Announcement from Business Today: A Statement of Solidarity & Plan of Action
Originally shared on June 2nd, 2020, posted on Business Today’s main website on June 17th, 2020
Statement of Solidarity:
Business Today has always believed in a mission of access and opportunity for all. As one of the largest clubs on campus—and the largest business focused organization at Princeton—Business Today has a responsibility to leverage its platform to speak up regarding the events that have passed in the last few weeks.
We condemn the systems and actions that perpetuate racism, oppression, violence, and discrimination towards black individuals on a day-to-day basis. We grieve the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and the thousands before them. We share the pain, outrage, and frustration you feel, and we stand in solidarity with our black peers at Princeton and beyond.
Business Today has had the fortune of having black executives participate in its past programs, but we recognize there is still much more to be done in highlighting their experiences for current undergraduates. In the next few months, we hope to amplify the voices of POC executives through our network and connect them with students through our programs.
Business Today remains fully committed to providing equitable access to the business world, and it would not be possible unless each and every one of us makes the active commitment to learn how we can stand up against racism and injustice and support one another. For additional information on how you can help, please visit this link of resources from Business Today.
Plan of Action:
This past week, Business Today worked with its members and officers to outline a set of actions to stay true to our commitment to diversity. Please find that plan outlined below:
Engage a more diverse array of executives in programming
We will amplify the voices of underrepresented groups in business roles through our content and share their career trajectory with our student readers. We also will use BT’s wide network of executives to connect with executives from a background that’s not as visible in the business world and speak with them through our conferences and seminars.
Showcase how a company can be successful in diversity and inclusivity
We realize that the existing composition of corporate executives is not at all diverse, so we also will highlight to our students (tomorrow’s corporate leaders) which companies push forth the best diversity and inclusion initiatives and how they do so. In addition, we will bring successful Chief Diversity Officers to our conferences and engage them in conversation at IC and DN in the Diversity in the C-Suite Panel. Furthermore, we will create a Diversity & Inclusion resource on the Online Journal with a list of companies that are doing well in diversity/inclusivity and how they do so.
Launch of BT Boost
In the past week, one of our members, Emily Cheston, has spearheaded a new program called BT Boost. She describes the program below:
BT Boost will work to make BT more representative of Black students on campus with varied business interests. The initiative will kick off this summer with the Boost Journalism Fellowship that will allow students to interview Black businesses and executives through articles and podcasts. We will also begin working on a Boost Leadership Conference in the fall that will offer increased engagement with Black business leaders and networking opportunities for students.
Recognize BT itself needs to consistently prioritize diversity within membership
At the end of the day, we cannot claim to represent a constituency when we do not embody that constituency within our own membership. BT, both past and present, has not been a great model for diversity, sometimes even mirroring the corporate world in its demographics. Going forward, we will launch affinity groups within the organization to create spaces for different identities to mingle, and we will distribute additional resources during our application and interview process to increase transparency. Moreover, all new members will take part in orientation to hone their skills in executive interaction; this ensures members will start on a solid foundation to equitably pursue future leadership routes within the organization. BT must always stay true to its mission in providing access for all—not a select few—and it's necessary that we are consistently evaluating whether our platform is indeed equitable for our many members.