The GCT Diversity & Inclusion Committee continues its discussion of diversity and its impact on society in its May meeting by examining the PBS documentary Asian Americans.

In light of recent anti-Asian sentiment, the five-part television series chronicles the contributions and challenges of the fastest-growing ethnic group in America, using personal anecdotes to guide America into the future by welcoming other’s differences with open arms. The perspectives and stories discussed reinforce efforts to remain allies with individuals who have been forgotten in the past and work toward a more supportive and inclusive future.

In addition to the book club, the GCT Diversity & Inclusion Committee meets regularly to discuss diversity, inherent and unconscious bias, the importance of language in the workplace, and pro-active measures GCT can take to remain dedicated to its commitment to diversity. The Committee has also initiated firm wide training programs covering such issues as diversity education, transgender and gender non-forming awareness and acceptance, civility training, cultural competency training, and creating an inclusive workplace.

Each book club is hosted by a different member of the Committee. Books and documentaries previously discussed by the GCT Diversity & Inclusion Committee include:

• The Hate U Give, a novel about a racially charged police shooting and resulting court case, giving way to the main character’s staunch advocacy against injustice
• Sisters in Law, a novel that examines the legal careers of Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first two women to serve on the United States Supreme Court
• Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, a novel giving voice to women from different backgrounds whose local passion and protest resonate through history
• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, a novel that explores the impact of caste on societies shaped by them, and their people
• 13th, a documentary that examines America’s tangled racial past, the economic history of slavery, post-Civil-War racist legislation and the practices that replaced it