New Award Honors Corporations for Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

In continuing efforts to fulfill its mission, the Urban League of Greater Kansas City has established The Equalizer, an award that recognizes corporations for achievement in diversity and inclusion practices. The award has been established as part of an area wide Opportunity Compact to hasten social and economic parity and close equality gaps that persist between Blacks and Whites. The disparities are reported in The State of Black Kansas City Equality Index, published in October 2006.

Gwen Grant, Urban League president and CEO, said, “Even though the Equality Index shows that substantial improvement is needed to achieve equality in the area of employment, we believe that many corporations are taking some very positive steps in the right direction and we want to recognize those efforts. The Equalizer Award is the perfect way to do so, and bestowing the award in conjunction with our Annual Career Bazaar & Hiring Fair makes perfect sense.”

Employers must complete a nomination form and include a $50 processing fee to be considered for an Equalizer Award. Nominations will be evaluated on how well an employer’s diversity and inclusion initiatives are working or have worked to bring employment and subsequently economic parity to African Americans and other minorities. A panel of examiners, who are experts in diversity practices and initiatives, will evaluate applications. Employers who apply for an Equalizer Award will be evaluated against established standards and criteria, not against each other.

For an Equalizer Nomination Form and/or a free copy of The State of Black Kansas City Equality Index, call 816-471-0550, ext. 13.

Symposium for Human Resource Practitioners and Corporate Executives

The discussion on diversity and inclusion continues after the Equalizer Award Luncheon with a presentation titled, “Diversity Practices That Work: The American Worker Speaks.” Based on a survey of more than 5,500 American workers, the program examines diversity and inclusion practices from the bottom up, not the top down. In the survey, workers reveal their attitudes about diversity and inclusion programs and policies in their workplaces. Symposium attendees will leave with information about what practices drive favorable employee perceptions, and, therefore, are most effective.

Alonzo Byrd, Jr., Assistant Vice President of Corporate Relations at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, will deliver the presentation. He is responsible for the development and execution of corporate citizenship initiatives nationwide.  Byrd, who joined Enterprise in May 2002, works from the company’s corporate headquarters in St. Louis. Enterprise funded the survey, which was commissioned by the National Urban League.

Margaret A. Evans, Ph.D., SPHR, will introduce Alonzo Byrd. Evans is the Director of Human Resources for the Government Employees Hospital Association (GEHA) and a past president of the Human Resource Management Association of Greater Kansas City. She will be honored at the Equalizer Luncheon preceding the Symposium.

Symposium attendees will receive a 40-page booklet with statistics, narrative, conclusions and recommendations from the survey. The Symposium runs from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on March 29th at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. Cost to attend is $85 per person or $125 for the Symposium and the Equalizer Luncheon. Registrations are required: 816-471-0550, ext. 28.