17 Apr 2020

Diversity Lens - Issue 22

Diversity Lens - Issue 133 Diversity Lens - Issue 132 Diversity Lens - Issue 131

Apr 17

Diversity Lens - Issue 22

Diversity Lens

Welcome to Diversity Lens, the newsletter from BAME Recruitment and Diversifying.io! We’re pleased to be bringing you all the latest news and opinions about recruitment and the world of diversity and inclusion.

Latest News

BAME Recruitment Events
In the coming week we have a couple of events you won't want to miss. Our CEO and Founder, Cynthia is participating in a webinar panel session on April 21st for the IRM Business Change and Transformation Conference until the physical event can be safely rearranged. Furthermore, Cynthia will be leading a webinar on 'How to reduce bias in your recruitment process' on April 23rd for the Inclusive Companies Awards. Our COO Luke will also be featured on a live episode of Brainfood on April 24th entitled 'Pushing the reset button on D&I'. Follow the links through to register to join! We are determined to continue the conversation on diversity and inclusion within recruitment as much as possible under the current circumstances.

Capt Tom Moore's NHS fundraiser hits £15m
A 99-year-old war veteran has walked 100 laps of his garden to raise £15m and counting for the NHS. His aim was to walk 100 laps by his 100th birthday and his mission prompted national attention. However, Capt Moore has exceeded his expectations and his fundraising goal, finishing his 100 laps with time to spare. As he finished the challenge, he said modestly: "I feel fine, I hope you're all feeling fine too." Tributes and messages of congratulations have poured in from politicians, celebrities and NHS workers, while a petition for him to receive a knighthood has been signed by more than 300,000 people so far. Read his full story by clicking the image below of Moore with his daughter and grandchildren.

Coronavirus: Down’s syndrome and dancing through isolationRyan Irwin is 19 and one of his favourite things to do is dance with his friends - something that can be difficult during a period of self-isolation. However, thanks to the Foyle Down Syndrome Trust, he’s able to go dancing, and enjoy music and exercise classes with his friends through video conferencing organised by the group. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, the Healthy Hearts and Minds project provides support to young people with Down's syndrome and their families. The project’s manager Christopher Cooper says they wanted to keep delivering programmes to the children, while keeping them safe. Click the photo for more information.

Yas Kweens: the political importance of being fabulous
The concept of 'fabulous' carries with it a plethora of historical context and cultural significance. Said to have begun in drag subculture, being fabulous can be a lifeline to those socially outcast and alienated for their differences. Madison Moore, in her book, 'Fabulous: The Rise of the Beautiful Eccentric', outlines 4 predispositions of fabulousness: a lack of monetary reliance, a strong creativity, a level of danger and politics, and the act of making a spectacle of yourself, refusing to suppress your body. Being fabulous is predominantly the realm of queer people, people of colour, and other marginalised groups in which their bodies are undervalued. Moore encapsulates the significance of the fabulous in the following: "Fabulous people are taking the risk of embracing spectacle when it may perhaps be easier, though no less toxic, to normalise." Click on the photo to read more about fabulousness in our current political climate.

Gender study finds 90% of people are biased against women
A UN report has found that a shocking 90% of people display some form of bias towards women. Across 75 countries, nearly 50% of men believed they had more right to a job than a woman. Whilst around a half of the world's men and women, the report found, believed that men make better political leaders. These stunning statistics come at a time when we have less female heads of government than five years ago, and in fewer countries. Significantly, although perhaps unsurprisingly, the study found that there are no countries in the world with gender equality. Engrained gender biases exist in men and women who grow up as boys and girls exposed to such cultural biases at every turn. More must be done to combat these biases and prejudices if we want to see real progress towards gender equality. Click the picture for further findings.

Being Black with albinism
A British teenager with albinism is following her dreams of becoming a model despite her different appearance, and hopes to raise awareness of albinism. Kimberley, 15, from Derby, was born with Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1 – affecting the colouring of her skin, hair and eyes.

Kimberley from Derby has albinism and is following her dreams of becoming a model.

Making Contemporary Dance Inclusive for All
Marc Brew is the artistic director of Oakland, California’s AXIS Dance Company, which is made up of professional dancers with and without physical disabilities. Creating and performing contemporary dance routines together, these gifted artists dispel preconceived notions about who can dance every time they take the stage. Demarco Sleeper, a dancer who performs in a wheelchair, shows us how he adapts moves choreographed by an able-bodied dancer.

AXIS Dance Company is made up of professional dancers with and without physical disabilities. These gifted artists dispel preconceived notions about who can dance every time they take the stage.

Diversity and Inclusion Insights

Surge in Latino business owners is good news but masks underlying problems
Hispanic owning businesses are up 34% in 10 years but many entrepreneurs feel the odds are stacked against them. Why the significant growth? Some, including the study’s authors, believe that a big reason is simply cultural. “Latinos as a culture gravitate toward starting businesses and being their own boss, creating something for their families,” says Jerry I Porras, a professor of organisational behavior and change at Stanford who helped oversee the study. “Another important ingredient is that a lot of Latino businesses are being started by immigrants, who are hungrier and more passionate about what they’re doing and want to have an impact on their own financial wellbeing. Being an entrepreneur is a powerful way to do that.” Although there are Latinos that have thrived in this way, there are still many barriers in their way. People of colour continue to earn less than their white counterparts. As a result, many Latinos have lower credit scores which impairs their ability to raise capital and finance their businesses. Click the photo to read more.

Black History Month should be taught all year round
The Black Curriculum specifically focuses on integrating black British history into mainstream curriculums. It was devised by 23-year-old Lavinya Stennett who thought of the idea while studying for a degree in development and African studies at SOAS University of London. She later built up a team of 30 and has started visiting schools and holding weekend workshops. Stennett was motivated, in part, by her own education in south London, where she found Black History Month focused mainly on slavery, Martin Luther King, and the American civil rights movement, with little attention paid to black British history. “It really is just to do with slavery – which is an important part of history, we do need to learn about it. But I don’t think that’s enough for young people.” Black History Month has been an annual fixture in the UK since 1987, celebrated in schools and events across the country, but is this really enough? Find out more about The Black Curriculum by clicking the photo below.

Story of the Week

World's first 3D Printed Town aims to help end homelessness
The town in Tabasco, Mexico wants to reduce homelessness and provide affordable homes for all. It is the work of US-based non-profit New Story which has partnered with a 3D-printing technology company to build the 500 sq. ft. homes for a community living in poverty. Each dwelling has two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. They have been designed to withstand seismic activity. New Story aims to end global homelessness and is using the 3D-printing technology to build homes quickly at scale. The project will eventually create 50 homes there. Click the photo to follow their progress.

Featured Video

My Identical Twin With Dwarfism
Identical twins don’t usually come with physical differences, but for two remarkable Texas twins, being mistaken for mother and daughter is a regular occurrence. 20-year-olds Sierra and Sienna Bernal are identical twin sisters but were born with a significant difference: Sienna has Primordial Dwarfism. The condition causes small body size, resulting in Sienna being more than a foot smaller than Sierra, and weighing only 50 pounds, in comparison to Sierra’s 98 pounds.

20-year-olds Sierra and Sienna Bernal are identical twin sisters but were born with a significant difference: Sienna has Primordial Dwarfism.

Inspirational Person of the Week

Jessica Cox
Born without arms, Jessica used her legs and her unbelievable spirit to become the first licensed armless pilot. She’s also the first armless black belt in the American Taekwondo Association. Refusing to use prosthetic arms, Jessica drives a car, types on a keyboard and puts on contact lenses. She also Scuba dives and has a Psychology degree from the University of Arizona. In 2015, Jessica published an autobiographical self-help book, Disarm Your Limits, in order to inspire people to overcome their own challenges through the lessons she has learned in her life. She inspires people across 20 countries by sharing her message of inspiration on stages. Find out more on her incredible story by clicking the photo below.