EDITORIAL: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion publication showcases community commitment

If you didn't see the special publication in Saturday's edition of The Republic, "creating an Equitable community: How Local Groups are advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion," it's worth tracking down, reading and talking about. Within its 52 pages are multiple articles looking at how the community is moving forward together with the common goal of ensuring equal opportunity for all.

You can also access the entire publication online at heritagefundbc.org/ post/creating-an-equitable-community.

We at The Republic were humbled to assist with content, editing, design and production of the publication, but the heavy lifting was done by a committee of community stakeholders who developed and compiled a thoughtful, comprehensive and informative resource. These include The Heritage Fund - The community Foundation of Bartholomew county, Bartholomew county chapter of the Naacp, the city of columbus, columbus Regional Health, the community Education coalition, United Way of Bartholomew county and more.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are guideposts for leaders in government, business, education, nonprofits and advocacy organizations. The publication serves as a compass showing where we are, where we've been, and where we're going.

an icon of columbus, J. Irwin Miller, always looms large in our community, but particularly in this conversation.

The longtime cummins chief set an early tone for what today would be considered DEI, and his words many decades ago continue to resonate.

"We would like to see this community come to be the very best community of its size in the country," Miller said. "The city in which the smartest, the ablest, the best young families anywhere would want to live … open in every single respect to persons of every race, color and opinion, that makes them feel welcome and at home here."

That work is not done, but Miller's ideals remain those to which we all should aspire. We are at our best when every person has the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of race, gender, who they are or where they come from.

The truth is, we've made a lot of progress since Miller's day, but stark disparities remain. First understanding those, then finding ways to close those gaps, is an ongoing effort. The guide is a helpful resource to understand what's being done in our community and where there are opportunities for improvement.

The truth, too, is that we can always improve our own understanding. Use the guide to complete the cultural competence self-assessment checklist in the last couple of pages. Not only might it help you understand how your biases can impact others, it might also reveal to you biases you didn't know you had.

Diversity, equity and inclusion includes all of us.