Creative Storyteller & Business Communications Advisor

Dear Colleagues,

Our first BakerRipley LIVE event of the year took us on a journey into our Agency's past while setting the stage for our present and future. As our President and CEO Claudia Aguirre said, "To know where you’re going, you must understand where you’ve been. The leaders whose shoulders we have stood on have given us a strong foundation and the blueprint that will keep us moving toward our future."

She said the Agency's future is dependent on today's leaders helping to ensure each of your team members feels appreciated and heard every single day so they feel a true sense of belonging at this Agency and in our community. By doing so, you will be helping the Agency live up to its promise of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – Belonging and Engagement (DEI-BE).

"There are four things we know every person wants: To earn, learn, belong, and be well," Claudia said. "To belong at BakerRipley means that every one of you has a voice. And that voice represents your history, your experiences. That’s the voice that will continue to make Houston a place of opportunity. We’re looking for each one of you to contribute to our work."

Following are additional key takeaways from the March 7 BakerRipley LIVE Event.

The importance of communicating our DEI-BE effectively

When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Claudia said communication is and will continue to be critical.

"In 1907, we were founded on the belief that regardless of how you got to Houston—whether you crossed the river, ocean, or railroad track—if you work hard, there’s a place to belong," she said. "Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are at the heart of BakerRipley and what we do."

Claudia said she felt like DEI was so ingrained in BakerRipley's culture, she once "underestimated our role in DEI."

"For me, the challenge was, 'How do you introduce something that is already part of our DNA?' Following the lead of what other companies are doing for DEI would not be true to BakerRipley because we know that DEI doesn’t land on one person, one department, one division," she said.

BakerRipley's cultural evolution

Claudia's message was followed by a special presentation by the Community Initiatives team of Jill Campbell, Director of Community Development; Bolivar Fraga, Senior Manager of Civic Engagement; and Marjorie Peña, Community Developer. These Agency historians were able to clearly paint a picture of BakerRipley's earlier days, and their stories highlighted the evolution of how BakerRipley overcame segregation and adversity over time to create the culture we enjoy today, which enables everyone in our Agency and communities to experience that sense of true belonging.

"We have borne witness as an Agency to the inequities that have existed in this region, and we're lucky enough to have some in-house historians: Bolivar ["Bo"] Fraga and Marjorie Peña," Jill said by way of introducing her co-speakers. Jill admitted she is a history buff who has read the BakerRipley hundred-year book "a couple of times."

Bo shared an anecdote from his father, Felix Fraga, who had explained to him that when he worked for the Agency in the 1940s, if you wanted to attend a sporting event such as a basketball game at Ripley House, which was a big two-story building at the time, then you'd have to enter the building by way of the fire escape, through a different door than white families.

"I do believe our founder in 1907 wanted to help communities," Bo said. "Work for these communities was taking place in all these facilities. But it’s important that we continue to check ourselves because we don’t want to get stuck in unjust practices simply because it’s structural to the time."

'Be bold' and don't be afraid to break down barriers

Marjorie said she has been a client of our Agency for seven decades.

"Going into the '60s, I was part of the Neighborhood Youth Program," she said. "At that time, one of the dynamic leaders, Barbara Lang, was a supervisor. And it was she who really started breaking down barriers and had us traveling more often to the Ripley House in 1966. I worked here [in 1966 and] all throughout high school. It was during this time that we started to feel a greater sense of belonging, because we were coming more often to the Ripley House.

"We noticed there was a shift happening," she added. "I got to know Mr. Franklin Harbach and Ms. Barbara Lang, and both made a big impact in my life. They really led the efforts for breaking those barriers."

While these barrier-breaking leaders are no longer with us, a special taped interview from BakerRipley archives was presented to the audience. In it, Barbara Lang shared her own historical perspective. Clip No. 4 of the video, which featured Barbara's activism in the 1960s, was highlighted to provide a historical perspective of a time of great change within the Agency.

"'Be bold, and do the right thing,'" Marjorie said, quoting Barbara from the video. "I think that’s exactly what I was taught here at this organization."

WATCH BARBARA LANG'S FULL INTERVIEW

Our DEI-BE journey continues...

Following the historical perspectives, Julie Jenkins, Senior Director of People and Culture, and Ernest Lewis, Senior Director of Economic Initiatives, updated the audience of more than 100 Agency leaders on our Agency's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – Belonging and Engagement (DEI-BE) plans as part of the present-day portion of the event.

"This is a work in progress—a journey—and we are just beginning," Julie said.

She added that the DEI-BE statement, which will become as rote as our Agency's Mission, Vision, and Values, will be reviewed by a focus group first. When all input has been collected and a final DEI-BE statement is approved, Julie said it will be communicated to the Agency soon.

If you'd like to be a member of the DEI-BE focus group, please email DEIBE@BakerRipley.org to let us know.

"Creating and promoting a healthy DEI-BE culture requires a long-term commitment," Ernest said. "All of us have to lean in and just understand each other and also understand that it’s going to take time. When we support diversity, we want to eliminate bias and discrimination, but we also need to own our part and be willing to work hard and realize our goal of creating a culture of equity."

If you have any questions about the March 7 event or ideas for future BakerRipley LIVE topics, please email learning@bakerripley.org.