It has been a year since Talk Shop made public our commitments to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI). We believe it is important to maintain transparency about the progress we’ve made and the ongoing actions we’re taking to uphold these commitments and educate ourselves further.
As an organization we have taken the following actions over the last year to make good on our commitments:
Implemented a JEDI Task Force
Company-wide anti-racism and implicit bias training was completed in October 2020
Conducted company-wide LGBTQ+ Inclusivity Workshop in March 2021
Donated $5,680.82 dollars to organizations supporting BIPOC communities or dedicated to anti-racism efforts
Have implemented clear and explicit anti-racism policies that outline zero tolerance towards any hateful, racist and discriminatory words or actions that occur within our organization
Assess bias in HR practices on an ongoing basis and implement systems of accountability (panels, ongoing external assessment, etc.) to establish an equitable workplace for all current and future Talk Shop team members
Rolled out a company vernacular to help us be more mindful of our vocabulary
Held three JEDI book club meetings to engage participants in discussion and education on anti-racism work through nonfiction and fiction novels
We know there is more work to be done and we remain committed to continuing to dismantle bias and work toward a more equitable and inclusive workplace and ultimately world. To continue this work, we will be taking the following actions:
Company-wide Indigenous history workshop to be completed Summer 2021
Portion of the Talk Shop operating budget will be allocated for JEDI-aligned organizations that require immediate support or face significant challenges
Build partnerships and relationships with influencers from racialized and other marginalized groups to support representation and use our own reach/network to be of service to targeted groups.
Maintain our commitment that the panels we speak on or organize have fair and equal representation of people of colour and diverse perspectives.
Continue to work to meet our commitment that an increased percentage of our dollars for vendors and suppliers go to businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, People of Colour and other marginalized communities.