When I signed up for a breakout session on “Inclusive Language in Action” at this spring’s UW‑Green Bay Nonprofit Conference, I was eager to gain wisdom that could be imparted to others in our business community but also to improve my own writing skills. Facilitators Laurice Snyder of the Fond du Lac‑based consulting firm Rooted Wings and Kim Walters of the Hubertus‑based consultancy Yes…And certainly imparted wisdom for both writers and humans alike.
During their breakout session April 16 at Oneida Hotel & Casino, the duo encouraged attendees to consider if the language they use is asset‑based instead of deficit‑based (saying “Darrell uses a wheelchair” instead of “Darrell is wheelchair‑bound”), inclusive (saying “hello, everyone” instead of “hello, ladies and gentlemen”), person‑centered, respectful and educated.
And in an effort to better educate the room, Snyder and Walters threw up a slide listing various terms related to equity and inclusion. We participants were asked to write down things we felt we could comfortably define for others (I scribbled “cisgender” and “privilege” on my notepad) as well as those we might find more challenging to explain. One term won the day for most challenging — and not just for me.
“What the heck is checkquity?” The breakout room buzzed.
It turns out “checkquity” may have been the most important term on the wall. Because while I couldn’t have defined it before I walked into that room, I’d definitely seen it in action.
“Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) are not just checkboxes, but essential components of a thriving community,” reads the website for the nonprofit organization Embracing Equity, which aims to help organizations embrace their values (“equity”) as opposed to going through the motions (“checkquity”).
Examples could include slapping “we’re an equal opportunity employer” on a job ad or signing employees up for a mandatory diversity training and never discussing the content. “We are checking the boxes on equity initiatives, but in a more performative way,” Walters explained.
Equity isn’t something “to do.” It’s a value to embrace, a conversation to have and a series of questions to ask.
Next time you encounter an example of “checkquity” in your organization, take a few minutes to ask yourself how you might be able to do something more meaningful, even if it just means slowing down and asking a few more questions. When we check ourselves, that’s when we create real change.
