In this solo episode, I recap the latest good vibes in DEI. This week the stories are about Miis matching real people, Bad Bunny breaking the Grammy ceiling, and Olympics coverage getting more accessible, and more!
In this solo episode, I recap the latest good vibes in DEI. This week the stories are about Miis matching real people, Bad Bunny breaking the Grammy ceiling, and Olympics coverage getting more accessible, and more!
Here are this week's good vibes:
Good Vibes to Go:
If you haven’t yet watched Schitt’s Creek, now is a great time to settle in and laugh and laugh and laugh. RIP Catherine O’Hara. I'm re-watching.
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In this week's episode, the stories are about Miis matching real people, Bad Bunny breaking the Grammy ceiling, the Olympics coverage getting more accessible, and more. My name is Bernadette Smith (pronouns: she/her), CEO of Equality Institute. Welcome to 5 Things: good vibes in DEI—your proof of positive change. The world is a shit show, so I like to focus on what's working, celebrate that, and do more of that. I like to shine the light in the dark.
In this week's 5 Things newsletter, I told a story about my former business as an LGBTQ wedding planner. Back in 2004 in Massachusetts, marriage equality came to the state and I started a business right away as an activist wedding planner to help couples feel safer navigating a traditional industry. I wrote three books, created an online certification course, and did a whole lot of work in that industry.
One of my key messages was "don't assume". We cannot make assumptions about the gender of who's getting married, whether there's going to be parents involved, or gender roles. I still talk about these mistaken assumptions and how they can get really awkward.
I once got a call from a bride. It was time to set up a meeting, and I said, "Will that time work for her?" referring to her fiancé. The woman took a breath and said, "Actually, my fiancé is a man". She was essentially coming out to me as straight because I had made an assumption about her partner. It was really awkward because I fell into the trap that I taught others to avoid.
For leaders, these "ouch" moments are the price of admission . So many of us are afraid of being canceled or experiencing rejection, so we choose silence over intentional connection and inclusion. But if we don't risk that awkwardness, we don't get the wisdom. What matters isn't being perfect; if we recover from an "ouch" moment with kindness and a commitment to doing better, we can build trust.
Nintendo: The latest update to Nintendo's video game, Tomodachi Life, lets players create Miis as male, female, non-binary, or mixed identity options. It gives dating options that include same gender, asexual, and aromantic. Previous versions totally excluded LGBTQ+ relationships, which sends a signal of who belongs and who doesn't. The lesson here is to audit your forms and profiles so people can describe themselves accurately.
Bad Bunny: He became the first Latin artist to win Album of the Year in the Grammy's 68-year history. This Spanish-language project marks a huge shift in an industry which has long centered English-language norms. Visibility like this can widen what executives view as marketable and impact who gets greenlit or funded next. The lesson is to track first, then ask what structural changes make these firsts repeatable.
Needle and Sky: In Minnesota, the Needle and Sky knitting shop developed a knitting pattern protesting ICE. This sold through international craft networks and generated $600,000 at $5 a pattern, all of which went to immigrant support groups. The shop drew inspiration from red hats worn during WWII as signs of resistance. This is a safer form of protest for folks who don't want to join street actions; it's a cool way introverts can protest.
Bob Ross Paintings: Multiple Bob Ross paintings have sold, including three for about $1,270,000, with proceeds benefiting PBS. PBS recently received major federal funding cuts and was hemorrhaging money. Public media is important because it is free and provides access to educational programming for rural communities and lower-income households.
The Olympics: At these Winter Olympics, NBC Universal implemented closed captioning for all broadcast events and expanded audio description services for people who are blind or have low vision. They have new high-quality stereo sound for descriptions, support for screen readers, and keyboard-only navigation. When we build accessibility into the core production from the ground up, it improves usability for everyone, including people in a noisy bar.
This week's good vibes to go is to watch or rewatch Schitt's Creek. The Canadian TV show starring the late great Catherine O'Hara, who recently passed, is utterly charming, inclusive, and delightful. It is a great respite from the bad vibes out there.
If you don't already get the 5 Things newsletter, you can subscribe at 5thingsdei.com. Thank you for all you do to build an inclusive world. Have a great week.