Since the start of my time in the MPA program I have looked at public service through the lens of cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce and society. I have applied this perspective through research and multiple course assignments. My first artifact is a memo written for my Human Resource management class. The memo summarizes an article titled, “Transforming Human Resource Management Systems to Cope with Diversity”. Diversity and Inclusion is an important topic in workforce development as our society is constantly changing and becoming more inclusive of the differences that we all have. Public servants must be aware and accepting of these differences and need to be trained on cultural competency, fair hiring practices, and providing accommodations. Not only do public servants need to be aware of diverse backgrounds, we need to adopt management strategies that encourage and retain a melting pot of people.
America’s policies need to be inclusive of all Americans and unfortunately that is not always the case. In my Elections Administration class I completed a paper that addresses the hardships of voting and how the Supreme Court of the United States decision in Shelby v. Holder (2013) has made voting harder for certain citizens. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act requires specific districts to be cleared by the federal court before they can make any changes to any election related practices, which has now been ruled as unconstitutional. Post the Shelby v. Holder decision states with a history of discriminatory policy were no longer required to have changes to their voting and registration laws approved before adoption and implementation. The constant change in election laws has made voting even more challenging and practically impossible for so many Americans and can be seen as disenfranchising people of color and the poor. As a public servant I believe that it is my responsibility to promote an inclusive society in which everyone is provided with the same rights and opportunities.
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