Michael George, business systems analyst II, has been a USAble Life team member for five and half years and is excited to be on the inaugural Inclusion Council, which he sees as a milestone for both himself and the company.
Michael believes that the creation of the inclusion council is “part of a fundamental shift and acknowledgment that diversity not only exists but that it should be recognized and respected within the workplace throughout the year, not just on certain holidays or Black History Month.”
Barack Obama, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and his parents have all inspired Michael. Michael’s parents grew up in the south during the Civil Rights Movement. He said, “They continue to be an excellent reference for me from distinguishing how far African Americans and people of color have come and how far we still have to go.”
When asked to share a fun fact about himself, Michael said, “I am a political and history junkie. If my alma mater — Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Fla. — had political science as a major, I might have even been a pollster. I find that history and politics often go hand in hand,” which is likely why Michael said that Barack Obama would be one person he’d invite to dinner. Michael said, “I’d find no one with a greater influence that can navigate a conversation as it relates to race, diversity, and inclusion than Barack Obama.”
Michael believes that there “needs to be greater acceptance of differing points of view, backgrounds, and opinions. Then individuals and organizations can move forward with best practices, harnessing the power of inclusion.” For Michael, diversity and inclusion go hand and hand. He sees diversity as people having differing backgrounds from race to beliefs and their experiences. And inclusion means “accepting and bringing those differences together and embracing them to form a better collective society.”
Michael is no stranger to advocating for positive change, whether diversity and inclusion or helping the less fortunate. Michael has regularly volunteered with Dignity U-Wear, a nonprofit that provides new and used clothes to those in need. He said, “I believe everyone regardless of their socioeconomic status should have the benefit of having adequate clothes to wear.”
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