Combating Racism Through Business

In a recent TED talk -- presented in partnership with UPS -- inclusion advocate and speechwriter Janet Stovall delivers a poignant talk on diversity at work and how companies can implement, and better themselves through more inclusive and diverse hiring practices.

Focusing on her single-minded nature, Stovall begins her talk by looking back at her history at Davidson Collge. At the time, Stovall was one of 52 black students at the college of 1,200 students. Noticing this disparity, and lack of cultural diversity, Stovall wrote and developed an initiative program known as 'Project 87.' At its core, this initiative challenged the college to enroll more black students, hire more black professors, create at least five Black Studies classes, and hire one black dean.

As Stovall moves past this time in her life, she maintains a focus on diversity and begins to explore how diversity in businesses can ultimately end racism. Unlike other institutions in the US, such as colleges and church, she believes that the business industry can end racism through diverse hiring practices that inhibit a greater sense of inclusion.

Stovall's talk on diversity at work connects back to Project 87 as she begins to outline how companies can increase diversity and the consequences they could face if they don't. All of this comes to a final conclusion where Stovall expresses the absolute need for more diverse practices in business and how they can benefit society.