b'PHYSICALWHY DEISMALLGETTING RETAILSMATTERS MINERSPOLITICALFUTURE STRUGGLE IN PUBLIC have to lift them. We have to teach people how to be allies. We have towhere she works, General Assembly. sometimes move away from our sensitivities on having the discussion.The need for mentorship in the jewelry industry was also one of Retailers can start by fostering more talent at the store level, find- the key components of the aforementioned open letter from BIPOC ing salespeople who are talented and helping them move up in thedesigners. The letters author, Angely Martinez, brought it up in the company, Caffie says.JA diversity webinar as well.There also could be more recruitment of young people of color atThe emerging jewelry designer used the example of a line of credit. the high school and college levels, many of whom probably arent awareShe said on the webinar that until recently, she didnt understand there are lifelong, fulfilling careers available in retail and in jewelry. how to get one or how to spend it wisely once she did, both topics a The need for reaching a more diverse crowd at an earlier age was onementor could advise on. of the issues raised in the open letter a group of BIPOCBlack, indig- I think mentorship is a very important, key thing that needs to enous, and people of colorjewelry designers penned to the jewelrybe in the business. Across the board, as an emerging talent, everyone industry in July, and it came up in the July 30 diversity webinar as well. needs a support system. There are a lot of people who are completely Theres a lack of awareness around the whole jewelry industrylost, very talented but they have no business skills or they just dont within some Black communities.have a support system. They dont even know there areI think mentorship is a very important,Now to define the other jobs in here. They dont knowkey thing that needs to be in thetwo terms in DEI: diversity theres a school like GIA wherebusiness. Across the board, as anand inclusion. they can be trained profession- emerging talent, everyone needs aDiversity is simple. The als in a different trade, saidsupport system.term refers to the inclusion of the Gemological Institute of Angely Martinez,different types of people in a Americas John Hall, the labsAngely Martinez Jewelrygroup or organization. It can chief information officer, who is Black. Theres an outreach that needs to happen that just creates aware-ness that there are careers in this business, in areas where typically thats not been done. Retailers need to do more to find more diverse candidates, keep them, and keep them moving up in the company, all agree. But that can only happen if theyve laid the proper groundwork. EQUALITY VS. EQUITY The terms equity and equality are only two letters off, but they have vastly different meanings. Consult Merriam-Webster and it will tell you equity is justice accord-ing to natural law or rightspecifically, freedom from bias or favorit-ismwhile equality is defined as the quality or state of being equal. Nicole Taylor, a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultant, defined these terms for a virtual audience at this years Womens Jewelry Associations gala, and, later, explained them more fully in an interview with National Jeweler. Equality, she says, means everyone is getting equal resources, but it doesnt account for the fact that everyone is coming from a differ-ent starting point. Some people might have had certain advantages, or privileges, that others didnt.Equity, on the other hand, is giving proportional resources by tak-ing into account everyones starting point and differencesgender,This collage shows some of the designers who signed the open letter to the industry from race, religion, etc.including those who have been disadvantagedBIPOC designers. From top left: Soelia, Lorraine West, Melanie Eddy, Merva Afshar, Maggi Simpkins, Julia de Souza, Robin Erfe, and Peggy Portals. (Images courtesy of Angely Martinez/or underserved.Collage by Shantell Batista) Equity is something companies have to consider because their workforce is not a monolith, Taylor says. Every individual comes with specific wants and needs to not only do their job well, but to bealso refer to diversity of thought, meaning differing ideas and opinions.able to grow and contribute more to the company. Tam, the activist who helps companies increase diversity, says the She says learning and development programs are a great way toprocess for hiring new employees is very traditional.practice equity over equality, like the mentorship program for BlackEmployers are unconsciously biased toward people most like and Brown employees currently under development at the companythemselves. They tend to look in the same places and are attracted 48 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2020'