Team Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion
Vision Statement
Team Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Team JEDI) is an employee-led initiative, driven by the county shared values of respect, integrity, accountability, equity, respect and stewardship. We strive to promote and model leadership and expertise related to DEI through the various roles we play and the work we do across the organization. As agents of institutional change, we share in leading Tompkins County government into a future of inclusive excellence where all employees treat each other and the public respectfully and without bias.
Role of Team JEDI at Tompkins County
Team JEDI will work to ensure equitable outcomes among programs, services, and policies in Tompkins County. It will do so by partnering with the Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee (WDIC) and the Chief Equity and Diversity Officer (CEDO). Members of Team JEDI commit to embedding equity practices at every level of the organization and strive to foster a culture of continuous learning, assessment, and growth. Team JEDI works to prioritize ongoing improvement of policies, structures, and practices to reduce institutional harm and promote equity.
JEDI Projects
Policy Committee- works on using an equity lens to evaluate and update County Policies as needed. So far this committee has worked on Tompkins County Diversity Equity and Inclusion Policy and the County's first MWBE Policy.
JEDI Marketing/Communications Committee- currently creating a Doing Equity Intentionally Video to highlight the equity work Tompkins County has done and is doing.
Team JEDI lead Equity Exchange Reading & Discussion Group- a 5 part series covering topics of Foundations of Equality and Rights, Voices of Resistance and Empowerment, Intersections of Identity and Health, Understanding Systemic Racism, and Dialogue and Action to engage in thought partnership and community with County colleagues.
Book Reading and JEDI Lens Development- JEDI is currently reading Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor that leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and includes expanded definitions, examples, and further resources.
Find the book here.
