Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
The three-word cocktail that must define our humanity
It’s not our differences that divide us. It’s our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” - Audre Lorde, American writer, feminist, librarian, and civil rights activist
I’m a big fan of stick figures and dogs. Stick figures because there are no defining physical features for people to obsess over and make rude (racist, misogynist, homophobic, ageist, transphobic, sexist, etc.) comments about, and dogs because…well you know. Dogs are all about unconditional love, which we are in desperate need of these days.
Today I’m using two stick figures and a pug standing in front of a pink and blue transgender flag to illustrate the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion - of caring for, protecting the rights of, and ensuring that every member of our society feels seen, safe, and appreciated. It was prompted by a post by Phoenix Birch entitled, Dear Cis Friends - Your Silence Hurts, and Michallie Harrison’s piece about the death of Elisa Rae Shupe (the decorated U.S. Army veteran, known for winning the first legal recognition of a non-binary gender marker in the United States) entitled, Elisa Rae Shupe: A Life That Mattered, A Death America Refused to See. I will leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.
The image at the top is meant to be both a statement and a reminder of the importance of offering one another support and protection in difficult times. I believe that the more we speak and show our support of diversity, equity, and inclusion the less power those who are trying to erase them from our collective vocabulary will have.
The design is available as:
I’d love to see any designs you’ve created to celebrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and/or any ideas you might have for new designs.
With Love,
Jena
P.S. Got any other great people to recommend who are writing about DEI? Let me know and I’ll add them to the list below.
DEI Resources on Substack
Here are the names and stacks of some people who are writing about DEI with great insight and intelligence. Please read and support them.
Michelle Chaffee: What DEI Really Means
Sheena Yap Chan: Breaking Barriers: Why DEI Matters Now More Than Ever
Michallie Harrison: Michallie Harrison
Arghavan Salles: DEI Isn’t Racist
Glenn Loury: A Peek Behind the Curtain
Phoenix Birch: Becoming Phoenix
Copyright 2025 by Jena Ball. All Rights Reserved.
Thank you, Jena!
My take on DEI was never an initiative but a world we should all strive to live in because diversity IS our reality; equity and inclusion's necessity is a result of the world bigots created through hate and scapegoating.