Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Talking About Race at Fortune's MPW Summit

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October 10, 2017

Apologies for the late send. I hope you'll think it was worth the wait.

Race and inclusion were an important part of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit in D.C. today. You were missed, but your presence was felt.

We kicked off the day with a morning panel on The New Rules of Inclusion, starring four incredible women: Jess Lee, Partner, Investments, Sequoia Capital; Cindy Robbins, Executive Vice President, Global Employee Success at Salesforce; Sandra Phillips Rogers, Group Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Toyota Motor North America and Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. I'll have a link and more thoughts, tomorrow.

Later in the afternoon, things got real when Ann-Marie Campbell, Executive Vice President, U.S. Stores, The Home Depot, Inc., Thasunda Duckett, CEO, Consumer Banking, JP Morgan Chase and Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments took the stage to help explain why there are so few black women in executive ranks in the Fortune universe. It was a real-life version of The Black Ceiling , a moving discussion of what is holding black women back, even as white women find traction in inclusion efforts.

It's worth noting that Campbell is now the only black woman on the MPW list this year.

From the panel:

"Inclusion is not just a professional thing, it's a me thing" Campbell said. She encouraged leaders to explore their own social circles and befriend people of different races and backgrounds, noting that you can't have open conversations about many of the issues affecting your employees and your peers without a diverse friend group.

"We know a lot more about you than you know about us," Hobson said. She challenged leaders to make the effort and the investment to learn about women and minorities.

"You need opportunity, but you also need to be in a culture where you can be heard, you can be understood, and you can be embraced," Duckett said. "The highest level of diversity is perspective."

Enjoy.

Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit continues until tomorrow afternoon! Follow live here.

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Quote

The only organization of its kind, the United Order of Tents is a secret society comprised and operated solely by African American women. The order traces its roots back to the operations of the Underground Railroad in Norfolk Virginia. The founder of the organization, Annette M. Lane, assisted slaves during their escape from the south to their journey on the Railroad. After emancipation and then Annetta Lane and United Order of Tents cofounder, Harriet Taylor, recognized the need for African American women to join together for strength and security in the new free world…The founding members viewed the Order as a "tent of salvation" amidst the turmoil of Reconstruction.
—Mary Margaret Schley
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