Systemic inequality is a major issue facing society today - yet for many organizations, promoting equity and diversity is seen as less important and less urgent than fixing other issues at hand. However, the idea that such efforts are “nice to have” or “unnecessary” is dangerous. Inequity is built into our society, and without acknowledgement and action, it will continue to no end. Organizations and schools must actively combat inequality rather than passively standing by; being “not racist”, “not sexist”, or “not homophobic” is not nearly enough. Instead, promoting diversity, inclusivity, and equity should be a top priority that organizations continually make progress on. To do so, we must continually educate ourselves on the past and present of inequity in our systems rather than assuming that we already know or don’t need to. This is especially important for those of us that come from a place of privilege and are unaware of the impacts of inequity on others in society. We must be able to lean in and talk about hard topics - such as inequality, racism, and sexism - rather than avoiding such discussions in fear of saying something wrong or being 'too political'. When organizations refuse to have these conversations, they perpetuate inequality by condoning it and turning a blind eye. Importantly, organizations must take the time to listen to marginalized communities and amplify their voices rather than drowning them out with that of the majority. When people coming from a position of privilege want to promote inclusion and diversity, the best thing they can do is often to listen and learn. This means hiring diverse workers and making conscious efforts to understand the unique struggles they face and how to combat them. At schools, this means incorporating these topics into curriculum and promoting discussions about inclusivity and diversity in classrooms. This means encouraging everyone to come to school or work with their whole selves and taking pride in the aspects of their identity that make them unique. As a community, we must create a culture with diversity and equity as our front-and-center goals, and we must raise the standard for what’s considered the bare minimum when it comes to promoting them. We must be willing to take the time and effort to listen, learn, and discuss. Lastly, we must be willing to hold each other accountable during the process - calling people and organizations out when they don’t take the steps necessary to promote inclusivity and equity, and calling ourselves out on such shortcomings as well.