A Statement from Gale Leadership
Earlier this month, Cengage CEO, Michael E. Hansen, issued the following statement about racial injustice in the United States, reflecting the views of all Cengage companies, including Gale.
At Gale, we wholeheartedly agree with Michael’s words and emphasize the call for anti-racist action. We understand that our country’s policies and systems are unjust, acknowledge the ingrained racial bias and prejudice in our society, and recognize the work ahead to advance racial equality within our own company and industry.“The unjust murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor (and countless others), are painful reminders of the systemic oppression faced by the Black community for far too long in the United States. The time is long overdue for our nation to finally face up to the persistent racial injustice that contributed to these senseless murders and other acts of violence. All of us must accept our collective and individual responsibility to create equality, justice and opportunity for all. Doing nothing simply perpetuates the hatred in our society.
Black lives matter. So does what each of us does to confront racism and bigotry in all its sickening forms.”
As the Gale Leadership Team, we hold ourselves accountable to do this work. Together, with candid guidance from our Mosaic Employee Resource Group, with support from dozens of allies who have stepped forward, and with the engagement of the full Gale team, we will drive change forward from the inside out: within ourselves, across Gale, and throughout the diverse learning communities we serve.
In order to create more safe, equitable, and inclusive working and learning environments:
We will listen because we have much to learn.
A core tenet of our Ethos is to “Put learning first,” so we are engaged in open conversations between BIPOC and allies at all levels. As leaders, we acknowledge our privilege and will listen with humility to the experiences of BIPOC employees at Gale. We are educating ourselves in the foundations of anti-racism and exploring how we need to change to create a more safe and inclusive culture for everyone.
We will transform understanding into action.
Our Ethos also calls for being “Accountable to and for each another.” We recognize that anti-racism requires an ongoing practice of learning and doing. We hold ourselves accountable to take risks, push past discomfort, and remain open to criticism. Informed by employees of color and experts in diversity and inclusion, and with the strength of Cengage supporting us, Gale will implement company-wide initiatives exploring everything from how we recruit, train, and develop employees; to the products we create; to how we can leverage the strength of our voice within our industries and at a policy level.
We will use our platform to advance the teaching and learning of social justice issues.
- Advocacy: Our local and national advocacy efforts aim to increase library awareness, funding and access, and often include a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion. We will engage in causes that address related issues for people of color and other marginalized groups within our local Gale community, across the industry, and for the diverse learning communities who we partner with schools and libraries to serve.
- Publishing: We aim to eliminate any implicit racial bias within our publishing program through an ongoing audit of the people and processes that bring our products from concept to market, including for example, ensuring diversity among our global network of scholarly advisors and a balanced representation of individuals and groups within our products. Looking forward, our publishing strategy remains focused on providing the essential historical perspectives that deepen our collective understanding of social justice issues, like racism, so we can shape a better future.
- Technology: Our in-house team dedicated to improving the accessibility of our software, as well as enhancing discovery and authentication for users through their preferred search paths, will continue to drive technology investments that enable more equitable access to these critical library resources for everyone.
This is just the beginning. We will continue to strengthen our commitments and evolve our plans as we listen and learn more from our employees, customers, and learners. We value your partnership and invite your feedback, so together, we can bring about meaningful—and long overdue—change.
Signed,
The Gale Leadership Team