Diversity and Inclusion is a part of the mission, strategies and practices of the Junior League of Dallas. We believe that our membership and our outreach should reflect the very community in which we live. We also believe there is work to be done, so we include efforts like Implicit Bias training, Special Interest Groups and community partnerships that bring those topics forward and create conversation.

Message from the 2020 – 2021 Board of Directors

Members,

On the first day of the 2020 – 2021 JLD year, the Board shared a statement re-confirming our commitment to equality and inclusion. We invite you to read our initial message again or for the first time. As we shared in that message, we stand committed to moving beyond words and turning our words into action.

We believe that a diverse organization is a strong organization – and a key to fostering a robust and inclusive environment.

To that end, the Board, members of the Diversity and Inclusion and Education and Training committees and many others have been actively looking inward to determine what our next steps must be to ensure that we sustain a diverse and fully inclusive culture and that our words become actions.

Over the next few months, we will roll out an expanded Diversity and Inclusion action plan to address and deepen our understanding of the issues and provide opportunities for you to engage with others at your individual comfort level.
Some highlights of the plan include:

• Sharing a curated list of resources to read, watch, listen to and help you talk with your children about racism and discrimination.
  The resources will be available on both the external jld.net website as well as the internal members.jld.net site.
• Facilitating small group discussions where you will be able to ask questions and have difficult, but necessary, conversations.
• Expanding our cultural competency document and training program to include more members and staff.
• Hosting internal focus groups to address, develop and refine the League’s response to issues of discrimination both in Dallas and beyond.

Additionally, a Summer Speaker Series (pre-register on members.jld.net) will kick off soon to engage experts in this area. And there is yet more to come.

As an organization striving to have a diverse membership and that trains members to become community leaders, we feel it is imperative to provide a range of tailored resources and programming. Our volunteers impact many aspects of our city, including serving, working with and supporting people of all races, socioeconomic levels and abilities. We cannot continue to do this work without addressing discrimination and bias.

We hope that you find something in our expanded plan that will help with your own self-reflection and growth. We hope that you will actively participate in these conversations. You may have to step outside your comfort zone to do so, but you will not be alone.

We hear you. We stand with you. And we look forward to working with you to turn this vision into a reality.

2020 – 2021 JLD Board of Directors

Elizabeth Dacus, President
Christa Sanford, President-Elect
Sara Rockey, Administrative VP
Kristen Shear, Communications VP
Carrie Hill, Community VP
Leigh Danley, Development VP
Kim Murphy, Finance VP
Elizabeth Anderson, Membership VP
Terah Moxley, Secretary
Neda Bahramnejad, Signature Projects VP
Heather Bennett, Strategy VP
Vanessa Fuquay, Training VP
Laura Johnson, Sustaining Advisor