Diverse group of people

At the North Carolina Department of Commerce, fostering a culture of belonging, fairness, and opportunity is a top priority. That’s why we have a dedicated office to advance these critical values for our team and our partners.

We celebrate the unique qualities that define every North Carolinian, Commerce employee, culture, region, community, industry, and business. We are committed to demonstrating these values in everything we do—from employee relations to business practices and collaborations within the economic and workforce development community. Our goal is to lead by example, creating an environment—and a state—where everyone feels valued, respected, and can bring their unique talents and experiences to work. North Carolina’s economy should serve and uplift all people across this great state.

Creating a workplace and community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive has become a cornerstone of today’s corporate and societal landscape. But what does this mean, and why does it matter?

Two people, one in a wheelchair

Within the modern business environment, cultivating fairness, and opportunity is essential for economic progress:

  • Leading companies and Fortune 500 organizations have long recognized the value of workplace policies that promote fairness and opportunity as effective tools for attracting and retaining top talent.
  • Inclusive practices improve employer reputation, boost productivity and job satisfaction, and enhance employee morale.
  • Businesses actively consider local laws and policies when deciding where to headquarter, relocate, or expand their operations – they want their talented teams to feel welcomed.
  • Stakeholders in economic development are calling on public officials to promote the health, safety, and prosperity of all residents, which helps drive meaningful economic growth for everyone.

Ensuring fairness, belonging, and opportunity is not only the right thing to do—it’s also a strategic imperative for economic success.
 

Additional Information

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Did you know...

  • 67 percent of job seekers consider workplace diversity an important factor when considering  employment opportunities, and more than 50% of current employees want their workplace to do more to increase diversity. (Glassdoor, 2014)
  • 83 percent of all millennials are more likely to be actively engaged if they believe their company stimulates a diverse and inclusive culture. (Deloitte Millennial Survey, 2018)
  • Highly inclusive companies see 1.4 times more revenue, are 1.7 times more innovative, and notice 2.3 times more cash flow per employee. (Gartner, 2018)

According to McKinsey’s 2019 study, Diversity Wins, which analyzed performance data from 15 countries and over 1,000 companies: 

  • Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile—up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014.
  • Companies in the top-quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity outperformed those in the fourth by 36% in profitability, slightly up from 33% in 2017 and 35% in 2014 .

As these statistics illustrate, prioritizing DEI translates to increased revenue, innovation, employee retention, and job satisfaction. And companies who fail to support DEI consistently underperform and may consequently fall behind. Now is the time for systemic change. As the private sector becomes more competitive by the day, and the country’s population demographics continue to evolve, don’t be left behind. Learn how your company can strengthen DEI in the workplace and take steps toward greater social and economic success.

Three women walking in an office setting

 

For more information on how you can implement good DEI practices in your company, please contact one of our team members.

Betty Marrow-Taylor
Chief Engagement Officer | Biography
betty.marrow-taylor@commerce.nc.gov

 

 

Mose Dorsey
Compliance Officer
mdorsey@commerce.nc.gov

 

 

Kelly Gamble
EEO Officer
kelly.gamble@commerce.nc.gov

The Office of Culture & Community Engagement — and Commerce overall — look forward to working with partners, both public and private, to achieve goals outlined within the state’s First in Talent Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Equity is a key factor in job creation, workforce development and our state’s post-pandemic recovery. Together, we’ll work to ensure all North Carolinians reap the benefits of new investments and structural improvements. Collaborating with our partners statewide, we aim to improve the social determinants of health, like economic stability, environment, healthcare, and education, that may help or hinder an individual’s pathways to economic prosperity, as well as “…bolster a robust small business recovery, inclusive of opportunities for new entrepreneurs and women-and-minority owned firms,” which is one of the strategies identified in the First in Talent plan to prepare North Carolina businesses for success. 

Workers wearing high-visibility vests in a warehouse

JANUARY

National Braille Literacy Month

National Braille Literacy Month recognizes and honors the legally blind and visually impaired. The mission of this month is to raise awareness of the importance of Braille to the blind and visually impaired community. To learn more about National Braille Literacy Month, visit here.

National Poverty in America Awareness Month

A month-long initiative to raise awareness and call attention to the growth of poverty in America.

World Braille Day (January 4)

Created in honor of the birthday of Louis Braille, who was born on January 4th, 1809. Learn more about World Braille Day here.

Dia de los Reyes/Three King’s Day (January 6)

Holiday observed by Eastern and Western Christians that recognizes the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus 12 days after his birth. Culturally significant in some Latin American countries (and Spain) and is celebrated differently in each country. Learn more about Three King’s Day here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 20)

A holiday honoring the achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. A Baptist minister who advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation. Learn more about MLK Jr. Day here.

Lunar New Year (January 29)

Festival typically celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. One of the most sacred of all traditional Asian holidays, a time of family reunion and celebration. Learn more about the Lunar New Year here.

 

FEBRUARY 

Black History Month

An annual celebration of achievements by descendants of the African diaspora and a time for recognizing their central role in US History. Learn more about Black History Month here.

World Hijab Day (February 1)

In recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty. Learn more about World Hijab Day here.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11)

A day to recognize the role that women and girls play in science and technology. Learn more about International Day of Women and Girls in Science here.

NAACP Day (February 12)

Celebrates the founding of the NAACP in 1909.

International Mother Language Day (February 21)

A day that recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion. Learn more about International Mother Language Day here.

Maha Shivarati (February 26)

Hindu festival celebrated each year to honor Lord Shiva. It is celebrated just before the arrival of spring. It is also known as the Great Night of Shiva or Shivaratri and is one of the largest and most significant among the sacred festival nights of India. Learn more about Maha Shivarati here.

Ramadan (Evening February 28 – March 29)

An Islamic holiday marked by fasting, praise, prayer and devotion to Islam. Dates are dependent on the moon cycle and may vary across countries. Learn more about Ramadan here.

MARCH

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Established to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all areas of community life, as well as awareness to the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to the communities in which they live. The theme this year is “Worlds Imagined.”  Learn more about Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and find marketing resources here.

Women’s History Month

Started in 1987, Women’s History Month recognizes all women for their valuable contributions to history and society. Learn more about Women’s History Month here.

Ramadan (Evening February 28 – March 29)

An Islamic holiday marked by fasting, praise, prayer and devotion to Islam. Dates are dependent on the moon cycle and may vary across countries. Learn more about Ramadan here.

Zero Discrimination Day (March 1) 

An annual day celebrated on 1 March each year by the United Nations and other international organizations. The day aims to promote equality before the law and in practice throughout all the member countries of the UN. Learn more about Zero Discrimination Day here.

Ash Wednesday (March 5) 

1st day of Lent on the Christian calendar. Its name is derived from the symbolic use of ashes to signify penitence. It takes place immediately after the excesses of the two days of Carnival that take place in Northern Europe and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Learn more about Ash Wednesday here.

Lent (March 5 – April 17) 

In the Christian church, a period of penitential preparation for Easter. In Western churches it begins on Ash Wednesday, six and a half weeks before Easter, and provides for a 40-day fast (Sundays are excluded), in imitation of Jesus Christ’s fasting in the wilderness before he began his public ministry. Learn more about Lent here.

International Women’s Day (March 8)

First observed in 1911 in Germany, it has now become a major global celebration honoring women’s economic, political and social achievements. The theme this year is #BreakTheBias. Learn more about International Women’s Day here.

Deaf History Month (March 13 – April 15)

This observance celebrates key events in deaf history, including the founding of Gallaudet University and the American School for the Deaf. Learn more about Deaf History Month here

Equal Pay Day (March 15)

An attempt to raise awareness about the raw wage gap, the figure that shows that women, on average, earn about 80 cents for every dollar men earn. The date moves earlier each year as the wage gap closes. Equal Pay Day began in 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity as a public awareness event to illustrate the gender pay gap. Learn more about Equal Pay Day here.

LGBTQ Health Awareness Week (March 21 – 25)

LGBTQ Health Awareness Week is a time to bring attention to the devastating cycle of discrimination and health disparities that affect LGBTQ people. Learn more about LGBTQ Health Awareness Week here.

World Down Syndrome Day (March 21)

A global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. Learn more about World Down Syndrome Day here.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21)

Observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. Proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. Learn more about International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination here.

International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31)

The day is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender and gender nonconforming people while raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans justice. Learn more about International Transgender Day of Visibility here.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce is committed to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of language proficiency, have access to its services and resources. Read the strategies that Commerce is implementing with its Language Access Plan.

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