Why ethics and diversity matter: The case of Trayvon Martin coverage | Poynter.

This is a good article on the problems faced by mostly white media -- it is dying through lack of diversity, as it should. No organization can remain un-diversified and survive. Business knows this, and the U.S. Supreme Court hears its message (something I find particularly interesting, coming from this conservative group). Any way...

Take a look, and then please share your comments.

Thanks,
Susan

Why ethics and diversity matter: The case of Trayvon Martin coverage | Poynter.

Kellogg Named One of '40 Best Companies' for Diversity

PRESS RELEASE

July 11, 2012, 1:00 p.m. EDT

Kellogg Company Honored as One of "40 Best Companies for Diversity" in 2012 by Black Enterprise Magazine

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Kellogg Company has once again been named one of the "40 Best Companies for Diversity" in 2012 by Black Enterprise magazine. The recognition reflects the company's ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion and marks the sixth time Kellogg has been named to the list.

"At Kellogg, we make a point to emphasize inclusion along with diversity," said President and Chief Executive Officer John Bryant. "Promoting diversity helps us to be more in tune with the diverse needs of our consumers. Emphasizing inclusion creates an environment where all feel welcomed and valued - and that's important not only at Kellogg, but in the communities where we live and work as well."
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Free Diversity eBook (through July 31)
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Featured in the publication's July issue, this year's Black Enterprise editorial accompanying its "40 Best Companies" list spotlights supplier diversity initiatives. Kellogg recently announced its 13th consecutive year of growth in its U.S. supplier diversity program, surpassing the $350 million mark, and has experienced a nearly 6-fold increase in spending in the last 10 years. The program also helps to support local communities by working with more than 200 companies owned by women, people of color and veterans with disabilities.

"We're working to build a stronger Kellogg by fostering an inclusive culture that leverages diversity as a competitive advantage," said Mark King, chief diversity officer for Kellogg Company. "Along with our supplier diversity initiatives, we've also made significant strides in reaching that objective by embedding diversity and inclusion throughout all levels of our organization. We're honored to be recognized by Black Enterprise once again for these efforts."

Black Enterprise first published its "Top 40" list in 2005. Companies named to the list are evaluated on a variety of diversity indicators and whether those elements extend throughout the company. More information may be found at www.blackenterprise.com .

About Kellogg Company Driven to enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter, Kellogg Company K -0.81% is the world's leading producer of cereal, second largest producer of cookies and crackers and - through the May 2012 acquisition of the iconic Pringles® business - the world's second largest savory snacks company. In addition, Kellogg is a leading producer of frozen foods. Every day, our well-loved brands - produced in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries - nourish families so they can flourish and thrive. With 2011 sales of more than $13 billion, these brands include Cheez-It®, Coco Pops®, Corn Flakes®, Eggo®, Frosted Flakes®, Kashi®, Keebler®, Kellogg's®, Mini-Wheats®, Pop-Tarts®, Pringles®, Rice Krispies®, Special K®, and many more. To learn more about Kellogg Company, including our corporate responsibility initiatives and rich heritage, please visit www.kelloggcompany.com .


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Free Diversity eBook (through July 31)
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SOURCE Kellogg Company

Civil Rights and Diversity Lessons -- School Librarian Tells How to ‘Teach Till’ Without Frightening Children

Media Release
Tuesday, July 13, 2011
Contact:
Susan Klopfer
sklopfer@gmail.com
http://www.susanklopfer.com/
1712 Redrock Drive
Gallup, NM 87301

How to ‘Teach Till’ Without Frightening Children: A Resource Guide for Teachers

You are a classroom teacher. The anniversary of Emmett Till’s death is coming up, and you want to present a meaningful lesson for your students. How can you talk about the murder of Emmett Till -- a significant civil rights events -- without frightening children.

Patricia Fua, a 20-year-plus high school teaching veteran and librarian, believes she has answers and has developed a teaching guide for Help With Teaching a Lesson on Emmett Till. Fua shares this guide as this 46th anniversary of this important modern civil rights event arrives:
Resources for the Classroom

For ongoing classroom lessons which emphasize tolerance and diversity visit Teaching Tolerance through the link below.

This organization offers a free magazine for educators with articles for adults, and stories to share with your students. The magazine also offers many ideas for handling discipline and a wealth of lesson plans. The yearly program sponsored by this association is called “Mix it Up for Lunch”. This is a great activity which is strongly recommended as a school wide program for all ages and one that will have a lasting effect on both students and staff.

http://www.tolerance.org/

Preparing the Class for your Lesson on Emmett Till

The Emmett Till story evokes many strong feelings in modern day teenagers. No matter how you choose to introduce this story to students the result will be basically the same, many will be shocked, some angry, while others will be confused.

Initially, before introducing the story the activity below called “Information Circle” can be used to ease students into a topic which might make them uneasy. Using “Information Circle" at the beginning of your lesson allow students who have little or no knowledge of the Emmett Till story to acquire information from their peers, and to practice passing information along.
The general discussion time at the end of the activity allows the teacher to correct and modify any information which was shared which might be inaccurate. It is recommended that students have other lessons throughout the year which extend on this story so that they realize it was not an isolated event, that it led to a great movement in American History, and so that they can draw inferences to Jim Crow laws and racism in literature and history as they study throughout the year.

Closure on this lesson

Students will need some closure which will allow them to put the feelings which have surfaced into a proper context. Again using the activity below students might be given a specific assignment by the teacher to make the sense of closure more eminent. For example students might write a short sentence which they repeat to each student they meet in the circle when the music is stopped. It can be a pledge of what they will do to help end racism in the future, or a specific fact they found in their research. The slow movement together with the music should help to contrast this second staging of the same activity from the first. There should be a quiet sense of peace, a grieving time if you will in this closure activity.

After this activity a solemn pledge might be considered. Students could place their pledge which they read to one another into a small special container to be included in a school time capsule, or a pledge wall might be made in the hallway to show their peers how they feel. Ideas are unlimited and depend on the personality of the group.

For more closure activities see the Social Studies links provided under the high school section or visit http://www.teachingtolerance.org/ .

Activity

Information Circle

This activity is suited for all ages including high school.

Before and after your lesson on Emmett Till a rewarding activity allowing students to review the information as well as voice their emotions is to play “Information Circle”.

Two circles are formed, one inside (circle A) and the other outside (circle B) thus including all the students in the classroom. Music is played, and in this instance Delta Blues should be used to set the mood.

Students walk in a circle slowly with each circle moving opposite of the other. When the music stops the students stand facing that person from the other circle and they exchange for 10 seconds each their knowledge of the event prior to the lesson, and their feelings about race in America after the lesson. The music is started again and a slow walk resumes to the next stop in the music. The teacher should facilitate the 10 second switch by monitoring the time and calling out, “A speaks” and then “B speaks”.

At the end of the activity (suggested overall time is 3 to 4 minutes) a class discussion can be held which is monitored by the teacher. All students will be ready to participate after gleaning information and opinions from others during the activity.

Springboard Lessons

Language Arts

Elementary School
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson with illustrations by Hudson Talbott













http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/17/gk2/quilting.html

http://www.state.lib.la.us/empowerlibrary/SHOW%20WAY.pdf

Middle School
Everyday Use by Alice Walker













http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-everydayuse/themes.html

A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson (sonnets, especially the crown sonnet form)













http://www.tolerance.org/activity/emmett-till-classroom-sonnet

High School

Language Arts

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee













and the
Scottsboro Trial













http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=525
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=526

History

US Race Relations After WWII
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=498

Analyzing Primary Documents

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/education_lesson3_steps.html

Time line of the Civil Rights movement

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/timeline/index.html

Social Studies

http://www.tolerance.org/activity/freedoms-main-line Segregation

http://www.tolerance.org/activity/historic-vote Voting Rights
http://www.splcenter.org/crm/wall.jsp  Wall of Tolerance

http://www.splcenter.org/crm/memorial.jsp Civil Rights Memorial

Miscellaneous Resources

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/tguide/index.html PBS Teacher Guide to Activities

for use with the video
The Murder of Emmett Till













(Editor's Note: I have also added the following video by Keith A. Beauchamp:)














http://videoindex.pbs.org/resources/eyes/index.html#programs

PBS Videos and Lesson Plans
http://videoindex.pbs.org/resources/eyes/primary/keywrd_1.html#KW4 

Glossary taken

from “Eyes on the Prize”













http://videoindex.pbs.org/resources/eyes/biosevents/profiles.html#PR8
Short profiles
* * *
Patricia Fua has taught school for 20-plus years and is currently the Librarian at a public high school in rural Nevada. Some of her most beloved teaching experiences have occurred in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas and a troubled inner city school in Central Los Angeles. Through all of these experiences Patricia holds fast that, “Young people are the same everywhere. They are concerned with fairness and equality, and they want to do their part to make the world a better place.”

Winner of two Christa McAuliffe fellowships Patricia has stretched across the board in education creating programs for the arts in Micronesia, setting up and acquiring funding for computer labs in both Samoa and Saipan and working as a volunteer to help accredit schools at each school where she has taught. Her first love is teaching Broadcasting and Drama but says she has a true passion for teaching tolerance.

-end-

'Refuse to Serve' Signs a 'Stupid Way to Do Business,' Diversity eBook Author Warns

(Gallup, NM) -- Any retailer that posts a sign announcing they “reserve the right to do business with anyone for any reason," might consider some business advice given by the author of a new, multicultural business eBook:

"That's a pretty stupid way to get new customers!"

Susan Klopfer, author of Cash In On Diversity, says she "can’t believe what I am seeing when I walk into retail stores with signs like this.

"What is going through the head of any business owner that appears to say, ‘Hey, if I don’t like the color of your skin, or how you look or act, I can tell you to leave my store and I don’t have to be rational or even follow the law’.”

Klopfer, a communication specialist, moved to New Mexico in January and said she is surprised that in a state with such a diversity of population, business ‘refusal’ signs are still common in many communities.

“For many people – whether or not they fit into a ‘minority’ classification, such a statement harkens back to the days when non-white people were actively discriminated against by racist retailers. So, why would any business owner in their proper mind – someone who wants to make money by serving as many people as possible -- post a potentially offensive sign in their store in this day and age,” she asks.

Klopfer, who holds a graduate degree in business and operates a small business, gives a quick sociology lesson: almost half, nearly 40 percent, of the U.S. population doesn’t fit the white family stereotype that made marketing in the 60s so easy – the image of June Cleaver and her popular family.

“Leave it to Beaver days are over! The changing cultural landscape of the country is exciting and offers so much opportunity. This requires all of us in business to think about the best way to start an engaging conversation.

An offensive sign that brings back memories of our country’s worst behaviors, the days of water hoses and black children being hosed down, simply is not a way to start a good conversation with any customer.”

Klopfer says she still remembers the “horrible images from the 1950s” when watching television with her parents, and often asks store owners to explain their signs when she sees them.

“It can be an interesting encounter. Sometimes, the store owner is quite defensive, even when I quietly explain how I feel about their sign and why. But I do think they get the message, and I ask others to ‘run’ the same ‘social experiment’.

"This type of bigotry, whether or not it is purposefully intended, really harms all of business and can be so hurtful.

“One has to wonder. Who is the store owner targeting? Would they kick out a gay couple holding hands? Do they want poor people to stay away? Are they directly targeting Native Americans? Often, the store owner can’t even answer these questions, probably because they haven’t given their sign enough thought in the first place. Yet, I am sure they want to have a successful business and make money from lots of customers.”

Cash In On Diversity, published by Smashwords (distributor of eBooks to the
Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store) blends practical experience with academic findings and provides do-able solutions for companies that are trying to grow their customer base, capturing a better representation of ethnicity and cultures.

The 12 chapter eBook features a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist, a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies make, specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, an 11-point organizational diversity analysis, the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (“from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia”).

Klopfer’s interest in diversity comes through her business and civil rights background. She holds a master’s degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University and an undergraduate degree in communication from Hanover College. The former Missouri journalist and Prentice Hall editor wrote three civil rights books on the Mississippi Delta and also wrote a Book of-the-Month alternate selection on personal computing, published by Prentice Hall. She has also written books on home-based businesses and how to use the Internet.

Klopfer recently moved to Gallup, a highly multicultural community, where she opened a vintage and southwestern gallery – “a quiet, little shop in a multicultural community where I can write, enjoy art and meet interesting people.”

No Quick Fix to Diversification, eBook Author Says; ‘But Here Are Some Tips’

News Release
Contact Susan Klopfer
505-728-7924
sklopfer@gmail.com
http://susanklopfer.com

Dramatic, positive change is more possible for any business when leadership is truly diverse, says the author of a newly published business eBook, Cash In On Diversity.

Susan Klopfer, who writes and consults on how to capitalize on diversity – says that businesses and organizations with ”true diversity of leaders” typically perform better financially and in other ways, too.

And she offers hope for business leaders on how to get there.

“These organizations show an increased capacity to link with new global and domestic markets, as well as an expanded access to global and domestic talent pools,” Klopfer said, citing findings from “Diverse City,” a project of the Greater Toronto, Canada Leadership Project and from her own experiences and informal data gathering.

Heightened innovation and creativity are also more possible within diverse organizations, along with strengthened social unity or cohesion -- “People who learn to respect each other’s differences, and who learn to treat each other using the Platinum Standard are simply going to work better together and there will be more rewards when this occurs – socially and economically.”

But Klopfer warns that too many organizations still haven’t grasped the “platinum standard,” a diversity management term coined by diversity management guru R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.

“This means listening and learning from others as to how they wish to be treated and understood, and not assuming you have the answers, stemming from your own personal ideas and values.”

Greater employee productivity and organizational performance can also be expected when there is a commitment to diversity. Thinking out of the box has been attributed to work done by diverse teams, for example.

“The Toronto Project found that diverse leaders are able to respond better to Canada’s increasingly multicultural markets, and that diverse leadership is more likely to attract and retain a diverse workforce.”

So how can any organization ensure diversity of leadership? And can a turn-around happen fast?

“First, make diversity a strategic priority,” Klopfer suggests.

“There should be a public commitment to diversity in leadership that sets the tone and creates the right conditions for change.”

Another tip – “Break out of your comfort zone and realize diversity requires change. You will have to take some risks. Leaders must learn to consider new options and to try new things.”

Klopfer tells about one Canadian company that was able to move quickly into diversity by capitalizing on their networks to increase board diversity.

“They approached some 450 community-based organizations to reach out to prospective board members, in essence, asking everyone they knew for recommendations. Then they created a grid system to assess, track and monitor qualifications.”

Group mentoring is still another way to help bring diversity into an organization’s culture, Klopfer said. “Find senior ambassadors within the organization and help them network with non-executives by sharing personal stories about their careers, and by leading discussions regarding challenges and opportunities for people to succeed.”

Always establish goals and measure results, Klopfer said. “Become publicly accountable by posting this information to website and other venues such as news releases and internal newsletters.

While these tips for moving to diversity may sound simple enough, Klopfer warns there is no quick fix to diversification. “It is a journey that will never be over.”

But creating a culture of diversity “will help put measures in place within the organization and to address what are called unconscious biases that too often pose obstacles to hiring and upward mobility of diverse people.”

Cash In On Diversity published by Smashwords (distributor of eBooks to the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store) blends practical experience with academic findings and provides do-able solutions.

The 12 chapter eBook features a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist, a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies make, specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, an 11-point organizational diversity analysis, the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (“from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia”).

The Gallup, New Mexico writer holds a master’s degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University and an undergraduate degree in communication from Hanover College. The former Missouri journalist and Prentice Hall editor wrote three civil rights books on the Mississippi Delta and also wrote a Book of-the-Month alternate selection on personal computing, published by Prentice Hall.
--END--

Sharper Focus on Diversity Could Pay Off For Business, Ebook Author States

News Release
Susan Klopfer
sklopfer@gmail.com
http://susanklopfer.com/

Diversity eBook nominated for Global Award.

(Gallup, New Mexico) -- Is the time ripe for another book on diversity? Author Susan Klopfer believes so, "...since the money part of the diversity message still hasn't hit home for most business leaders."

If American business has been talking the language of diversity for over 20 years, why do we still hear shocking complaints of ethnic mistreatment and cultural misunderstanding? Business author Klopfer asked this question after gathering diversity-related stories for her newest ebook, Cash In On Diversity; How Getting Along With Others Pays Off.

Klopfer's ebook is available through Smashwords, the Internet's largest ebook publisher and distributor to most major ebook retailers, including ibooks, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Stanza and others.

A civil rights author, journalist and professional book editor, Klopfer is a storyteller and her ebook’s characters reveal unfortunate accounts of “what still goes on in far too many business environments, even when we’re told through corporate messages via countless blogs, seminars, speeches, books and videos that major diversity issues have long been settled.”

One of Klopfer’s stories, for instance, focuses on a young man who wears tasseled shoes to work and is fired by a major pharmaceutical company because he doesn’t “fit in”; another, of an Island woman who is expected to cook a special meal every year so her cohorts can experience “true” diversity; and, still another story tells about a new employee who is asked to “set up” a “real quick diversity program” (“maybe write a blog or put up a Facebook page”) so the company will look good to its African American customers. “Try win a diversity prize!” his boss commands.

Cash In On Diversity blends practical experience with academic findings and provides do-able solutions, along with a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist.

Adding value to this easy-to-read 12-chapter ebook is a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies frequently make, like seeking “one size fits all” training and solutions.

Readers also benefit from a specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, as well as a unique diversity questionnaire, and an 11-Point Organizational Diversity Analysis.

Also featured is the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia).

“When we have a better grasp of diversity terms, we can really understand current problems and then have a better chance of solving them,” Klopfer, a communication specialist, asserts.

In doing her informal research, the diversity author noticed that big businesses often do no better than small organizations when it comes to really understanding diversity, and making use of its benefits.

“Too often, culturally naive business managers, even in large, sophisticated organizations, lead their companies into losing millions of dollars in lost opportunities due to problems stemming from simple cultural misunderstandings, which can lead to the mismanagement of employees. Just look at the high volume of lawsuits.”

Miscommunication and a lack of cross-cultural understanding are two main barriers organizations face when it comes to working globally, Klopfer states. “In an increasingly aggressive global business environment, there’s no time for the misinterpretation and blunders that result from failing to recognize and understand each other’s values.”

Klopfer holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and an undergraduate degree in Communication from Hanover College. A former journalist and technical writer, she is the author of an alternate book selection for the Book of-the-Month Club (Abort! Retry! Fail!) and worked as a computer book development and acquisitions editor for Prentice Hall. Klopfer recently lived in the Mississippi Delta where she wrote two civil rights history books, including the story of Emmett Till. From this experience, she became interested in diversity management and chose to blend her journalism, business and civil rights experiences and knowledge.

Klopfer currently resides in Gallup, New Mexico where she recently opened a vintage and southwestern gallery.

* * * * *
"In a world where ethnic conflict seems emerging and re-emerging, Susan Klopfer has written a luminous book defending the value of ethnic intimacy and arguing the virtue and art of story as a powerful means of achieving that intimacy. Her book could not have come at a better time."

Robert Alpert, civil rights activist and teacher

* * * * *
Cash In On Diversity; How Getting Along With Others Pays Off ($3.99. Smashwords, 2011) is a practical guide written for business people, educators, health workers, lawyers, ministers, engineers, computer experts, students and all others who want to do a better job of relating to each other in their daily lives. Easy-to-read, storytelling approach. Includes a valuable glossary plus avaluable, free gift to readers.

# # #

Status of Black US Males in "Crisis" New York Report States

(Buffalo News) The Council of Great City Schools today released a stark report detailing the status of young black males in the United States.

“The nation’s young black males are in a state of crisis,” the authors write. “This report is likely to make people angry, and it should. We hope that this is a louder and more jolting wake-up call to the nation than this country is used to hearing.”

Some of the key facts they cite:

- Black males are twice as likely to drop out of high school as white males.

- Ten percent of black males have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 18 percent of white males.

- White males who did not graduate from high school earn $5,000 a year more than black males who dropped out. White males with a master’s degree earned $20,000 more than black men with a master’s degree.

Here's more --

http://www.cgcs.org/publications/Call_For_Change.pdf

From the Land of Emmett Till: New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Asserts Gov. Haley Barbour Could Free Mississippi Scott Sisterrs

NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED COLUMNIST BOB HERBERT WRITES TODAY THAT
Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi has to decide whether to show mercy to two sisters, Jamie and Gladys Scott, who are each serving double consecutive life sentences in state prison for a robbery in which no one was injured and only $11 was taken.

“This should be an easy call for a law-and-order governor who has, nevertheless, displayed a willingness to set free individuals convicted of far more serious crimes. Mr. Barbour has already pardoned four killers and suspended the life sentence of a fifth,” Herbert writes.

The Scott sisters, African Americans have been in prison for 16 years. Jamie, now 38, is seriously ill. Both of her kidneys have failed. "Keeping the two of them locked up any longer is unconscionable, grotesquely inhumane," Herbert writes.

The sisters were accused of luring two men to a spot outside the rural town of Forest, Miss., in 1993, where the men were robbed by three teenagers, one of whom had a shotgun. The Scott sisters knew the teens. The evidence of the sisters’ involvement has always been ambiguous, at best. The teenagers pleaded guilty to the crime, served two years in prison and were released. All were obliged by the authorities, as part of their plea deals, to implicate the sisters.

No explanation has ever emerged as to why Jamie and Gladys Scott were treated so severely. Persons close to the family have said this resulted from an ongoing fight between their father and the county sheriff, however.

In contrast, Governor Barbour has been quite willing to hand get-out-of-jail-free cards to men who unquestionably committed shockingly brutal crimes. The Jackson Free Press, an alternative weekly, and Slate Magazine have catalogued these interventions by Mr. Barbour.

"Some Mississippi observers have characterized the governor’s moves as acts of mercy; others have called them dangerous abuses of executive power."

The Mississippi Department of Corrections confirmed Governor Barbour’s role in the five cases, noting that the specific orders were signed July 16, 2008:

• Bobby Hays Clark was pardoned by the governor. He was serving a long sentence for manslaughter and aggravated assault, having shot and killed a former girlfriend and badly beaten her boyfriend.

• Michael David Graham had his life sentence for murder suspended by Governor Barbour. Graham had stalked his ex-wife, Adrienne Klasky, for years before shooting her to death as she waited for a traffic light in downtown Pascagoula.

• Clarence Jones was pardoned by the governor. He had murdered his former girlfriend in 1992, stabbing her 22 times. He had already had his life sentence suspended by a previous governor, Ronnie Musgrove.

• Paul Joseph Warnock was pardoned by Governor Barbour. He was serving life for the murder of his girlfriend in 1989. According to Slate, Warnock shot his girlfriend in the back of the head while she was sleeping.

• William James Kimble was pardoned by Governor Barbour. He was serving life for the murder and robbery of an elderly man in 1991.

More at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/opinion/16herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Diversity Business Book Uses Storytelling and Personal Anecdotes; Targets Inexperienced Supervisors, Managers

Susan Klopfer, diversity author

News Release
Contact: Susan Klopfer
Group Klopfer~ Mount Pleasant, IA
Cell 505-728-7924 ~ sklopfer@gmail.com
Author Bio: www.susanklopfer.com

Diversity Business Book Uses Storytelling and Personal Anecdotes; Targets Inexperienced Supervisors, Managers

A new business book that gives advice on how to manage diversity targets inexperienced supervisors and managers. Profit From Diversity: Getting Along With Others, set for Nov. 15 publication, is geared to business leaders who have little or no training in diversity management, author Susan Klopfer said.

“This is why I emphasize story-telling and include a unique glossary – one with down-to-earth definitions of diversity-related key words,” said Klopfer, who also weaves in personal examples throughout the book’s glossary to “make points relevant” for readers.

“For instance, I share my own story about travelling to Germany and getting off the plane to hear a language I don’t speak, and how the sound of people talking seems amplified. I recount feeling frustrated and even dizzy while trying figure out how to use the phones at the airport. When I found it difficult to follow instructions, even though I was trying to use a German language tourist book and getting a lot of help from Germans, I became silently angry at myself and the situation.

"But then I took a few deep breaths, sat down for a couple of minutes, and recognized I was simply experiencing some ‘culture shock’ – an encounter that anthropologists and other social scientists have written about for many years. After a few minutes, I was okay and in a better mood to figure out the telephone system. Next came learning how to signal taxis!”

Whether a person enters a host culture as a short-time visitor or as an immigrant, culture shock can be a devastating response, Klopfer continues. “Studies show that from 30 percent to 60 percent of expatriates or people who make a permanent move outside of their own country suffer serious culture shock, manifesting as anxiety and stress. Business managers, supervisors and all employees need to understand this kind of information so that we can have empathy and understanding to work better with others in the growing global markets.”

Profit From Diversity: Getting Along With Others, was written for anyone in business who wants to learn more about using diversity successfully to grow their company, including personnel, marketing, management, supervision − but also has important messages for educators, ministers, health and mental health professionals, lawyers and students, as well as anyone else who is interested in the world around them, Klopfer states.

The first part of the Iowa author’s book revolves around stories of four different people who work in business organizations and are confronted with diversity issues involving ethnic differences, gender discrimination, empowerment and change management.

“I learned about what real people were going through, while interviewing them at their businesses, as part of my research. Through their true accounts, readers will learn more about what it feels like to be the ‘different’ person at work, for instance the person who comes to this country from an Island culture and goes to work in a small town where she is asked to prepare a ‘special dinner’ every year so her co-workers can learn more about her culture.”

The problem with this particular practice, Klopfer explains, is “while it seems like a friendly-enough gesture, everyone focuses on this employee’s ethnic differences, which actually keeps her at a distance, making it harder for her to become a part of the team and contribute her unique talents to the team.”

Managing diversity is tricky. A company executive might believe she is managing diversity simply because the company employs minorities, women or others who are not part of the majority culture, usually white males, Klopfer said.

“There is far more to be done to make and keep a company diverse, and to use this diversity to benefit the company’s bottom line. Real problems arise – and employees representing diversity may leave or do not contribute their unique talents, for many reasons – when diversity is not managed well. White males are sometimes shut out, for instance, and not allowed to make their unique contributions when diversity management is not the focus.”

Klopfer says her book cites important social research, but also has “plenty of interesting true stories and accounts.” It is written “at a high school level with the goal of making it easy to read and interesting for just about anyone."

Profit From Diversity: Getting Along With Others is set for publication by CreateSpace in both e-book and print book formats to coincide with American Education Week that is annually observed beginning in the third week of each November. Susan Klopfer is a Missouri award-winning journalist and author of three civil rights books. She is a former acquisitions and development editor for Prentice Hall.

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Diversity Briefs: Disabled Still Get Cool Reception in U.S. Workplace

Bloomberg Business Week
Executive Health
Kessler Foundation, News Release

FRIDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthDay News) -- While many American companies say that hiring people with disabilities is important, few of them actually hire these job seekers or take steps to provide a welcoming work environment, a new survey finds.

The national poll of 411 senior executives and human resource managers found that 70 percent of respondents' companies have diversity policies or programs in place, but only two-thirds of those with programs include disability as a component.

Only 18 percent of companies offer an education program designed to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace, and only 19 percent of companies have a specific person or department that oversees the hiring of people with disabilities, compared with 40 percent in 1995.

Among the other findings:

Only 7 percent of companies with disability programs offer a disability affinity group (a group promoting disability awareness).
Slightly more than half of respondents estimated what percentage of new hires in the past three years were people with disabilities, and on average the number they came up with was 2 percent.
The survey was released Tuesday by the Kessler Foundation and the National Organization on Disability (NOD). October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Only 21 percent of people with disabilities ages 18 to 64 are working either full- or part-time, compared to 59 percent of people without disabilities, according to data released in July 2010 by the two groups. Those findings suggest little progress has been made since the Americans With Disabilities Act was implemented in 1990, the researchers said in a Kessler Foundation news release.

"America's success in the global economy depends on how well we put to use the productive capacity of every person's talent, skill and ability. This new survey reveals that most employers are not aware of the unique contribution that workers with disabilities can make and do little to recruit them," Carol Glazer, NOD president, said in the release.

"The shockingly high unemployment rate among people with disabilities suggests that employers seeking dependable workers have a rich and ready talent pool of workers from which to draw," she added.

More information

The U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy offers work information for people with disabilities.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Kessler Foundation, news release, Oct. 5, 2010

World's Biggest LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Study Launched; Focus On Workplace Discrimination

The world's biggest ever lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) study has been launched to highlight the true scale of workplace discrimination and reveal if diversity and inclusion programmes are working.

Community Values 2010 will investigate views on other forms of workplace discrimination such as racial harassment as well as homophobia.

The Community Values 2010 research study is thought to be the largest and most comprehensive global LGBT research study of its kind, offering unprecedented insight into the lives of LGBT people from all walks of life across six continents.

This ground-breaking project is being conducted by the specialist gay marketing consultancy Out Now and is currently live in 23 countries and 10 languages, covering more than 1.3 billion of the world’s population. More than 25,000 respondents have already taken part.

The findings will be revealed in January 2011.

Story CONTINUED

Arizona's 'Tough Sheriff' Must Answer To Justice Department; Discrimination Against Hispanics

By AMANDA LEE MYERS, PAUL DAVENPORT
The Associated Press

PHOENIX — The Justice Department sued the nation's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" on Thursday, calling Joe Arpaio's defiance of an investigation into his office's alleged discrimination against Hispanics "unprecedented."

It's the first time in decades a lawman has refused to cooperate in one of the agency's probes, the department said.

The Arizona sheriff had been given until Aug. 17 to hand over documents the federal government first asked for 15 months ago, when it started investigating alleged discrimination, unconstitutional searches and seizures, and jail policies that discriminate against people with limited English skills.

From AP, continued

U.S. Demographics Changing; Businesses That Adapt To Diversity Will Move Out Ahead of Others

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Contact: Susan Klopfer, MBA
Group Klopfer
Cell 505-728-7924
sklopfer@gmail.com
www.susanklopfer.com

U.S. citizens are changing, whether they know it or not. "Besides getting older, our skin color is changing. Even our taste for food, how we dress and the religions we follow are undergoing major transformation.

"From businesses to families — new languages, new relationships and new music and entertainment are emerging into our lives," says diversity expert, Susan Klopfer.

People once called "minorities" are becoming the majority and are introducing a whole new set of likes and dislikes...and requirements, says Klopfer, who is also a civil rights author and diversity consultant.

Klopfer draws on vital statistics, like this data recently reported by the U.S. government: half the country's population will be members of ethnic minorities by 2050, according to the Census Bureau.

How can businesses−from banks to colleges (large and small)−adapt to what some see as chaos, and thrive?

It is clear, some organizations are having a very difficult time addressing the needs of new employees, Klopfer states -- "...those employees who are not part of the curret majority group, which is typically white and male."

“Unfortunately, some businesses are not recognizing the importance of the changing workforce and marketplace and many are being sued left and right over employment discrimination." Klopfer shares some shocking statistics:

In one major study using data from the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, discrimination charges increased by 77 percent in a 7-year period. Of these complaints, 37 percent sued over racial discrimination, 31 percent charged sexual discrimination and harassment, 9 percent alleged discrimination based on national origin and the remaining 23 percent of the complaints were mixed, and included discrimination based religion, age, disability and other allegations.

Klopfer adds to this, a study by the U.S. Department of Justice finding that lawsuits claiming discrimination in the workplace more than tripled in the late 1990s.

“Here is the trend: more than 82,000 private-sector discrimination charge filings were received in Fiscal Year 2007 by EEOC, representing the largest single-year increase since the 1990s. Two years later, there were over 93,000 workplace discrimination charges filed with the EEOC nationwide during Fiscal Year 2009, the second highest level ever, and monetary relief obtained for victims totaled over $376 million.”

In fact, more people with disabilities filed charges of discrimination against their employers that year than at any other time in the 20-year history of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Klopfer adds.

But there is an answer, a way to take advantage of the unique opportunities embedded in diversity, Klopfer says, with education serving as the major key. She has announced four free, 30-minute diversity education webinars geared for business owners and executives. "But anyone can attend," she adds.

Titled "Five Costly Diversity Mistakes Companies Make -- And How to Avoid Them," each online session addresses how organizations and businesses often respond to diversity changes, "...unfortunately, too often in ways that damage their ability to market successfully to all segments of today's diverse populations. Companies will be challenged to answer such questions as −

Are you ready to attract new diverse and global customers? Will your company be able to hire and keep the best employees? Is your organization stuck with being afraid of getting sued because of discrimination or harassment perpetrated, without your knowledge, by your own untrained employees?

The Iowa-based consultant states workshops are available to "anyone looking for sensible answers to these questions and more." Attendees will receive a gift valued at $500, Klopfer said. "Each session contains the same information; we're mixing dates and times to accommodate as many people as possible."

Online session dates are set for Wed, Sep 8, 2010 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM CDT , Thu, Sep 9, 2010 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM CDT , Fri, Sep 10, 2010 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM CDT, Mon, Sep 13, 2010 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM CDT.

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- End -

Series of Free Online Diversity Workshops Announced By Civil Rights Author, Diversity Expert

Contact: Susan Klopfer
Group Klopfer
www.susanklopfer.com

Upside Potential Exists For Companies That Embrace Diversity

New EEOC data shows that religious discrimination claims have doubled in the past 15 years, and the number of settlements has tripled since 1997. This should not surprise most executives for two reasons, says diversity consultant Susan Klopfer.

First, the United States is seeing a broader mix of religious backgrounds as workforces diversify. Second, employees have become more litigious, “and they’re well aware of the laws that give them the right to certain accommodations based on their religious beliefs.”

Yet the real question for today’s companies are whether they are seeing this and related employment discrimination litigation as a "problem" or at least some components as an opportunity to strengthen their businesses, Klopfer says.

The Iowa civil rights author is announcing three online workshops entitled “Five Costly Diversity Mistakes Companies Can Make and How To Avoid Them.” Sessions are set for Tuesday, August 10 and 24 and Wednesday, September 1 running from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Central time. There is no cost and attendees receive a free gift, Klopfer said.

For the Thur, Aug 12, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM CDT online session, click HERE now to register.

For the Tue, Aug 24, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM CDT online session, click HERE now to register.

For the Wed, Sept 1, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM CDT online session, click HERE now to register.

“As our country becomes more and more diverse in every aspect, from changing family structures and increasing minority population to changing religious patterns, there is great opportunity for the organization that adapts to and embraces diversity, and this will be the focus of these online workshops,” Klopfer said.

Klopfer, who holds a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, is also the author of three books on civil rights, including her latest, Who Killed Emmett Till?” Persons wishing to sign up for workshops can do so at Klopfer’s website www.susanklopfer.com.

###

Free Diversity Online Workshop Set for July 27

Diversity Workshop Announcement
Susan Klopfer
http://susanklopfer.com

A free 30-minute online workshop on Five Costly Diversity Mistakes Companies Make -- And How to Avoid Them is set for Tuesday, July 27 at 2 p.m. All participants will receive a special bonus offer for attending, valued at $500.

To register, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/265131664.

Employees tend to "stick around" more when companies promote diversity training

Engineer Gail Powley is a minority in her field -only 17.2 per cent of students in Canadian engineering programs are female.Photograph by: CANDACE ELLIOTT CANWEST NEWS SERVICE, For Canwest News Service; Edmonton Journal

Edmonton engineer Gail Powley figures diversity training makes companies, "more self-reflective on what their practices and processes are. As a result,(the workplace) becomes more open and transparent for everyone else."

And because satisfied employees tend to stick around, improving retention rates, companies benefit. Powley's institute reports that 36 per cent of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) Canadians who experience discrimination will change careers, for instance.

Read more:

7 Facts About Cinco de Mayo

The observance commemorates a major moment in Mexican history some 148 years ago. Find out what that moment was and six other key facts about Cinco De Mayo and its history as today'ss Huffington Post reports ... http://huff.to/dqnoY5