But for Be Equitable, their work is directly informed by what’s happening around them. Throughout the project timeline, we witnessed the magnitude of the Black Lives Matter movement, mass shootings, hate crimes, and the violation of reproductive rights. These aren’t events you can simply leave behind when you log in for the day. It was in these more difficult moments that we saw the importance of Be Equitable’s work in action, starting with their own team. The following outlines the simple, yet profound ways Be Equitable responded in real-time:
1. Acknowledge the situation
Meetings with Be Equitable were always something we looked forward to — even with the 7am starts. We’d log into the Zoom call to excited faces. But some mornings, following such events, the mood was different — the sadness and exhaustion was almost palpable. These moments weren’t ‘business as usual’, so our workdays shouldn’t be either. Instead of putting these issues to the side, Be Equitable taught us to approach them head-on. Meetings would begin by acknowledging the tragedies unfolding and the impact they were having on the team. These conversations allowed everyone to openly express their sadness and frustrations and gave the work we were doing even more meaning.
2. Create space for staff
When events occurred, such as Roe v. Wade being overturned, Be Equitable created space for their team by offering a day of reflection. In these instances, timelines and projects were reshuffled in order to prioritise the well-being of employees and ensure necessary focus was on the events at hand.