“Being a Black woman in a predominantly White, male industry comes with challenges–and anyone like me can share the ones they’ve faced,” writes Reachel Knight, CAPP, business strategy coordinator with the Calgary Parking Authority. “You hear stories about demotions, being overlooked for promotions, and being denied access to certain projects and opportunities, but unless you’ve lived them–which many of us have–it’s hard to grasp.”
Knight continues: “As part of my healing process, I set objectives for myself. First, I wanted to become fluent in the principles of diversity and inclusion and be able to apply them to my everyday life. So, I completed a Leadership and Inclusion Certificate in my spare time. Second, I wanted to be more unabashedly vocal around my experiences of racism, especially in my professional life. The time to turn the other cheek to uncomfortable conversations has passed. Finally, I wanted to create clear expectations of what I need from my employer and colleagues as part of an anti-racist professional environment to guide my professional development.
What became obvious to her was that the qualities she sought in her personal and professional lives were the same: honesty, support, and commitment.
Knight shares what each of those qualities means at work and her unique insight about diversity, equity, and inclusion in this month’s Parking & Mobility magazine DEI column. Read it here–it’s eye-opening and might just get you thinking differently. In a great way.