When I saw this tweet, I was both happy and deeply saddened.
Congratulations to the 2022 CUE Award Winners! CUE will be celebrating them at #SpringCUE next month in Palm Springs during Thursday’s General Session.
— CUE (@cueinc) February 23, 2022
Congratulations! See you in Palm Springs!
Take a look at the winners — https://t.co/Pww8NUfCtj #WeAreCUE #CUEAffiliates pic.twitter.com/FBM0K8V0aT
I was excited to finally share with my PLN that I am receiving a CUE Gold Disk this year, but I was frustrated to see the lack of people of color also being honored.
Looking at the slate of past CUE keynotes, speakers, and award winners, the lack of diversity is something I've been addressing in whatever capacity I can, whether it be as a committee member, collaborating with fellow CUE members, or speaking directly to the Board and CUE leadership.
Dismantling old systems, perceptions, and practices isn't easy, and the results are often incremental and unseen when advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. The challenges continue to be at the forefront, in this case, the makeup of the 2022 CUE award winners.
This is not to disparage the other winners. As a member of the awards committee, (I abstained from Gold Disk scoring, as I was an applicant this year.) I can say that all the winners are deserving. However, this doesn't mean we can't continue to review our processes as a committee to ensure CUE is not perpetuating systems that do not benefit all members.
In my time as a CUE member, I've seen positive change. It may not always occur as fast as we want, but it is happening. I genuinely believe that now more than ever, the CUE community is in a place where we can make lasting change.
I look forward to CUE 2022 to reconnect with my PLN, and I hope to see you there. Also, if you have ideas about advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the CUE awards process, please pull me aside in the hallway or reach out. This will take collaboration to ensure we're building something that can continue to grow and change with CUE membership.
