DRIVING AWARENESS
Keeping the conversation about diversity and inclusion at the center of our work
In June 2021, John L. Scott sent out an email companywide from J. Lennox Scott in celebration of Pride Month, outlining the history of this historic month and expressing his support for the members within our John L. Scott family who identify as a part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community.
In June of 2020, J. Lennox Scott announced a companywide approach to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion at John L. Scott. He and select members of the John L. Scott leadership team develop a plan centered around the ideas of: Awareness – Education – Conversation – Leadership – Action. Conversations continued in July of 2020 among each of our offices to implement the plan.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021, John L. Scott sent out a video companywide from J. Lennox Scott about Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and John L. Scott’s approach to supporting diversity.
Diversity Education
John L. Scott believes that diversity education should be mandatory for all Realtors to support Fair Housing. As part of our efforts to educate John L. Scott brokers, we have requested that all agents view and participate in the following National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) education resources:
NAR’s At Home with Diversity® certification. This six-hour certification was taught internally by John L. Scott broker Margo Wheeler Willis. John L. Scott provided this important certification for all employees and brokers.
Margo Wheeler Willis
Broker and At Home with
Diversity® instructor
NAR’s Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing video. This online workshop is aimed at helping viewers avoid implicit bias in their daily business interactions. We required all John L. Scott leadership, support staff and relocation team members watch this video, and are including it in our onboarding materials for all new employees.
NAR’s Fairhaven: A Fair Housing Simulation We required all John L. Scott leadership, support staff and relocation team members complete this simulation in 2021 and 2022. We’re committed that everyone in our company, including all our brokers, complete Fairhaven, which shows how Fair Housing plays out in our
day-to-day lives. We are also including Fairhaven in our onboarding process for all new employees.
John L. Scott Chairman & CEO is passionate about keeping the conversation alive around diversity, equity and inclusion. A selection of educational videos and articles around the topic of diversity that Lennox has shared include:
John L. Scott Chairman & CEO J. Lennox Scott believes that Richard Rothstein’s 2017 book,
“The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America,” is
something everyone in the real estate community should read or listen to via audiobook.
Click here to view a quick summary video outlining some of the history that’s critical to
understand when reflecting on Fair Housing today. And if you’d like to dig deeper, check out
this video of the Talks at Google chat with the author.
We provided the audiobook to each member of our executive team and
requested that leaders of all of our offices complete the book and discuss the
book with their teams. J. Lennox Scott is advocating that NAR take a similar
approach with this seminal book.
NAR’s Role – Past, Present and Future – in Fair Housing: A candid discussion
with 2021 President, Charlie Oppler and Director of Fair Housing Policy,
Bryan Greene.
NAR President Speaks at MLK Day Ceremony Held at King’s Washington, D.C.
Memorial: Speech about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. from 2021 NAR
President Charlie Oppler.
Walking Through Past and Present: An article about the Redlining Heritage
Trail project that delves into some of the past redlining in Seattle.
The History of Racism by University of Washington historian Quintard Taylor.