As part of Boston’s 2nd annual Fierce Urgency of Now! Festival, which celebrates young professionals of color, A&G hosted an event on employee activism featuring Katherine V. Smith, Executive Director Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, Kelli Vasquez- Data Analyst at GVC, Emerson Foster- Head of HR (VP) and CSR at Sodexo.

The panelists discussed the role diversity, inclusion and life stage play in the activist mindset. For example, Walmart’s recent announcement on changing rules about firearms and ammunitions stemmed from an initiative was started by a 23-year old employee. The group discussed simple action items for the audience to bring back to their companies.

Five Ways to be an Effective Employee Activist:

1. Lead with a mindset of intention vs. reaction for long lasting social impact.

1. Write down 3 solutions to 5 problems, and try to discuss them with five different people

1. Find a way to get involved and be about the concern or issue first and then demonstrate the benefits of involving your company

1. The best way for you to be able to speak up within your organization is to be valuable to your organization

1. Think about global implications – have a person on the ground and an ear on the street to know what’s going on in markets around the world

Fierce Urgency of Now! is part of the Boston Chamber of Commerce’s City Awake Program. The 2nd annual festival is being held from Sept. 4-8 in the City of Boston to highlight the opportunities and challenges of young persons of color and to spark equitable action from business, civic, and government leaders.