|
|
|
|
Diversity Panel Special Presentation 2004 NASA SHARP Program California State University, Los Angeles Reported by: Raj Ranande
On Tuesday, July 27th, 2004, the NASA Sharp apprentices working at Northrop-Grumman for their summer internships attended a panel discussion about the various diversity initiative groups in the company. Northrop-Grumman is different from many other companies in its focus on diversity. With the support of various vice presidents in the company, employees have formed groups celebrating a certain type of culture. During the discussion panel, leaders from each of the groups discussed the focus of their particular organization.
Before the
discussion was started, a free lunch consisting of chicken and rice was given to
Next to speak was Michael K. Johnson from the African American Task Group. Johnson delivered an inspiring speech about seizing opportunities in the workplace. He noted, “Any one of you could be president of the company”. Johnson encouraged all to meet as many people as you could in order to make future opportunities, as you never know whom you might be working for. He neglected to mention anything about the AATG, which sponsors events pertaining to the black community, such as a series of events for Black History Month. His speech was interesting and humorous though.
Following this was Karl Salinas from the Adelante group. Salinas gave another speech mirroring what Johnson had previously said in a humorous fashion. He also commented on the activities sponsored by the Adelante group. One major event was the large celebration for Cinco de Mayo on the Space Technology Campus.
The fourth speaker was Ray Haynes from the Native American Caucus. Haynes spoke on the prevalence of Native American culture and ancestry throughout the United States. He also sprinkled a good amount of humor into his speech, commenting on the ubiquity of Indian casinos. To finish his segments, Haynes taught the crowd some simple phrases in the language of the Cherokees.
After this, Greg Green from the Veteran’s Action Committee spoke. Green commented on the skills from the military that can be applied to work. He also spoke about troubling issues that face veterans today, such as the looming fear of being called back into active service for today’s war in Iraq following service in previous wars in Vietnam and others.
The next speaker, Kim Rubeis, was from the Community of NGST New Employees Coming Together. Rubeis spoke about the various social and business events sponsored by the company. For fun, CONNECT sponsors events such as the Summer Games, where new employees from Northrop compete with new hires from other technology companies. CONNECT also hosts many business events, such as a conversation with President Wes Bush and lectures on nuclear reactors and other technology.
The next-to-last speaker was Jonathan Eubanks from the Gays, Lesbians, and Friends Network. Eubanks detailed the struggles of gay and lesbian employees in the workplace, such as the difficulty of obtaining security clearance for industry issues because of sexual orientation. He also detailed measures that GLAFNET has taken, such as the pink stickers that can be found around the campus, denoting a “safe area” for gays and lesbians.
The final speaker was Suzanne Enriquez from the Women’s Network Group. With a great deal of help from one of the Human Resources aides, Abelson talked about initiatives of the group, such as advancing the status of women within the corporation. Overall, the event was entertaining and informative. I learned a lot about the various groups that strive to make Northrop-Grumman a better place for workers of all minorities. Innovative programs like these are bridging the gap that has long existed for minorities in the workplace.
|
the speakers and the attendees. The first person to speak was a leader from the