Feb 15, 2024 | Faces of HDGH
Black History Month is a time to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements and contributions of Black people and their communities and their part in our heritage.
BHM is meaningful to me as it exemplifies individuals and actions that make me proud to be a Black man and a part of the Black community. Many of the great individuals and acts that have been revealed to me through Black history are very contrary to the negative images I was raised to believe about Black people. In celebration of Black History Month, I look for events to attend as the Windsor-Essex area is very rich with Black history.
It is important that organizations like HDGH celebrate BHM because it brings people together. I stated prior that I was unaware of the great individuals and acts that Black History Month has revealed to me. However, this information wasn’t just withheld from me. It is with great intention that sharing these stories may help members of organizations like HDGH see their fellow colleagues in a different way and further embrace the diversity surrounding them.
Black Excellence means so much to me, I see Black excellence in individuals like Lebron James. Most of us just see an athlete that plays basketball. However, I see an individual who, despite only having a high school education and coming from a single parent home, has become a philanthropist that has opened a school, a producer, and a dedicated husband and father. He is also willing to stand behind his beliefs and attempts to use his platform responsibly. To me that is Black excellence. It’s not based on finances or fame, it’s about your inner spirit.
I got started in the EDI field through a colleague that I worked with here at HDGH. We had many in depth conversations about my life as a Black man. She was at times saddened and shocked by the stories I would share. She was in management and had been told that there was anti-Black racism committee being formed and urged me to join. The rest is history. I found a passion for this work, and I have been blessed to now be able to work on the development of our new EDI program.
I would describe EDI as an investment. Yes, the tenants of EDI are morally correct, but EDI also pays dividends. Just like any other investment: input equates output. Studies show that organizations that have a work culture immersed in EDI strategies outperform other organizations by leaps and bounds. EDI creates a pathway for worker satisfaction, a sense of belonging, and happiness. These conditions equate optimal output for any organization.
My biggest piece of advice for people wanting to implement EDI more is to approach and embrace change. Look at situations with openness and a willingness to learn. EDI is about treating one another fairly and sharing the table.
What excites me the most about my role as EDI Manager is the opportunity to create the foundation of a program that will make the environment and culture here at HDGH even better than it is now. I hope that long after I am gone the work we start now, together, will grow for generations to come.
Martin Thompson is the Manager of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. He has been an HDGH employee for over 20 years and has worked in various roles over the years including: Emergency Department Unit Aide, Environmental Services Worker, Materials Management Clerk, Transporter, Wheelchair Tech, ACT Peer Support, and ACT Manager.
If you would like to learn more about Black history and anti-Black racism, please explore these links: