I serve on the Sleep Number Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Corporate Council, which has been very rewarding in many ways. I am constantly inspired by our teams, our leadership and the broader community. A book I am currently reading is called Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (part of Oprah’s Book Club). It analyzes various caste systems in the world and their implications on culture still today. I resisted the urge to easily add to my Amazon cart and instead ordered from a local Black-owned shop that someone had recommended to me. I would encourage everyone to take that extra effort, because it does make a difference.

I also thought it might be helpful to share, from a parent’s perspective, two additional things: Crayola has made a really cool box of crayons called “Colors of the World” that represent a variety of different skin types. I introduced this to my daughter at a very young age as a place to have an age-appropriate conversation around diversity and the beauty in differences that make us all unique. Now that she is school aged, we love the book I Am Enough by Grace Byers. It promotes loving who you are, but also respecting and being kind to one another in a beautiful little read with a very diverse group of kiddos represented. Lastly, there are some really good podcasts currently on Minnesota Public Radio that help guide parents during tough conversations with kids that I have found very beneficial.