With a renewed focus on Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion on and off the field in 2020, the Red Sox and Fenway Sports Management determined the most effective way for our organization to effect change was by focusing our efforts internally, within our own organization.
While we continue to use Red Sox and Red Sox Foundation public platforms to promote racial and social justice causes that align with our core values, the bulk of our work is focused on ways to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within our ballpark, front office, and with our field staff.
The organization’s Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, led by Bekah Salwasser, Executive Vice President, Social Impact and Executive Director, Red Sox Foundation, is comprised of 12 members from across our organization. Based on employee conversations and feedback from Trinity Boston Connects, we have formed ten subcommittees made up of over 100 employee volunteers focused on developing action plans to make our organization more equitable as follows:
- Launching employee resource groups and race-based roundtables
- Creating support systems for employees who are the victims of racial or hate speech incidents
- Conducting a bias audit on our human resources policies and practices
- Enhanced education and training for employees, players and coaching staff related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Mentorship programs for employees of color
- Enhancing ballpark messaging related to racial and social justice causes
- Integrating more people of color into existing in-game activations
- Expanding opportunities to work with minority businesses
- Expanding opportunities for public policy advocacy
- Further expanding our marketing efforts into more diverse communities
Included on each of these subcommittees is a member of the Red Sox executive team to ensure engagement and accountability at the highest levels of the organization. Our work will be ongoing and will encompass the vision of the Red Sox, Fenway Sports Management and Red Sox Foundation to build a more just, equitable community for all.
BOSTON, MA: The Black Lives Matter Major League Baseball logo is painted as a stencil on the pitchers mound during a pre-game ceremony before the Opening Day game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles on July 24, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
