Acknowledging the impact that the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd had on the professional and personal lives of our employees and members, IFT responded based on three of our values: community, integrity, and progress. We decided to listen and provide resources to engage with anti-racism.We recognized that race was not a topic that we were used to addressing in the workplace and that needed to change.

IFT developed different responses for each of our stakeholders. For our employees, we offered Restorative Circles for Black people, non-Black People of Color, and White people. The identity breakdown aimed to recognize that each one of these communities had different emotional needs. Acknowledging the importance of tackling systemic racism starting from those who hold institutional power, our Board of Directors included a session in anti-racism during their July meeting. For our members, we offered three workshops. The first one addressed the emotions experienced by different people during the racist crisis and offered steps that people could take to move toward action. The last two focused on developing skills to create inclusive teams and identify steps people can take to promote inclusion in their own workplace.

The tactics implemented to respond to the moment of crisis have created the opportunity to expand our conversation about racism and the systems of exclusion that perpetuate inequity. The response from our members to DEI Discussions has highlighted the need to maintain these conversations that support their own personal and professional DEI journey. IFT Board of Directors confirmed their commitment with creating a more inclusive IFT for our members. IFT will continue creating opportunities for staff to reflect on the ways their own cultural background shapes their relationship with race, power, privilege, and oppression so they can actively build inclusive teams.