A reflection by our Program Coordinator, Tracey Cadet-Fleming.

As a Black woman, wife, and mother, for me, Black History Month is culturally ingrained as a time of celebration, remembrance, and reflection. It is a moment to honor the resilience of Black people in the face of ongoing injustices, to acknowledge the sacrifices we continue to make, and to celebrate the victories that Black people continue to share. As a proud employee of Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ), and especially during the Trump Administration, Black History Month is a clarion call to bolder action. It is a call to become more strategic in our dismantling of the unjust system that has taken root in corporate boardrooms, which quickly trickles down, harming communities of color and perpetuating our existential crisis. Just as Mark 11:23 reminds us that if we have faith and speak to the mountain, commanding it to move, it will move, we must stand firm in our conviction that all things are possible, including justice.

Reflecting on the ways that Black History Month organically fits within our work at IASJ, and walking into Women’s History Month, February marked a new chapter as we welcomed Ruthly Cadestin, a purpose-driven woman of color. Ruthly seamlessly transitioned from the Executive Committee on IASJ’s Board of Directors to our new Interim Executive Director. She is a strategic, collaborative leader, and she has empowered and supported the staff immensely over the past 6 months. I look forward to helping shape and execute her vision for the future of the organization.

In Ruthly’s introduction letter, she stated: “We simply cannot afford to have a narrow vision, fixate ourselves on our self-centered, microcosmic differences, and lose sight of the bigger picture—our democracy, planet, and humanity are at stake.” Her words resonate deeply because, quite frankly, humanity is at stake, especially when corporate and political forces seek to undo decades of progress in racial and economic justice. Her words emphasize the urgency of IASJ’s mission. Our unified efforts remain crucial to confronting the systemic injustices that have pestered the mere existence of Black people for the past 400 years. We can no longer afford to cradle ourselves with our personal preferences, incentives, and divisions, but rather work together, hand in hand, to ensure our right to self-determination and equity for this generation and generations to come.  

This February, IASJ’s work was as urgent as ever, with our efforts at Tyson Foods, who has long been criticized for worker exploitation and unsafe working conditions that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and migrant workers in the supply chain.  On behalf of our affiliates, we filed a Voting Disclosure proposal at Tyson, garnering a 57.7% independent shareholder vote in favor of greater voting transparency and accountability. This was a powerful show of investor concern over governance failures and a much-needed victory in the face of SEC changes that have limited proposals attached to ethical issues. 

Although I am grateful for the win, there is little time to revel in this victory as I’m painfully recalled to the larger campaign being waged against Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI). Before I can finish reading one Executive Order and the ink dries from the last, another harmful Executive Order is being signed! The audacity of the far right to villainize Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion leaves my head spinning and has me questioning whether this is legal and if it’s really happening. A recent Forbes article by Morgan Simon highlights the importance of DEI for financial decision-making, stating: “When politics and fiduciary duty collide, many investors believe that fiduciary duty must prevail” (Forbes, 2025). It seems like the simplest concept to comprehend — why don’t you see the value of having innovative representation in the decision-making process that is a reflection of the entire market? If a company creates an echo chamber in the C-Suite and at the management level, how can it maximize and diversify its reach, and avoid loss of market share? Meaningful implementation of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion is a competitive and financial advantage. 

These attacks on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion bring us back to not only another fiduciary risk for investors but also to detrimental setbacks to racial progress. As representatives of investors, we know that companies that are not prioritizing DEI make themselves vulnerable to reputational and legal risks and financial loss. As a Black woman, I know that these attacks purposely exclude disenfranchised communities from the very decisions that disproportionately shape their fiscal situation. It is the foreshadowing of the deterioration of America. 

IASJ (which was formerly called the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment) was founded nearly 50 years ago to challenge corporations that were profiting from the exploitation of African people. Today, our fight continues against business practices that exploit people and planet, against systemic racism that denies economic opportunity, and against policies that seek to silence investors advocating for human rights, climate justice, racial equity, and the common good. In 2021, we conducted an internal assessment of our racial justice approach, which led to our “profound commitment to embodying Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) throughout our organization, within our membership, and across all our advocacy work.” I am proud to be part of an organization that does not get weary in well-doing. IASJ stands on the side of justice, equity, and accountability, not just in February but every day. As we press forward, we do so knowing that when investors stand together, we can create lasting change. I feel the weight of history and the urgency of the present, but I am also filled with hope. Black History Month is not just a time for reflection; it is a moment to look toward a brighter future and take action. We are pushing against the mountains of oppression that our economy was built upon; these unjust systems must be dismantled. Investors have a major role to play in this work. I call on the entire community to think about how powerful our money is and to use our power to push companies to incorporate racial justice into their operations. Our humanity depends on it. Together, we are a force that can create miracles and overcome what appears to be impossible. Remember that we have been to the mountain before, and when we told it to move, it did.