Fed Study Finds ‘Limited Role’ for Racial Bias in Mortgage Lending  - They concluded that bias still accounts for some of that gap, but that “racially biased credit decisions appear less common than has been
suggested by previous research.” However, they cautioned the paper’s conclusions must be considered.

The Veteran Newsletter by DiversityComm

Diversity in the workplace expands beyond just hiring employees of different genders, races, ages, and backgrounds and calling it a day. As an employer, you should ensure a diverse workplace in all positions and management levels whereas, as an employee, you should strive to be as fully included as all other employees. 

New DEI Training Courses - MBA salutes  ABA having launched two new modules promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (as well as financial inclusion) in the banking industry. "Culturally Respective Customer Service" and "Conscious Bias" are free for ABA members as part of ABA’s Frontline Compliance Training suite. They are designed to teach customer-facing associates how to serve clients of all backgrounds. Learn more about "Culturally Respective Customer Service"  Learn more about "Conscious Bias"
 
Watch Webinar on Bank Partnerships to Protect Seniors - Scammers are targeting America’s seniors, attempting to steal their hard-earned financial assets. Protecting seniors from these scams often requires assistance from non-bank organizations, such as law enforcement or Adult Protective Services (APS). ABA Foundation recently hosted a webinar on how your bank can form and maintain these critical partnerships. Attendees heard directly from bankers and fraud experts on ways to help safeguard the seniors in their communities. Watch the recording.

Agencies Update List of Areas Eligible for CRA Credit - The federal banking agencies on Friday released the 2022 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income areas in which banks participating in revitalization or stabilization activities will be considered for Community Reinvestment Act credit. View the list.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion (ComE-IN) will meet on Tuesday, June 28, to discuss the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act, and issues of equity in residential property valuation and appraisal. Read full article.

Banking on Inclusion Podcast - The Impact of Minority Banks

Black Leadership Advisory Council finalizes report to build a stronger, more inclusive Michigan

Council makes 11 recommendations to close racial equity gaps, deliver on the kitchen-table issues.

March:
Without ECIP Fix, Many Eligible CDFIs, MDIs Will Be Left Out of Key Investment Opportunity
Under the current regulations, community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions operating as Subchapter S or mutually owned banks may not be able to accept their full amount of eligible ECIP funds.

February:
DEI in Associations - Perceptions and Progress

January:
CFPB: Banks Providing Most Public D&I Information Among Financial Services Providers

How Sharing Our Stories Builds Inclusion

What are your thoughts on Maternal Bias - An exercise

November:
Mission Critical - Veterans on Bank Boards

Expanding Financial Services Access for Justice-System Involved Individuals

October:
Treasury Names First Counselor for Racial Equity

September:
2021 Crain's Detroit Business Notable LGBTQ in Business
The MBA congratulates our President and CEO, Rann Paynter, named to the 2021 Crain's Detroit Business Notable LGBTQ in Business. This award celebrates thirty-two LGBTQ professionals in Michigan who are making a major impact through their career accomplishments, their mentorship of others, and their involvement in community and industry organizations. 

PCBB - Seven Strategies To Gain & Retain Diverse Employees by Steve Brown
Attracting and retaining diverse workers could be important for the overall health of your institution. Not only does it help lift up everyone, but it can also help the bottom line.

August:
Enslaved.org: Peoples of the Historic Slave Trade
August 23rd is International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Here is a look at an important project happening at Michigan State University's searchable database containing millions of records cataloging the lives of enslaved Africans and their descendants — Enslaved.org  — is launching a second phase that will accept contributions from the public and from academic researchers.

The Importance of a Diverse Workforce in Transformative Times

Debora Aydelotte, Managing Director, Head of Client Strategy, Promontory Mortgage Path - We all depend on talented teams of people to help us meet customer needs and deliver services with excellence and integrity. Part of being inclusive means the willingness to seek-out one another’s contributions because of the value and richness their diversity brings to an organization.

Financial Institutions Of All Sizes Increase DEI Efforts
It is not just the big banks that have made commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion DEI initiatives. Financial institutions of all sizes are getting involved. We map out a few of these efforts by the big banks, regional banks, and your peers, community...

Upward Mobility More Likely In Canada, Sweden Than United States
Kids who grow up in low-income families in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska or on the coasts in places like New York and the bay area of California, have very high rates of upward mobility, according to David A. WILLIAMS, Director of Policy Outreach at Opportunity Insights.

Sizing up gender diversity on US company boards and executive teams
Women remain significantly underrepresented in senior positions in corporate America, although efforts by companies, regulators and other market players offer some hope of meaningful diversification.

July:

Meet America's Best Employers For Women 2021

DHHS/United Way partnered to offer mobile vaccine clinics to the public in areas identified by social vulnerability index: Highland Park, Benton Harbor, Muskegon Heights, Inkster, Harper Woods, River Rouge, Eastpointe, Warren, Benton Harbor, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Albion, Battle Creek, and Kalamazoo. They are looking for entities to host locations for these clinics, all other aspects of the clinic would be provided. To volunteer or host, contact Alex Morris, amorris@mibankers.com.

June:

How to Support LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace

We asked our employees how they learned to thrive when historically, this community relied on pre-pandemic, unrestricted social access to the community? Here’s what some of our employees shared. 

Here's what you need to know about the history of Juneteenth in Michigan

Pride Radiates From Unexpected Places Throughout Small-Town Michigan

May:

Addressing Unbanked/Underbanked Challenges Requires Multifaceted Approach, According to New Report 

April:

For First Time Ever, Boston Fed Has Majority Female Board of Directors - The 5 women of the board discuss leadership journeys, preparing next generation

The Shift from "Autism Awareness Month" to "Autism Acceptance Month" - The 2021 focus is to “provide information and resources for communities to be more aware of autism, promote acceptance, and be more inclusive in everyday life.”

Building Your DEI Program – Employee Resource Groups Activate Inclusion - View the latest article from Harland Clarke.

March:

Why America's First Black Female Bank Founder Is Still Owed A Great Debt - In 1901 Maggie L. Walker proposed the creation of a local department store and a newspaper to provide business opportunities for women in the community. 

FDIC Publishes Strategic Plan to Enhance DEI Efforts. Read more.

Stop Asian hate, stop Black hate, stop all hate: Many Americans call for unity against racism.

MBA Continues Work With FDIC Southeast Michigan Alliance For Economic Inclusion- The MBA advocacy team joined the FDIC and a myriad of community partners yesterday morning to discuss products and services to promote financial inclusion. Financial Literacy programs such as Great Lakes Saves, Show Me the Money Day and America Saves were discussed. MSHDA & FHLBI presented new down payment assistance programs to encourage homeownership and stakeholders from the City of Detroit and HUD also shared their efforts in this space. Financial education and inclusion remain a top priority for the MBA and our industry at large.

Podcast: The Changing Faces of Wealth Management - From the ongoing generational wealth transfer to new “wealthtech” solutions and investor demands for sustainability and diversity, big changes are happening in the wealth management sector.

Illusory Level Playing Fields - “Yes, there is a pay gap, yes there is a pay difference. But there’s far more to it than just comparing numbers.”

Women in the Boardroom - Women represent more than half of the population, more than half of degree-holding employees and they control the majority of the buying power in American households. Yet, they are consistently under-represented on corporate boards and in C-suites.

February:
Comcast Corp. is making $1 million in grants available to minority-owned businesses in Detroit, part of its Comcast RISE Investment Fund.

13 Inspiring Women to Celebrate - #1 is the first woman bank president!

Key Money Milestones in Black History - African Americans have long been an integral part of the financial services and banking industry. In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to highlight a few of those money milestones. 

January:
'Double standard': Black lawmakers and activists decry police response to attack on US Capitol

CFPB Task Force Releases Report on Improving Consumer Protection in Financial Marketplace