Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
It’s no secret that during recent years there has been a sweeping revelation that racial equality and equity has never been ‘solved’. Many had thought and may still think that racism and racial bias was wiped out by Dr. King many years ago. The truth is the conversation isn’t over and it really can’t end, and nor should it. At Spaces General Contracting, we believe in equality and equity. We challenge the status quo, and are committed to establishing and maintaining practices that support and encourage diversity both within and without our organization. We are passionate about civil rights and aim to be among the few in the industry who will bring lasting change that supports BIPOC in our community.
What We Believe
We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth. We Believe that opportunity should be based on merit, not the color of your skin. We also believe that equality is not equity. Being treated equally, is not the same as being treated in a way that will balance the social scales. Opportunities need to be offered and resources need to be offered to balance these social scales so that equity can be rebalanced in our country.
What’s The Challenge or Problem
The challenge with building racial equality and equity is our country’s systemic racism. What many don’t understand is that although in large part outright racism has been universally condemned. Other challenges have not. Politics, seek to further disenfranchise BIPOC by gerrymandering and redistricting. Cities, choose to spend money on maintaining some neighborhoods over revitalizing some. Opportunities, by and large are not offered to people who have been victimized by the system, which perpetuates the problem further.
What Can Be Done
Education, awareness, empathy, and compassion are a great start. Additionally, taking action is critical as change begins with action. Becoming a part of the system that combats inequality and gives a voice to the most pressing concerns makes a difference, following organizations such as the NAACP, Urban League Of Metropolitan Seattle, Black Lives Matter. Participating in civil rights events and showing solidarity. Donating to causes that seek to address needs within the community. Finally, if you are an employer, offering jobs to qualified candidates in equal proportion.
What We’re Doing
We are proud to take action in our community and help lead our industry down the correct path. We are intrinsically driven to develop and sustain programs to drive significant change. We actively review our responses to civil rights issues and at every opportunity examine our programs to maintain effectiveness. Currently, Spaces General Contracting participates in the ways listed below.
We are fully committed to supporting our BIPOC community through the following initiatives:
- Initiative #1: Partnering With The Urban League Of Metropolitan Seattle
- Initiative #2: Supporting Black Owned Businesses through our equity in procurement program.
- Initiative #3 Donating to worthy Causes that seek to make a difference in the community.
- Initiative #4 Using our influence and voice to speak out on equality and equity issues.
- Initiative #5 Assuring that BIPOC representation is present in management and executive positions.
- Initiative #6 Assuring that all staff have undergone trainings that cover diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.
- Initiative #7 Maintaining a clear process of communication that directly passes to Executive management to assure our BIPOC staff voices will be heard and acted upon immediately.
How You Can Help
It is up to society as a whole to commit to making positive and needed change. Maintaining awareness as an individual by utilizing resources that can help you understand racism and injustice in our BIPOC communities. The following resources can be helpful for building knowledge that can contribute to lasting change:
NAACP- https://naacp.org
The home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice.
The Urban League Of Metropolitan Seattle- https://urbanleague.org
Empowers those we serve by providing programming and services designed to support and encourage self-sufficiency in all aspects of life.
