At Aerospace, we are dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to support communities across the nation and where our people work and live. Recently, Aerospace partnered with the city of El Segundo, Calif., and Space Systems Command in an effort to create an open channel of communication and mitigate bias.
Aerospace worked with El Segundo leaders to address feedback it received from employees of color who shared they had been pulled over on their way to work and felt they were unfairly treated by local law enforcement due to their race. A productive face-to-face meeting facilitated by the Aerospace’s DEI Committee, including leaders from Aerospace’s Employee Resource Groups, enabled Aerospace and the El Segundo Police Department (EPSD) to discuss these concerns, create opportunities for understanding, and open communication channels to ensure a sustainable positive impact for the future.
At a recent El Segundo City Council meeting with the El Segundo Economic Development Council and the ESPD leadership, El Segundo’s DEI Committee Chairperson, Avery Smith, shared the significant progress being made and commended Aerospace’s contributions in fostering discussions, collaboration, and solutions to address systemic challenges impacting the community.
“What I thought was very impactful first off is that The Aerospace Corporation decided to advocate on behalf of their employees,” Smith said. “Oftentimes in marginalized communities, one of the biggest asks of folks in those communities is to be believed. Aerospace certainly believed their employees and decided to set up a meeting with ESPD. I can’t recall ever in my life hearing of a situation where an employer and a police department sat down and talked about how their employees of color were being treated by the police. I thought it was just phenomenal, and ESPD also took this meeting very seriously.”
By working with and in our community, Aerospace is helping to ensure our values of DEI go beyond the walls of our corporation. Advocating for our employees and supporting them when they encounter discrimination is an important part of creating an inclusive workplace and community. Commitment to Our People is one of Aerospace’s long-standing core values and embracing open communication with employees is an essential part of nurturing an environment where everyone is empowered to thrive.