Published: Nov 16 2021
Over 30 Southern Company employees attended DiversityInc’s “Women of Color and their Allies: Sustaining Workforce Position for Women of Color” virtual conference on Oct. 21. The conference focused on creating opportunities for women of color to grow and thrive in the workforce. Panelists discussed various topics affecting women of color in the workplace, including issues relating to the pandemic, transgender and non-binary identities, disabilities and allyship.
During the conference, attendees engaged in a Microsoft Teams group chat and discussed what they learned, shared their personal experiences and recommended additional materials to other participants.
“It was an honor and privilege to join this conference,” said Alicia Herrin, a Southern Company environmental solution engineer. “The speakers were very inspirational and everyone’s comments on the group chat added to my experience. I can’t wait to share all that I’ve learned.”
Conferences like the Women of Color and their Allies event allow participants to learn and cultivate a workplace culture that represents people from various backgrounds, recognize the challenges that marginalized people face and promote changes in policies and practices that will benefit their organizations.
“Southern Company is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where all our people are welcomed, valued, respected and heard,” said Chris Collier. “In our DE&I journey, we need to be aware of the issues that all employees are facing in the workplace and take the information that we learn at conferences such as this to impact change and progression.”
Southern Company ranks number 20 on DiversityInc’s 2021 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list for its diversity and inclusion efforts, including its efforts to hire, retain and promote women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ and veterans.
Visit www.diversityincbestpractices.com and create a profile using your southernco.com account to watch the conference and learn about various DE&I topics.