Curtiss Reed Jr., one of the founders of this newspaper, works at the intersection of economic development and inclusion and equity as CEO of CRJ Consulting Group, L3C.
BRATTLEBORO-Beyond the current national handwringing, Vermonters must ignore and resist acting on behalf of the anti-diversity, anti-equity, and anti-inclusion incantations of the megaphoned radical-right political pundits.
Now more than ever, the words of former Gov. Jim Douglas resonate deeply: "The reality of the demographic trend we are facing demands we be as responsive as we can possibly be […] It's not just the matter of the right thing to do, it's economic success and survival and prosperity for everyone." The governor spoke those words in 2010 during his keynote address at a think tank of global majority (formerly known as BIPOC) leaders in Vermont.
Our economic growth and our prosperity demand that we lean into acquiring a more-diverse consumer base and providing those new consumers with goods and services that exceed their expectations.
We in Vermont must expand the 50-year vision of our target market as white heterosexual males with household incomes of $120,000 or more.
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We believe Vermont's hospitality industry must begin to aggressively market Vermont as a destination of choice for the growing number of global majority tourists, transracial families, same-sex couples, and persons with disabilities. We believe other Vermont industries should follow suit as a matter of economic survival.
Moreover, Vermont needs a workforce prepared to apply the skills, aptitudes, and attitudes necessary to attract and retain the loyalty of global majority consumers. Our future workforce currently sits in classrooms across the state and must develop cultural humility, foreign language fluency, and computer and financial literacy. The national anti-DEI movement seeks to resegregate America. Vermonters must lean into our state motto of "Freedom and Unity."
To deny our emerging workforce a full understanding of Vermont, American, and world history from multiple vantage points will ultimately constrain their ability to effectively engage Global Majority consumers and multicultural markets. Our educators must exercise the freedom to develop curricula and pedagogies that lead to well-rounded global citizens.
According to 2020 data from the United States Census and the Vermont Agency of Education, global majority residents accounted for 6.4% of the general population, while global majority students accounted for 11% of all student enrollment.
In some school districts, global majority students account for 15-20%, with some representing over 30%. Educational institutions that live by equitable and inclusive practices increase the possibility of a shared sense of unity.
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Living on a human scale as we do in Vermont builds a sense of community or of belonging. For many, this process of community building begins in our public schools then transitions to trade schools, community colleges, and four-year universities.
For others, however, the toxic climate of identity-based harassment and bullying moves from classrooms to workplaces.
Unfortunately, toxic school environments may contribute to diverse members of our future workforce leaving the state at a time we need them the most. They fear repeated trauma when they encounter their school tormentors as employees in the workplace or as service providers dispensing subpar services based on customer identity.
School boards must fully support the requisite exposure and modeling of equitable and inclusive practices by all personnel and by extension our students.
At this critical time, we need to build workforce capacity to function effectively in the multicultural marketplace. The anti-diversity, anti-equity, and anti-inclusion movement must not find a foothold in our rocky soil. Better yet, it must be ignored and abandoned as its values run counter to our economic growth and prosperity.
This Voices Viewpoint was submitted to The Commons.
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