Faber’s Internal Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Page Provides Collaborative Library for Knowledge and Growth

Faber Daeufer & Itrato’s internal Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) site represents a unique collaboration among firm members to explore issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Started in 2020, the site’s monthly additions have evolved into an extensive resource for learning and inspiring thoughtful conversations. Contributions to the page are made by firm members belonging to the EDI committee and subcommittees. The three subcommittees, the “Women’s Initiative Subcommittee,” the "Black Civil Rights Employee Education Subcommittee” and the "Educational and Cultural Events Programming Subcommittee,” each aim to bring attention to different issues related to the respective groups of individuals.

Monthly highlights are created by each subcommittee help to shed light on specific topics, celebrate achievements, and inform on obstacles faced by different communities. Each of the highlights are sent to all firm employees and then are archived to be viewed within the internal site at any time. Past examples of topics discussed in the highlight pages include “Understanding Implicit Bias”, “Women’s Inequality in Sports”, and “Stopping Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Hate,” among many others.

What to Read

The “What to Read” section provides visitors with a collection of books related to a variety of social justice issues. Some featured titles include My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor, and I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. The page also offers resources to help firm members navigate the firm’s commitment to diversity, such as links to in depth news articles and magazine features. The LGBT Life Center’s Understanding Pronouns webpage is among the included resources, offering readers an explanation of self-identifying pronouns, why they matter, and what to do when mistakes are made. Another included reading resource is the Smithsonian Magazine article Five Ideas for Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The article lists ways to honor and celebrate Native American history, as offered by the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Also included in the “What to Read,” section are resources that help inform on differently abled communities, like the World Braille Day webpage, which helps raise awareness for issues faced by people with visual impairments.  

Where To Go

The “Where to Go” section of the site highlights museums, monuments, and centers for readers to learn about and visit. San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society and Archives Museum is an internationally recognized leader in the archival of LGBTQIA+ public history. The page also includes a link to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. As stated on the Center’s website, “From the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem's integrated approach incorporates meaningful educational initiatives, groundbreaking research and inspirational exhibits.” A trip to Israel is not the only way to visit the museum though, as the Center has numerous virtual experiences that can be accessed from anywhere. Another included virtual experience is the American Bar Association’s 19th Amendment Centennial, which offers a variety of activities to honor the legacies of the men and women who fought for and supported the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Art is also spotlighted on the “Where to Go” page with online exhibits from the Studio Museum in Harlem, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

What to Watch

In the “What to Watch/Listen to” section, visitors can find an extensive collection of videos, documentaries, podcasts, and interviews covering all types of EDI related materials. From movies that entertain and educate, like Loving and The African Doctor, to documentaries like Asian Americans and Prideland. The page offers plenty of content suggestions for members looking for a productive way to spend some spare time. A few hip-hop history lessons have also been added to the page, along with a lesson in race from the Sesame Street gang. Ted Talk is represented with Isabel Wilkerson’s The Great Migration and the Power of a Single Decision, as well as a variety of podcasts, including that of the former First Lady Michelle Obama.

How to Help

While the other three sections of the website focus on education and inspiration, the “How to Help” section is an undeniable call to action. Firm members have complied a vast collection of initiatives for their colleagues to research and support in their own journeys towards a more equitable society. The campaigns included on the “How to Help” page include, but are not limited to:

• The Stop AAPI Hate Movement tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Created in response to the escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Movement is a coalition between the AAPI Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University.
• The Trevor Project is dedicated to providing a safer and more-inclusive world for LGBTQ young people. With a goal of serving 1.8 million crisis contacts annually, the organization operates with a vision of ending suicide among this vulnerable community.
• The Native Wellness Institute promotes the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of North America’s indigenous people by bringing about positive changes in the lifestyles, relationships, education, and overall wellness of Native Americans. The Institute’s efforts are accomplished through skilled Native trainers and consultants from across the United States and Canada who hold workshops and implement leadership training initiatives.  
• Harvard University’s Implicit Bias Association Test is run by Project Implicit, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and international collaborative of researchers interested in implicit social cognition. Founded in 1998, Project Implicit works to educate the public about bias through a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data. Using online testing results, the Project’s scientists produce high-impact research about bias and disparities.

In 2020, Faber established a mission to develop, issue, and implement meaningful and sustainable equity, diversity, and inclusion policies and business practices within the firm. The internal EDI page has become a vital resource in the ongoing commitment to this goal by promoting collaboration, communication, and information sharing among firm members.