“Your Dance Card”: Updates in GVP’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Journey

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by Jennie Jiang | January 31, 2020

Your Dance Card
Inclusion is when everyone is asked to dance…
Equity is when no one gets a special invitation.
Diversity is when everyone is invited to the dance.
– Dr. Johnetta B. Cole

Diversity, equity and inclusion are values that community-wide and globally are increasingly acknowledged as intentional commitments to work towards and stand in. At GVP, while we are founded upon these core principles, our work in 2020 will center around integrating DEI into all of our systems, practices, and perspectives. We have new DEI creative educational trainings for our volunteers and mentors. We are crafting new tools to use in the classroom to amplify the voices of lived experience and celebrate each and every one of us representing our own story. Diversity, most simply put, is the differences that make us human beings.

“I try not to use diversity and inclusion without also talking about equity and accessibility. Equity is making sure that everybody gets the same invitation, and accessibility is making sure that everyone who comes to this party has their needs accommodated,” Dr. Cole explains (The Chautauquan Daily).  Her insights reflect that a commitment to DEI is about always exploring and enhancing the ways in which we function. It is through that type of exploration that the founders of GVP had the courage and insight to form this institution. And it is through this type of commitment that GVP will continue to travel this groundbreaking path in its DEI work.

We are honored to be on this journey together, and as we travel this path, we welcome our collective community in the design of this next chapter. Our DEI Specialist, Jai Simpson-Joseph, Esq. welcomes your emails and insights at [email protected].

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