A King memorial that embraces a joyful truth

Over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend, many of us in the Boston area were hearing about or visiting the new landmark downtown: a huge bronze sculpture of intertwined arms called The Embrace. It honors not only Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, but also the love story and partnership between him and Coretta Scott King. The two met in Boston at BU Divinity School, so their union is a fitting choice for a Boston Common monument. I’ve been out of town so I haven’t had a chance to see it in person yet, but I’ve been moved by the unveiling events, the press coverage, and many reflections from folks who have gone to see it.

Sculptor Hank Willis Thomas has critiqued the standard approach to monuments that honor the past as somber and warlike. “As a society, we have a negativity bias,” he said. The Embrace represents Martin and Coretta’s marriage and their connection to Boston with an unapologetic positivity.

In that same interview, Marie St. Fleur, a former executive director of the foundation that commissioned The Embrace, added: “It celebrates that for us, as communities of color, as Black people, that we are more than just our struggle. We are love. We are joy. We are all of that.”

This resonates so much with me. There is nothing like the laughter, community, generosity, and celebration of a group of Black people. How refreshing to honor Black history in America not for the oppression we have faced, but for the spirit we have always had within us.

I love that Boston’s visitors and residents alike will be reminded of this just steps from the African Meeting House and the 54th Regiment Memorial. As we continue the work of bringing about the Beloved Community that the Kings dreamed of, let’s remember the love at the heart of equity and justice. We can be brave and radical like the Kings without scolding or punishing one another. Let’s find and hold up those moments when pursuing diversity and inclusion is more like an embrace.

Making mentoring equitable

Last week I saw this post on LinkedIn by DEI consultant and leadership coach Tara Robertson. I was so excited to see how generous she’s being with her time and what a wonderful opportunity this is for folks. Not surprisingly, the response was overwhelming; she says she had to close the application in a day or so after more than 100 people raised their hands.

It got me thinking about successful mentoring relationships. A lot of people like to say that the best mentoring relationships occur naturally. This is intuitively true, because in these cases the mentoring is built on an existing connection and mutual respect.

But leaving mentoring to chance is likely to create an inequitable gap. The reason is affinity bias. We tend to be drawn toward colleagues we see as similar to us. We start up small talk with folks who share our pop culture interests, hobbies, style preferences, senses of humor, and yes, often, racial identity. And the easier it is to start up conversations, the more likely you will form a longer term connection.

Which means, if you’re at an organization where a lot of people share your interests, preferences, and race, you are more likely to have mentoring opportunities naturally grow. And conversely, if you are in a marginalized minority, there is a smaller chance of hitting it off with someone who could end up mentoring you. It happens, of course, but it’s tougher. And if there’s a particular senior person with the skills you are looking for, they may already be gravitating toward someone who looks like them.

That’s why a structured mentoring program can be a good idea. The offer that Tara is making is an example of investing in equity—specifically calling for people from underrepresented groups to apply, and giving herself a process to consider the applicants so that her own biases don’t make up her mind for her.

Of course, matching is just the beginning. It’s crucial to support mentors and mentees with clear expectations, training (including on unconscious bias and how to be a good mentor/mentee) and accountability follow-ups to make sure the pairings are sticking.

If all goes well, mentoring across lines of difference can be very rewarding. As with all opportunities to increase diversity in our lives, we inevitably learn and grow from the perspectives and experiences of people different from us. Mentoring like this can be a mutually enriching, two-way exchange.

Our New Year’s Priority: Momentum in DEIB

Happy New Year to all of our clients, colleagues, and friends!

As we begin 2023, we at Fletcher Consulting are focusing on the word “momentum.” Specifically, ways to support our clients in maintaining the momentum of the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work that many started (or that picked up steam), in recent years. Some of you might be noticing less engagement and/or fewer resources dedicated to DEIB in your organizations.

One of our core values at Fletcher Consulting is “meeting clients where they are, and partnering with them to move forward.” We are brainstorming ways to enhance our services to advance momentum within our client organizations.

We are still strategizing but here are a few of our initial thoughts:

• Support and reinforce the DEI champions in our client organizations

• Share the successes and wisdom of some of our clients through spotlight stories, to provide others with examples of effective practices that might work for their organizations

• Create new workshops that will center particular audiences, based on group identity

• Coach leaders on how to equitably support the professional development of everyone in their group and build a sustainable DEIB infrastructure

• Develop a phased approach to work with organizations whose work culture or structure can’t support time-intensive projects like strategic planning

If you are a DEI champion in your organization, what would be helpful to you as you contemplate 2023? Tell us what you need in the comments below.

Let’s celebrate the successes of 2022 and work together to keep the momentum going in 2023!