Reflections on Juneteenth: How business can help move the needle

 

 

This year marks the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth – the oldest commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Across the United States, several leading firms, including The Conference Board, are observing the holiday to reflect on the profound human cost of racial inequity and to celebrate racial diversity. As we work toward a more inclusive and equitable society, creating equal opportunities in education, upward economic mobility, and workplace advancement are imperatives for the business community.  The Conference Board has a 100+ year tradition of bringing together stakeholders to address our society's greatest challenges.  Below you'll find a number of our resources, including upcoming events, that offer actionable insights to create a more sustainable and inclusive economy and society for all. Best regards, Paul Washington Executive Director, ESG Center The Conference Board

 

Upcoming Events

 

Corporate Citizenship Watch: How Companies Can Make an Enduring Difference in America's Cities Cities are at the center of American economic, political, cultural, and community life, accounting for 82% of the US population and 88% of its jobs. At the same time, cities are a locus of long-standing social problems, such as homelessness, poverty, inequality, race-related issues, unaffordable housing, and crime. Join this webcast to learn how companies can take new and innovative approaches to strengthen the communities in which they operate. We’ll address the keys to effective multi-stakeholder collaborations and ways your company can leverage its broader capabilities to address social issues in ways that also serve your business interests. Register for the webcast »   Special Webcast: Why Financial Wellness is Integral to Your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy Recent research has shown that employers are interested and invested in providing their employees with financial wellness programs. However, there remains a large gap between what benefits are offered and what employees need. Learn how targeted financial wellness education and programs can bridge the gap and be a powerful tool for your diversity and inclusion strategy.. Register for the webcast »

 

Ensuring Equality in the Workplace

 

Creating Equal Opportunity in Society and the Workplace The Conference Board recently convened executives to discuss actionable steps to address the underlying challenges of racism, economic opportunity, childhood education, health care, workplace equality, and corporate governance. The resulting two-part report offers insights on driving sustainable and meaningful change on these pressing challenges Read the two-part report » Access the complete Building a More Civil & Just Society hub »   Actionable Steps for Creating Space for Race-Based Discussion in the Workplace As corporations are increasingly speaking out on race-based offenses, organizations are still unsure how to speak about race. In this report, we examine what businesses can do to equip senior leaders and mid-level managers for these critical but difficult conversations. Read the report »   Building and Sustaining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Impact Successfully achieving and sustaining impact for DEI requires much more than a series of organizational initiatives that are often short-lived. In today’s remote work environment, organizations must be able to pivot quickly, make incremental and sometimes ambitious policy decisions, and perhaps most importantly, develop and execute a cultural mindset that is sustainable through transitions in leadership. Hear from some of the nation's top DEI officers on how they are making this happen. Watch the webcast »   The Executive Leadership Council Interim President and CEO Crystal Ashby on the Need to Invest in Black Talent Crystal E. Ashby is the Interim President and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the preeminent membership organization for black CEOs, board directors, and the most senior black executives at Fortune 1000, Global 500, and equivalent companies. In this webcast, she discusses how corporate America can build the talent pipeline of the current and next generation of Black leaders. Watch the webcast »

 

Creating Economic Opportunity

 

Mind the Gap: Factors Driving the Growing Racial Wage Gaps and Solutions to Close Them Despite heightened awareness of pay disparities and efforts to address them, wage gaps between Black and White workers in the US have increased in the past decade, even when comparing workers with similar educational backgrounds. Underrepresentation of Black workers in high-paying occupations and industries is one source of these gaps. This report outlines a multipronged approach that addresses wage gaps internally and supports progress toward pay equity in society at large. Read the report »   What Investors Expect Companies To Do in Addressing Today’s Social Challenges Major institutional investors are looking for boards and management to be in the driver’s seat when crafting corporate plans for addressing current social issues. Investors don’t expect perfection, but they expect transparency—and want companies to disclose their strategies, goals, and progress toward those goals. Companies should have and disclose a robust human capital strategy that addresses racial, economic, and health issues relating to the workforce. The private sector alone cannot solve these issues, but this is an opportunity for constructive engagement and meaningful progress. Read the report »   COVID-19’s Impact on Black Communities For Black communities, the COVID-19 pandemic-induced whiplash into recession, almost exactly ten years after the peak of Black unemployment in the wake of the Great Recession, poses a severe threat to the wellbeing of many families. Jessica Fulton, Vice President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, discusses the COVID-19 challenge for Black communities and how it may shape the future labor market outlook for vulnerable workers. Listen to the podcast »

 

Building Quality Education

 

XQ Institute Co-Founder and CEO Russlynn Ali on Quality Education as the Fundamental Civil Rights Issue of this Generation In an interview with Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED), Russlynn Ali, Co-Founder and CEO of XQ Institute, emphasizes how education, and the way in which instruction is delivered, can shape the trajectory of one’s life. She also reflects on the role of the private sector and encourages businesses to embed themselves within the teaching and development that occurs at the school level. Watch the interview »   Meeting the Upskilling Challenge: Training in the Time of COVID-19 Much remains unknown about the economy that will follow COVID-19. But clearly the pandemic’s whirlwind destruction has, first and foremost, hurt less-educated workers the most, with most of the job losses occurring in manual services, and has accelerated the innovative use of technology in the workplace. This report presents a US job training system capable of meeting the challenges of a post-COVID-19 economy. Specifically, it recommends near- and longer-term actions to achieve workers’ goals and build a modern, highly skilled workforce. Read the report »