In this solo episode, the stories are about papers for undocumented residents in Spain, debt-free access at Yale, and paid internships for all at Dartmouth, and more!
In this solo episode, the stories are about papers for undocumented residents in Spain, debt-free access at Yale, and paid internships for all at Dartmouth, and more!
Here are this week's good vibes:
Good Vibes to Go:
Check out Marcello Hernández’s standup special American Boy on Netflix. It takes a while to get really funny but I ended up being utterly charmed. Good vibes indeed.
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This week, my stories are about papers for undocumented residents in Spain, debt-free access at Yale, paid internships for all at Dartmouth, and more.
Hey folks, my name is Bernadette Smith. I’m CEO of the Equality Institute. Welcome to Five Things: Good Vibes in DEI. This is your proof of positive change.
We know the world’s a bit of a shit show, so let’s talk about the good stuff. Let’s talk about what’s working. That’s the goal of this show.
So last week, I was on a subway in New York City, and two men came on pulling a cart full of individually bagged lunches and food items. They were offering this food to anyone who was hungry. And of course, they were also accepting donations — or smiles, one of them said.
As he was talking, he and I made eye contact, and I started tearing up.
Thinking about this later, it made me reflect on what are the things that move us. And what do those things that move us tell us about our values?
One of my values is optimism. And that’s probably obvious to anyone who’s been following my work. But I tear up when I witness acts of kindness or generosity — when I see my fellow humans doing something really sweet for another person. Those are the things that give me hope. And hope is a form of optimism, right? It fuels my optimism.
So those sorts of individual acts really move me.
I think when we pay attention to this, it’s actually leadership data. And I was wondering if you’ve paid attention to what moves you. What makes you tear up? What’s the pattern there? And what can that tell you about your leadership?
Because I think if we’re not paying attention to what moves us, we’re actually leading from habit — not values.
So something to chew on this week.
Alright, let’s get into this week’s good vibes.
The first story this week comes from Spain, where the government approved a fast-track plan to legalize the status of 500,000 undocumented migrants. They have to have lived in Spain for at least five months by the end of last year, have no criminal record, and may have already applied for asylum by the end of last year.
Successful applicants will receive a one-year residence and work permit.
This is really cool because legal status reduces the risk of exploitation, keeps people safer, and expands access to healthcare and stable work — especially for people already doing essential labor.
I think it’s a great precedent that other countries can follow. The U.S. had a similar policy for a while, and especially right now, with so much conversation about migrants, this gives me a lot of hope.
As a child of immigrants, it moves me in particular.
Alright, the next story comes from Yale, which is eliminating tuition and other expected costs for new undergraduates from families earning under $100,000 a year, starting this fall.
They’re also waiving tuition — though not housing and other fees — for families earning under $200,000 a year.
After the overturning of affirmative action in 2023, we’ve seen universities like Harvard and Princeton doing similar need-based approaches to increase access.
These schools know diversity matters — and not everyone can afford those tuitions. This is about increasing all kinds of diversity.
I think it’s a beautiful thing. And honestly, it’s kind of a little “F you” to the Supreme Court.
Alright, the next story comes from the Olympics.
Billionaire Ross Stevens has pledged $100 million to provide $200,000 to every U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athlete who qualifies for the upcoming games — whether or not they medal.
The way it’s set up is long-term security. Athletes get $100,000 at age 45, or 20 years after their first qualifying Olympic appearance. And there’s also a $100,000 death benefit paid to their family.
It’s a bit of a strange setup, but it makes sense for long-term stability.
What I love about this is that right now, athletes with sponsorships or more privileged backgrounds don’t have to juggle multiple jobs just to train. This provides a safety net — especially for athletes who take big financial risks and don’t have major sponsorships.
It’s a huge deal.
Alright, the next story comes from Dartmouth, which raised $30 million in endowed gifts to expand internship access by removing financial barriers for undergraduates.
Unpaid internships can be a huge barrier for people from traditionally marginalized backgrounds — but they’re often critical for getting a foot in the door.
Dartmouth is now supporting about 250 students each year pursuing internships in fields that often don’t pay, like arts, media, public service, global health, and conservation.
This is a really big deal for students without a financial cushion.
Access is not equal when experience is unpaid.
And the last story this week comes from Minnesota’s Chamber of Commerce, which released an open letter signed by more than 60 businesses and CEOs calling for immediate de-escalation after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Signers included the Minnesota Timberwolves and Vikings, as well as major employers like Target, UnitedHealth, and Best Buy.
This matters because after the anti-DEI movement, many major companies stepped back from making public statements about injustice. We saw more of that five or six years ago — not so much now.
This shows that companies can speak up again, and their voices matter.
Hopefully, we’ll see more of this.
Alright, let’s move into this week’s good vibe to go.
Check out Marcelo Hernandez’s stand-up special American Boy on Netflix. It takes a little while to warm up, but I really loved it. Super charming, great vibes, and he’s a proud feminist who recently brought his girlfriend to the Grammys — very sweet.
Alright folks, thanks so much for listening.
And if you don’t already get the Five Things newsletter, you can subscribe at 5thingsdei.com.
Have a great week.