What is Business Sustainability Today?
Historical Context Over the past 50 years, the journey to embed Supplier Diversity, Small Business Utilization, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into the heart of our organizations has encountered various challenges. These hurdles often stem not from direct opposition but from a disconnect, insufficient education, and a need for more understanding regarding the impact of these initiatives on everyone involved. Here’s a brief overview of our journey over the past four years (2020-2024): 2020: A Breaking Point 2020 marked a pivotal moment for DEI, reverberating throughout the Supplier Diversity landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected underrepresented groups in the United States, laying bare significant social, health, and economic disparities. Concurrently, the social justice movement ignited by the murder of George Floyd thrust systemic discrimination into the spotlight. Organizations felt compelled to address public relations pressures by cultivating a