically, this mindset purveyed into modern times.

Plastic waste washing up on our shores is hardly an issue unique to Indonesia; it’s a global concern. However, factors such as growing tourism, ingrained cultural practices and a lack of awareness about the lifecycle of plastic has led to the exponential rise in single-use plastics infiltrating the country's waterways. Alarmingly, four of Indonesia’s rivers are among the top 20 most polluted rivers worldwide, primarily due to the mismanagement of plastic waste.

In recent years, a growing number of individuals moved to take action. Brothers Sam and Gary Bencheghib made headlines in 2018 by embarking on a daring kayaking expedition down Indonesia's most polluted river, using a raft constructed entirely from plastic bottles. The brothers went on to found Sungai Watch, a nonprofit that has cleared close to 1.5 million kilograms of plastic waste and counting from Indonesia’s waters. Similarly, Balinese sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen established Bye Bye Plastic Bags, with a focus on empowering the younger generation to take action through education and political advocacy. The organization has blossomed into one of the largest environmental nonprofits in Bali

It’s impossible to live here and remain oblivious to these pressing issues and the remarkable initiatives striving to address them. Choosing to ignore them is nothing short of an affront to our planet and future generations. Surrounded by such inspirational individuals on this island, surfers must reflect on how they too can make more environmentally conscious choices. For me, this contemplation led me on a journey to build my own brand based on bringing more environmentally-friendly options to surfers in my community.

A shift toward sustainable materials

The plastic pollution in Bali has compelled many of us to reevaluate our daily choices. It's not uncommon to see metal, paper, wooden or even fresh plant straws being used in place of plastic ones. However, there are instances when biodegradable options are simply not feasible for products that demand durability and longevity — and surf suits are a prime example.

In these circumstances, we must actively seek out alternatives. Traditional neoprene wetsuits are non-renewable and have significant, long-term detrimental effects on the earth. Fortunately, there has been a notable shift toward eco-friendly, renewable, and recycled materials as demand and awareness grows. For example, Italian fabric manufacturer Carvico launched its innovative Vita fabric in 2014. Originally designed for premium swimwear, this sustainable techno-fabric is composed of regenerated nylon made from ocean and landfill waste. When it came to selecting a high-quality recycled fabric for my own surfwear, I knew this was the perfect fit. 

Given the demanding nature of the sport, suits have to not only be recycled but also deliver high performance. In a time of over-consumption, for products to be ethical they must also be long lasting, especially when they exist within one of the most polluting industries: fashion.

Moving toward slow fashion

The rise of fast-fashion giants like Shein has propelled the fashion industry into one of the planet's most egregious polluters, ranking third behind the food and construction sectors. The garment industry is so unregulated that it's hard to say just how much it’s contributing to climate change. 

Driven by FOMO (a “fear of missing out”), the average consumer today buys 60 percent more than they did in 2000, further exacerbated by brands churning out double the number of clothing collections annually. This unsettling trend is perpetuated by viral videos showcasing creators unboxing gluttonously large packages of clothing, often to be worn only once or twice, with little regard for the underpaid sweatshop laborers who produced them or the inevitable fate of these hastily manufactured, low-quality garments in landfills.

For a garment to be considered ethical then, it not only must be constructed from renewable or sustainable materials, but also possess longevity and reusability. Opting for pieces that are built to last and remain stylish over time is a conscious choice to reduce one's environmental footprint, as they can be worn time and time again. While trends ebb and flow, true style endures. This principle extends beyond clothing to our surfwear.

By selecting designs that prioritize practicality and lasting appeal over fleeting trends, we can ensure their re-wearability. When designing my own pieces, I drew inspiration from timeless silhouettes that can stand the test of time. Each piece was also designed with adaptability in mind, with my proudest creations being the most versatile ones.

We can all find our own ways to make a difference

Surfers are well known for the profound connection they forge with nature while riding waves. The sport itself is intertwined with a deep love and understanding for the environment. This love is what drives me to harmonize my role as a designer and surfer and reduce my impact on the planet. Each of us must find our own way to tread lightly on the earth, make a difference in our own communities, and safeguard our oceans and environment for generations to come.