Brian McComak, CEO & Founder of Hummingbird Humanity, and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about work-life balance, the 1st Asian American Featured on U.S. Currency, and more!
This week my partner and I went to seeU.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor talk in Chicago. She answered most of her questions while walking through the audience, shaking hands, and signing books. The Justice approaches her work with an amazing amount of grace and gentleness and sees her greatest work as being a trailblazer for others. She’s written three children’s books and dedicates an astounding amount of time to speak with young people.
At no point were the words, “diversity, equity, and inclusion” spoken, but Justice Sotomayor shared some lessons that resonated with me as universal. She’s openly diabetic and shared a story about a time years ago when she was giving herself an insulin shot in a restaurant restroom. Another woman walked in, and later as Sotomayor was leaving, she overheard that woman say to her friend, “That woman is a drug addict” (referring to Sotomayor). The woman assumed that the insulin shot was drugs. That experience stuck with Justice Sotomayor and years later, she wrote a children’s book called “Just Ask” about how we shouldn’t make assumptions about others, and instead ask questions. Those of you who are familiar with my ARC Method know I wholeheartedly agree!
The Justice was also asked about the increasing polarization within our country and the Supreme Court. She emphasized empathy towards everybody, to take a moment to try to put ourselves in their shoes, to take their perspective. She seeks out the good in others, even those, or perhaps especially those, with whom she disagrees, and gave an example of Justice Clarence Thomas’ kindness.
Perhaps most importantly, Justice Sotomayor gave us a call to action: “What choice do we have but to keep trying to change things?’ Because if you feel disenfranchised and let other people fight for what they think is right and you’re not willing to get up and fight, then you are just giving it to them.”
Here are the good vibes I found this week:
Read the full blog here: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-justice-sotomayor
To learn more about Brian and Hummingbird Humanity, visit: https://hummingbirdhumanity.com/