Week 17 of the newsletter is here, and I’ve got the follow-up to last week’s cliffhanger!

If you remember, I was talking about using a DM campaign to get people interested in applying for leadership positions. Well, here’s what happened next.

So, someone reached out to me and said they were interested but wanted to chat first. I hopped on a call almost immediately—because trust me, catching people while the interest is fresh is KEY! Being available in the moment to answer questions can make all the difference. You want to capture that energy before it fades, right? I’m all about Slack huddles for these quick, casual conversations. It’s less formal but still effective.

Anyway, we hopped on the call, and she told me she had been eyeing the application but hesitated because she didn’t feel like she fit the typical profile. She said, “I’m not African-American; I’m full African, and I wasn’t sure if I was the right fit.” She wasn’t sure if she belonged in the ERG or if she could lead it because she didn’t identify with the majority group.

And that, right there, is a common ERG challenge. In black ERGs, we might unintentionally skew toward African-American representation, just like API ERGs often skew toward East Asian voices. The same goes for women’s ERGs, which can skew toward white women (oftentimes in leadership), or LGBTQ ERGs leaning towards white gay men. It’s not always intentional, but it happens—and it’s often because that particular group was the first to break into the White Corporate America space historically. So, naturally, they become the predominant voice.

But here’s the thing: ERGs need to be intentionally inclusive of all parts of their communities. Whether it’s different ethnicities, identities, or segments within the broader group, we’ve got to make space for everyone. When we focus only on the majority, we unintentionally exclude subgroups that are just as vital to the ERG’s success and purpose.

If you joined the ERG engagement tour, you’ll know we talked about the importance of niching down—designing programming for specific subgroups rather than always taking a blanket approach. Because, let’s be honest, that blanket often ends up only serving the majority within our ERG.

Long story short: Let’s be more intentional about including all the voices in our communities, not just the ones that are in the majority or historically dominate (rather ironic for ERGs).

Quick post this week, but we’re keeping the streak alive! Week 17 is a wrap—catch you next week.

-The ERG Homegirl

That’s it for this week! 🙌 

Weeks of consistent newsletters: 17 🎊