We do not want to live in two Americas. We want to live in one America where the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal” and we have “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” where the U.S. Constitution was ordained to “establish justice” and “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” 

 

How do we get there from here? Pedantic calls for unity will no longer suffice. It will require ALL of us to move beyond mere symbolic gestures of diversity and inclusion and take bold action in the direction of substantive change. It will require dismantling racist policies, procedures and practices in the various systems and structures based on how this country is governed, especially in law enforcement and the justice system. But also in the educational, health, banking, housing and pretty much every other system in this country. 

 

So what can we as meeting/event professionals and our industry do to change things? Here are some practical steps that we can take within our industry:

 

1. Hold the associations and affiliations we are a part of accountable to recruit diverse members.

2. Hold CVBs accountable; ask if they are supporting minority businesses.

3. Push to have diversity on boards.

4. Recruit and PAY for diverse speakers at our meetings.

5. Push the organizations we work for to hire diverse staff, provide training and create a path to leadership.

6. Keep our leaders and organizations accountable.

7. Check out our handy DE&I Event Checklist for many more opportunities to start and continue pushing for a more equitable industry.

 

So here we stand, a year into entering the crossroads. We hope that the MPI Potomac Chapter will continue to uphold its stated values, continue being a DE&I leader in our field and continue to hold all of us to a higher standard.