Diversity & Inclusion

Central Massachusetts businesses, against the backdrop of the growing Black Lives Matter movement, are placing renewed focus on diversity & inclusion in their organizations.

Since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests throughout the world, YWCA Central Massachusetts has seen increased interest in its Racial Equity Education workshops.

In the month following the police killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, national civil rights, social justice and Black advocacy organizations like Black Lives Matter and protestor bail funds saw surges in donations, reaching a cumulative nine figures.

More than two years have passed since entrepreneur Ross Bradshaw embarked on the licensing process to open New Dia, a recreational cannabis dispensary in Worcester.

It wasn’t long ago CEOs were notably absent from such societal debates. For decades, business heads were advised not to talk about hot-button issues such as religion or politics.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protesting against racial inequality, the YMCA of Central Massachusetts’ doors are always open to continue to work towards equality with all groups.

At such a perilous time, the Worcester County business community is hampered by an uncomfortable problem: In the homogeneous world of business leadership in Worcester County, top officials at the area’s largest and best-known institutions are almost entirely white.

The killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, filmed for us all to witness, was truly horrific. The nation, and for that matter the world, has borne witness to the senselessness of his death, and responded with a call to action unlike any time in the past.

In the wake of the police killing of unarmed Minneapolis man George Floyd and the subsequent protests against institutional racism, Dr. Mark Johnson from UMass Memorial Health Care said Central Massachusetts business leaders have an important role to play in creating real change.