In her role as GBH’s new chief inclusion and equity officer, Yemisi Oloruntola-Coates focuses on dignity — recognizing the humanity in all of us and everyone’s right to be treated ethically. We chatted with her about her mission and hopes for GBH.
You’ve spent much of your career in the healthcare industry. What has it been like to transition into public media?
There are a lot of parallels. Healthcare is mission driven. And it's all about the people. Public media is mission driven, and it's all about the people. In healthcare it's about the care of the patient, saving their lives and healing them. In public media, it's about the care of our people, our audience and ensuring that they're fed intellectually.
What responsibility does public media have in the area of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)?
Public media and media in general are going through a time of reckoning, asking, “What do we mean by diversity, equity and inclusion? How does that impact the way we do our work and the individuals within our organization? How does it impact what we produce?” I think that there's a stronger discussion going on now than I've ever heard before on that. In the public media audience, there's a thirst for knowledge. We have an opportunity to enhance our content, because there's knowledge that has not been shared and history that has been silenced. This is a very poignant time for media and for GBH in particular, as a leader in public media, to be a beacon of example for others to follow.
How has your thinking evolved over the past year?
I've worked in this field for 15 years. My perspective over the past year didn't change. This past year just affirmed it. I call myself two things. I am an inclusion architect. I design what I think something should look like, but I need people to help me build it. I also consider myself a futurist. I’ve been looking at trends for a number of years and I saw this coming. Not what happened exactly, but I knew the way that DEI needed to be addressed organizationally by examining and evaluating its structures, policies, data, culture and more.
What changes do you think organizations need to make?
There are structures and systems, processes and practices that are inequitable, and they’ve been that way for hundreds of years. We need to be structurally inclusive. We need to look at the disparities and exclusions and rebuild with an equity lens. When I talk about inequities, I see racism as a piece of it but there are other pieces — the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, veterans.
What is the dignity model that you’ve so successfully used in your work?
I have been using Dr. Donna Hicks’ dignity model for 15 years. Often when we use the word respect, we think of it as an extension of dignity. However, it does not translate equally. Respect is performative — I must do something or have qualities that you admire to earn respect. However, dignity means to be worthy, and all people have a right to be recognized for their humanity and treated ethically — dignity is a given. The model recognizes the humanity in all of us and that every single one of us wants to be acknowledged and valued and treated equitably.
What will success at GBH look like for you?
Success will be when everyone within GBH sees their value and input in the work of DEI, with every person having a thumbprint in the design. DEI should not be built upon an individual. DEI should be foundational within the organization. It should outlive us, so that our children and grandchildren can also experience the work. As you can tell, this is not just a job for me. This is a purpose. It’s what wakes me up in the morning. It’s what feeds me.
Explore Dr. Donna Hicks’ website to learn about the work that influences Oloruntola-Coates’ leadership.
Check out this information on GBH’s diversity data and our collection of programs and resources about addressing racism.
