As a school kid during the first years of desegregation in the public schools of Austin, Texas, much of my experience of the world around me was shaped by color. I saw and experienced firsthand how discrimination and inequality can stunt and hold back too many Americans--not only through violence, but the more subtle, life-altering trauma of discrimination.
I've also seen how inclusion and understanding have the power to lift up individuals and communities and help them heal.
Those experiences inspired me to dedicate my life to helping organizations and companies chart a new, better path forward--one where every customer and every employee is treated with dignity and respect, no matter what. So when Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called me to serve as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at USDA, I said yes.
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