Since 2004, April has been designated "Celebrate Diversity Month," a time to recognize, understand and honor the differences between people.

One Texas organization said the mission is now more important than ever. In a state which lately has been known for not welcoming some people, the Texas Diversity Council has been at the forefront of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion for two decades.

Angeles Valenciano, CEO of the council, said they offer training and consulting at businesses and schools, to help everyone see the benefits of a diverse environment.

"Those organizations that really focus on DEI programs are outpacing and growing at a much faster rate than those that do not have programs," Valenciano observed.

Last year, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 17, banning DEI programs on public college campuses. The University of Texas in Austin has fired around 60 employees who worked in DEI programs.

Valenciano emphasized the ban will not stop their work and they will find different ways to partner with the universities.

The council holds its annual Diversity and Leadership Conference in Dallas, April 15-18. Speakers include Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, basketball great Magic Johnson, and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Valenciano acknowledged legislation statewide and nationally has created challenges, and even though the council is nonpartisan, it will stand by candidates who support the mission.

"As much as we feel that the playing field is changing and that things are in a way kind of going backwards in the progress that we have made, we are still committed," Valenciano stressed.

She added ways to observe Celebrate Diversity Month include being considerate to everyone, listening to people from other cultures and learning more about different cultures and lifestyles.


get more stories like this via email

It is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Arizona lawmakers are considering a bill which would require schools to teach their histories to students.

Senate Bill 1301, which is being cosponsored by Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, and Sen. Brian Fernandez, D-Yuma, said the state has no curriculum requirements to include the histories.

Astria Wong, executive director of the advocacy group Make Us Visible, said the initiative would help Arizona's student population see themselves in their lessons and argued it could even help lower bullying incidents. She noted her organization helped develop the curriculum.

"To cover topics like the World War II Gila River and Poston incarceration camps," Wong outlined. "We have quite a few very interesting things that people don't even realize -- one of the lessons is like Chinese chorizo -- which is one of the foods that we collaborate with Hispanics."

Wong said AANHPI groups have been fundamental in Arizona and believes more recognition is needed. As an example, Wong pointed out it was a Japanese immigrant who founded the Arizona Power Service company in 1886. She claimed without him, Arizona would not have electricity. The bill, which has received support from more than 30 community organizations, has been heard in the House and Senate.

Taninia Jackson, a biracial fourth-generation Japanese American, said for her, the legislation hits close to home. Her 94-year-old grandmother was incarcerated at Arizona's Gila River internment camp during World War II. Jackson said the legislation could be eye-opening for all Arizona students.

"We use words like 'melting pot,' but to know that it was a melting pot from the very beginning is different than the idea that certain people came in at certain times," Jackson emphasized. "It just changes somebody's understanding, and that is the gift of education, right?"

Jackson added Arizona has a chance to move in the right direction and join other states like Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey, which have all passed similar legislation.


get more stories like this via email

Five years after George Floyd's murder by a white police officer sparked nationwide protests and demands for police reform, progress remains slow.

Across the country, police were involved in more killings in 2024 than any year in more than a decade, including 17 in Oregon, and Black people continue to be killed disproportionately.

Sandy Chung, executive director of the ACLU of Oregon, said some police reform measures in the state, like banning tear gas and decriminalizing drug use, were passed after the protests and revoked soon after.

"There have been a lot of fights we've had to make sure that the powers of the police aren't expanded in ways that are really harmful to our democracy and civil liberties, civil rights," Chung explained.

A 2021 Oregon law established the Commission on Statewide Law Enforcement Standards of Conduct and Discipline, which Chung supports. However, she noted it lacks a protocol for addressing officers involved in white supremacist groups.

Chung criticized an Oregon bill just passed by the Senate to expand police drone surveillance with less court oversight. She argued more funding and power for law enforcement will not improve community safety. It is especially dangerous now, as she warned the Trump administration is weaponizing policing to target opponents and suppress free speech.

Chung argued Oregonians know addressing the root causes of crime is what makes communities safer.

"To make sure that people have access to good jobs, to health care, to schooling, to housing," Chung outlined.

Chung added many of the most successful police reforms are happening on a local, rather than a state level, and pointed to the Community Board for Police Accountability created by Portland voters in 2020. She noted the model, which has not yet been implemented, incorporates the best practices recommended for an oversight committee.


get more stories like this via email

New research finds Black working women still face rampant discrimination in the Golden State.

The California Black Women's Collective Empowerment Institute commissioned a survey of 452 Black women. Almost 60% reported experiencing workplace racism or gender discrimination in the past year.

Shakari Byerly, managing partner of EVITARUS Research, conducted the survey.

"Nearly half feel marginalized, excluded from or passed over for work opportunities," Byerly reported. "Only 16% strongly agree that opportunities for leadership and or advancement in their workplace are available to them."

Among respondents, 59% reported being somewhat satisfied in their job but 38% said they are unsatisfied, with company leadership and work culture to blame. They also cited microaggressions, wage disparities and lack of mentoring or access to leadership roles.

Byerly noted one-third of those surveyed said they do not feel supported by their supervisor at work.

"They were subjected to stereotypes, were talked down to, or subjected to disrespectful communication at work," Byerly explained. "And 38% say they were accused or thought of as an angry Black woman."

The report called on the state to enforce pay equity, expand antidiscrimination protections and ensure workplace accountability. They called on companies to invest in Black women's leadership development and eliminate bias in workplace culture.


get more stories like this via email