North West recognizes Juneteenth as a public holiday from this year, with the closing of the University on Monday, June 20, in respect. This is an opportunity for members of the University community to reflect on the significance of June 19, 1865, when some of the last enslaved African Americans in Texas learned that the Civil War was over, putting Proclamation into effect. of Emancipation, which had been published by President Abraham Lincoln more than two years earlier.
But what does Juneteenth mean today?
“It’s more than a day of celebration,” said Lorraine Goffe, Vice President of Human Resources and Director of Human Resources. “Juneteenth is also a time to consider how our history feels in the present and the ongoing work that needs to be done.”
To this end, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) has made it a strategic priority to focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). For staff members, there are several ways to make DEIB a more deliberate part of their daily lives and consider additional training and awareness, such as being intentional in hiring practices and taking advantage of learning resources. and development, Goffe said.
Training workshops
- The Unconscious Bias Workshop is a foundational skills workshop designed to raise awareness of the biases that exist in everyday interactions.
- The Active Inclusion Workshop raises awareness and provides practical tools for participants to adopt changes aimed at fostering inclusive environments.
To continue work, staff can access the DEIB Playlist at any time, free of charge, via myHR Learn. The reading list complements Northwestern’s DEIB workshop offerings and provides additional resources for continued learning. It has a curated list of online courses, videos, articles, and books from renowned experts, including Northwestern professors.
Talent Acquisition
from the northwest Talent Acquisition Team encourages schools, units and offices to work proactively with their talent acquisition partner to ensure that their job postings reflect the DEIB principles. In addition, the team will provide recommendations for raising awareness of specific DEIB building sites.
Schools and units can also contact Stefanie Hicks, Associate Director of Human Resources for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, who can help operationalize the diverse application policy, including facilitating live trainings.
Goffe encourages everyone in the North West community to use the upcoming holiday weekend to consider ways to contribute to DEIB’s efforts to make North West campuses more diverse and welcoming.
“With our partners across campus, we will continue to make sure everyone feels like they belong, because this is truly a University-wide priority and it will challenge us all to achieve this. objective.”