Diversity, Equity & Inclusion A Business Priority
• A special publication of the St. Louis American newspaper • PAGE 1
AUGUST 19 – 25, 2021 w w w . s t l a m e r i c a n . c o m
INSIDE
Driving the diversity effort
Roslyn Croft
Lindenwood’s Emily Pitts also pushes for equity and inclusion
‘It’s more than just the numbers’ Roslyn Croft maintains the company’s corporate database of diverse suppliers, tracks diverse workforce participation, and monitors Tarlton’s diverse contract spend by project and overall.
By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American
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Christopher Tinson
SLU African American Studies program The African American Studies program Director Christopher Tinson, Ph.D., will become the new department’s first chair.
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Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Nearly two dozen medical schools nationwide have seen applications jump by at least 25 percent this fall, according to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Last month St. Louis Public Radio reported that the movement is mirrored locally with applications at Washington University up by about 22% and around 28% at St. Louis University.
Dreamline Pathways: Introducing minority high school students to careers in health care By Sylvester Brown Jr. Of The St. Louis American
Min Jung Kim
‘A dialogue of varied and multiple perspectives’ On June 22, the St. Louis Art Museum announced that Min Jung Kim will succeed Brent R. Benjamin as its next Barbara B. Taylor Director. This makes Kim the first non-white man to be named Art Museum director.
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Nationwide, medical school applications are up. Some refer to this phenomenon as the “Fauci effect,” crediting the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for inspiring a new generation of medical professionals. Others attribute this trend to the plethora of doctors, nurses, researchers, and other health care professionals they’ve seen battling the worse global pandemic in
more than 100 years. Whatever the reason, nearly two dozen medical schools nationwide have seen applications jump by at least 25 percent this fall, according to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Last month St. Louis Public Radio reported that the movement is mirrored locally with applications at Washington University up by about 22% and around 28% at St. Louis University. The good news is that medical
school applications are on the rise. But the reality is that racial and ethnic minorities are still woefully underrepresented in health care professions. While African Americans, Hispanics/ Latinos and American Indians together represent more than one-fourth of the US population, they comprise less than nine percent of nurses, six percent of physicians and five percent of dentists, according to report by
Emily Pitts demonstrates a strong passion for implementing increased diversity, equity and inclusion practices within her corporate infrastructure. She has worked for Edward Jones for 25 years, where she became the first African American woman to be named a general partner. Part of Emily Pitts her tenure has involved working as a financial advisor for nine years, helping clients meet personal financial goals and objectives. She was the general partner over inclusion n Emily Pitts and diversity, where created has worked and oversaw for Edward the company’s inclusion and Jones for diversity strate25 years, gy. She launched where she the firm’s first became the Courageous Conversation first African Program (a American protocol crewoman to ated by Glenn be named a E. Singleton that works to general dismantle racial partner. disparities within systems and organizations) to aid the CEO Diversity Action Plan. She also executed the firm’s first Cross-Cultural Development Program (CCDP), which assists diverse financial advisors in serving more clients by showcasing more confidence,
See DREAMLINE, page 21
See PITTS, page 16
Maryville multicultural scholars alumni return to guide students like themselves Jonathon R. Gray was one of the first students to go through Maryville University’s multicultural scholars program when he began his undergraduate education in 2013.
Program has grown to 150 scholars Sophie Hurwitz The St. Louis American Jonathon R. Gray was one of the first students to go through Maryville University’s multicultural scholars program when he began his undergraduate education in 2013. When he entered the program, he was one of “maybe about 30” students with the scholarship, which provides up to 75% of tuition and places students within a cohort dedicated to building an inclusive campus culture. Now, the program has grown to around 150 students, Gray said — a massive jump from when he began his time at the school. And Gray himself, like many other See SCHOLARS, page 23 Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American