AmerisourceBergen's Workforce Includes People with Disabilities

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Hi everyone, welcome to the show to all of you in the United States and around the world. As I've said many times, China. Got such a good listening audience. So many countries. But remember, even if you're one person, one person makes a difference. Thank you and keep spreading the news. And a special shout out to my friends, Richard Roberts in Okinawa, Gangneung in South Korea, and, uh, Vinh Amin in Kazakhstan, and of course Cheryl Harris in Tunisia, Ambassador Norland for Libya. I have so many great friends. They're all with the State Department, and they're all working to help make change. And I also have a special shout-out every show to my good friend Yoshiko Dart. Yoshiko, you're going to love this show because your friend is on first. And that's right, We have two guests today. Dr. Loni Haynes will be joining us in about 15 minutes. But first, I am so excited to welcome to the show Christine Griffin, my friend and the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Actually, she is— that's Loni. She is partner, friend, everything working on executive search. And I'll bet you wonder, Chris, how you moved to doing diversity Yeah, I thought you were giving me a new title. I've known Chris Griffin, yeah, I've known Chris for a long time, and she is very well known in the disability rights community. I'm sure anyone with a disability or in the community listens knows her. What an honor it is for me that she works with me now at Bender Consulting Services in executive retained search, and it's so exciting to place people with disabilities at an executive level. But first, Kris, could you share with our listeners a little bit about your background?

Well, I don't have to talk very long before you know that I'm from Boston, Mass. And so, other than that, I really began my legal career doing disability rights right out of law school. With a Skadden Fellowship at the Disability Law Center in Boston. And from there, I went to Washington, D.C. in the Clinton administration and worked for the vice chair at the time of the EEOC. Went back to Boston as director of the Disability Law Center for about 10 years, and then was actually nominated by President Bush at the suggestion of Senator Kennedy to be a Democratic appointee as an EEOC commissioner. And I did that, and then when President Obama was elected, I became the Vice Chair of the EEOC. And then I was asked by Obama, the Obama Administration, to go over and be the Deputy Director at the Office of Personnel Management, where we did some really great work getting the President to sign an executive order on increasing employment of people with disabilities in the federal workforce, as well as establishing an office for for the first time, believe it or not, the first time, a government-wide Office on Diversity and Inclusion. And so, I got to work on some great things and then came back to Massachusetts. Ultimately ended up back as Director of the Disability Law Center and retired in 2018 to help take care of my husband, Phil, who had Alzheimer's. He just died last year. And so, Somewhere along the way, Joyce said, "What are you doing? And you should be working with me doing executive search." And if anyone knows me and everyone who knows Joyce knows we have a passion about employment of people with disabilities, and it's at every level. It's at entry level. It's at middle management. It's, you know, it's not just about hiring people. It's about retaining them, advancing them through the ranks so that Ultimately, we have people with disabilities that are running organizations, and we've done quite a number of searches where we have found the new CEO, president, or executive director for a variety of organizations, and we're working on a few right now. So we've been working together doing executive search, and I couldn't be happier. I love talking to people in the community. All over the country, and I love getting people jobs and seeing people advance. So, all is right with the world.

Well, and again, you can see how good she is and what an honor it is for me to have her with me. So, she also found Maria Towne at AAPD, and we worked together, and she was the lead recruiter to find Marcy Roth at WID and Kathy Martinez at DRA, and as she said, now she's working on several other executive searches. But there is another thing that Chris and I are doing, and that is we are launching this new endeavor for recruiting board directors for corporate boards, people with disabilities. No one is doing this. We are the one and only focused on this. And Chris, maybe you could talk about why you feel that is so important.

Well, there are— we know that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, and I think there's some federal legislation filed that actually is talking about asking corporate boards to identify the diversity of their boards. And one aspect of diversity that gets overlooked often is the fact that people with disabilities represent diversity as well. And that's— there's a huge percentage of people with disabilities in the United States of America. And I don't care what corporation you are, but everybody in that corporation knows or is a family member of somebody with a disability. And so we represent a large segment of the population, and we bring diverse ideas and experiences to a corporate board, which is what you want when you're looking at, at board diversity. And so we want to work with corporations and help them find people that meet their needs but happen to have a disability as well, so that they bring that experience to their board. It's not just simply a mandate to hire a woman or a minority or a person with a disability, but We would really help the corporation, give them the governance and the probability of success that is greater by having someone with a disability on their board. And that's what we want to launch now and start working on. So there's plenty of great people out there that should be on boards and would greatly greatly benefit corporations and the needs of a particular company.

And as you know, Chris, not only does it add diversity of thought, but wow, is it going to change things to help companies really have equity and inclusion for people with disabilities.

Yeah, we, you know, well, as we talked about, you and I talk about it a lot, We want to see people at every single level from, you know, entry-level positions all the way through companies, all the way to the very top, either as the executive in charge or on the board serving a corporation in that capacity. We really do have to have representation at all levels, and we want to be the ones to do that and to be known for finding good people with disabilities who can meet the needs of a particular company or corporation.

And when Chris was saying at all levels, here's an example. InnovAge, Ted Kennedy Jr.'s on the board and referred me to them, and they are specifically hiring people with disabilities at executive-level positions, which Wow, that's so different. And Highmark, same thing. As a matter of fact, they just brought someone in at an executive level in D&I who is identified as a person with a disability. And you know I'm talking about Veronica, your friend Veronica. So you know how powerful that is to have someone like that on your staff. But this has just not been happening. Enough. And we believe, you know, if we work in this new endeavor, you're going to change so much. I mean, you're going to, you're going to, you know, when companies say they don't get it or they don't understand what they have to do, well, you'll get it when you have a board member with a disability.

You know, I think a lot of people don't understand that people with disabilities intersect across all walks of life and all professions, across all races, religions, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic classes. You know, we've had many successful and influential individuals with disabilities throughout our history that have impacted our culture and our government and science and technology and literature, you name it. There's no reason why they can't also serve in the capacity as executives and as board members of corporations. I mean, who wouldn't want FDR on— well, who wouldn't want FDR on their board?

Yeah, that's right, from Stephen Hawking to FDR. Yeah, actually funny, I was thinking those exact same people when you said that, but Hopefully things will change. And Chris, it's an honor to have you with me. I just want to say again, remember Bender Consulting, cgriffin@benderconsult.com, uh, jbender@benderconsult.com, but you know how to find me right here through Voice America. Uh, we're ready to go. We're ready to help you make a difference. Chris, Thanks so much for joining me.

Thank you. Thanks. It's great working with you. I hope the audience gets in touch with us. Take care.

All right. Thank you. Well, our other headliner is with us, and I know if he had been on earlier, he would have laughed so hard when I introduced Chris as the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Otherwise known as Dr. Lonnie Haines at AmerisourceBergen. Welcome to the show, Lonnie.

Thanks, Joyce. Glad to be here.

Well, it's a pleasure to have you. And just so you know, we had a big loss in Pittsburgh because Lonnie was the head diversity person at Highmark And now he's with AmerisourceBergen. But we lost him, but it certainly is a great asset to them. I just have always loved Lonnie. I think he's really a great person. So since we have listeners around the world that sure would like to know more about you, Lonnie, how about if you start by telling your story? Like, you know, how— where you grew up and how you moved into corporate America and this area you're working in.

Thanks so much for that, Joyce Bender. And let me say too, I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure at Highmark Health. It was a— the whole experience was a blessing. Learned a lot, made some great friends and contacts such as yourself, and really was humbled to work in the space and supporting people with disabilities and the disability space. I am originally from Georgia, grew up as a military brat, so my father traveled all over the world, ended up at home in Georgia. His last retirement space was at Fort Benning, Georgia. So I went to high school in Georgia, college, then went off into the military myself for several years. And started working in corporate diversity back in the 1990s when it was really affirmative action and EEO compliance and worked in training and learning and have been in the space for the last 25, 27 years. It's, it was interesting listening to your previous guest, Chris, you know, as you were describing board diversity and disability. Status of people on boards. The D&I space is quickly evolving and, and constantly evolving, and I love what she said about the intersectionality of where diversity is. You know, diversity is a broad topic, it's a broad space, and it includes a lot of different people from a lot, a lot of different areas. And I think what I love most about this work is that educating everyone what that looks like. And especially when you talk about individuals with disabilities, you know, my— I always say, if you don't have a disability, you will or may have one in the future. If not you, one of your loved ones or someone in your immediate sphere of influence will have one. And it's just important to understand that, and more importantly, to understand that it is not something that takes away from you. It really enhances who you are. And so my experience at Highmark Health, my experience in D&I, has only been enhanced more so around understanding the disability space and striving to advocate on its behalf.

I just want our listeners to note that when Dr. Haynes first talked about diversity, he started with disability. So just so you know this, he was a major advocate from the day that I knew him for employing people with disabilities, for seeing them move forward, and for being an advocate for the Bender Leadership Academy, which focuses on high school students with disabilities. We had events at Highmark. He was at every one, never missed one, someone at his level. So he really does care. And by the way, I don't know if I've ever thanked you for serving our country, but thank you. I don't know that I knew that, but wow, you have quite the background there. As you can see, he's also a humble person. He really is. So, um, and now Now you're at this very small company called AmerisourceBergen. And I told someone the other day, you're at AmerisourceBergen. And they said, what? Who are they? I said, oh, you're going to be surprised, very surprised when you hear the size of this company in revenue. So how about let's hear about AmerisourceBergen, what they do, what their business is and the size of the company in revenues.

Yeah, so thank you for that, Joyce Bender. AmerisourceBergen is one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the world based in suburban Philadelphia. It is number 10 on the Fortune 500, so to your point, a huge company. And the work that we do at AmerisourceBergen is across the healthcare space, but again, the primary is a drug distributor, a pharmaceutical distributor, but we're also in animal health, and so we provide a lot of medications for pets, for also for animals, for farms, for farmers, for the veterinarian industry. Very diverse in the global health that we provide and the pharmaceutical distribution that we provide. 23,000 employees in over 50 countries, and again, just close to $200 billion in revenue. And of real importance is our— we're in the midst of acquiring Alliance Healthcare from Walgreens Boots Alliance, which will double our growth of employees to over 50,000, and the majority of them will be outside the U.S. So it is a very large company, but it has the feel of a small company in that the leadership and the employees are very well connected. Uh, it's a great feeling to work here, um, very endearing, uh, with each other and, um, very mission-driven about providing, um, healthcare for everyone. Ensuring that we, you know, have the opportunity to make sure everyone has access to great healthcare. So that's the size of the company, that's our mission. I am very fortunate and blessed to be leading the diversity and inclusion space at AmerisourceBergen. And you mentioned earlier the tenure at Highmark. You know, I learned a lot from Highmark. I learned a lot from you, Joyce. And working with you in the disability space. And it's a lot, a lot of that I want to bring to my current role here at AmerisourceBergen around the importance of employing people with disabilities, but not only employing them, but embedding them in the culture. You know, it's one thing to hire people and bring them into an organization. It's another to really educate the organization to why they are important and how they are not so different than everyone else.. And when you really look at it, there is no difference. When you sit down at the table, we all have so much in common. So that is my goal from the disability space is to really engage my corporation, engage my peers, and the work that we do around the disability space.

Well, I mean, you know, when you talk about the size of the company and revenues, you would think you have like 200,000 employees. It's amazing how successful this company is. Really, think about it with that number of employees. I mean, that is so impressive.

It's grown over the last 20 years, you know, via mergers and acquisitions. And, you know, again, because we are distributor, a much leaner company than other companies this size and revenue. But again, you know, we'll be doubling our employees to about 50,000 and still working with a very lean process, but also delivering, you know, a differentiated healthcare across the country. And we want to make sure that we're doing that for, you know, all of our clients, all of our patients, and that includes people with disabilities, you know, as part of that mission.

And what we want to do this year, if you're listening to this show, is we want to highlight people like Lonnie and different companies to the president and the administration because this year is the 31st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now tell me, how can 70% of people with disabilities still not be counted in the workforce? You know, you hear about the work that Lonnie, when he was at Highmark and now at AmerisourceBergen and InnovAge and P&C and other companies have done, But it's not enough. It's way not enough. So, you know, we're working on this. Vice President Kamala Harris is very dedicated. But to show you how dedicated President Biden is, we for the first time have a person with a disability on the Domestic policy group, which means anytime any issue is brought up, there's a voice for disability, sort of like what we're talking about with executive, you know, with corporate boards. So we are making progress, but we're going to work together to do, you know, even more than we have before. So Lonnie, you have a big job. You're Senior Vice President and Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. What all does that mean? Like, what are your— what all— it seems like you have to do so much, but what is your role? What does this encompass?

Well, you know, and I can go into a little bit more details, but in essence, I think you just really described it when you talked about Biden and having someone on the Domestic Policy Group. In the DNI world, um, some— one of the adages that is used is that is everyone in the room, is everyone at the table. And that means you have representation of everyone in the room or at the table. And as you mentioned about, you know, the Domestic Policy Group, now having someone with a disability at the table is representation. And so that's what my job is really about, is ensuring that everyone is represented, whether it's talent, you know, who we're hiring, promoting, developing, or learning, you know, what kind of learning or training we're doing, or communications or engagement, how we're interfacing with employees or customers, or compliance, whether we're following the laws and regulations around affirmative action and veteran hiring and disability hiring. Ultimately, Joyce Bender, It's ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table. And if you don't do that, then woe be unto us. You know, you mentioned that 70% of people with disabilities not working. If that was any other group in this country, the presses would stop. You know, we hear about 10%, 12% of unemployment in certain ethnic groups, 15% to 20% It makes the headlines. 70% is just unfathomable. And so, you know, as someone who works in this space, my goal, and I feel it's really a calling and a duty, is to make sure that I educate the organization to that and what can we do as an organization to help reduce that. And it's incumbent upon everyone who has this role and roles like that to do that.

Yeah, I agree with you. I mean, 70% of people with disabilities not counted in the workforce. How is that possible? Especially, as I said, 31 years after the ADA. But see, you, Lonnie, are in a very unique position because it would be no surprise to you at all to see people with disabilities at any level doing any type of job because it will be almost natural to you. You've been seeing it for years. You know, you've been seeing people like Jamie Protho with a significant disability be a software developer. You have seen people deaf, blind, all disabilities working successfully. It won't even seem like a big deal in, "Oh no, how could they ever do this way?" Instead, "Oh great, we need to add this asset to the company." And it's just too bad that— and I would encourage you, if you're listening right now, If you ever want to talk to someone, Lonnie, Dr. Lonnie Haines could give you so much knowledge and so much information. And as I said, we're going to be highlighting people that are, you know, where the rubber meets the road is hire someone. Could talk about it forever, but until you employ people, it really will not make a difference. And that is the world that Lonnie came out of, and I know he will make a difference where he is right now. But I have to ask you this question. I'm sorry, go ahead, go ahead.

Well, and let me say this too. Not only hire, you know, someone in the business, do business with disability-owned businesses. There are people who have disabilities who own their own businesses. If, you know, for corporations and individuals, spend your dollars with people who have disabilities. They have businesses. And so it's not just the hiring in an organization, it's where do corporations spend their money. And there are disability-owned businesses and there are disability-owned business associations that we need to support and advocate on behalf of.

Oh, I appreciate you saying that because, as you know, I was one of the first disability-owned business enterprises certified by Disability:IN, and now there are hundreds. And they don't just work in my area, they work in all different types of areas. And now people are looking at supplier diversity to see what you're doing and if you're including all groups. As a matter of fact, after Ted Kennedy through his partnership with Accenture, was able to get the report that came out showing the companies that hired people with disabilities are 2 times as profitable as those that do not. We have the data. You know, we have the data. And that included, by the way, looking at supplier diversity. So I'm really glad that you said that, Lonnie, because that is another way, you know, to support what's happening. And, you know, you work, you have a background in D&I. What does that mean to you personally? Like, why do you spend your life doing this?

Well, I think it's just, you know, what I said earlier about, you know, Having a seat at the table, being in the room when decisions are made. You know, there is an old adage, "Do not do anything for me without me." You know, you do not want policies or decisions made for you and you do not have a voice. And so I think it is really, you know, being the voice for the voiceless, having an opportunity to make sure everyone is included. Despite your gender, ethnicity, race, country of origin, you know, sexual identity, you know, or your age. You know, we talk a lot about diversity. One of the biggest challenges we have now is discrimination around age. And so ensuring that everyone has a voice and that everyone has equity, that's why I do it. You know, I'm at a point in my life now at my age at my experience. I'm very comfortable, very happy, but what do we do for future generations? What do we do for our grandchildren, our nieces, our nephews, our friends, and our neighbors to ensure that everyone has a voice, everyone's opinion and perspective is represented? And that's what I really love about this work, Joyce. And as you talked about people with disabilities, I think Chris, who was your earlier guest, mentioned It crosses across all— it goes across all areas of life: gender, race, ethnicity, country of origin, orientation, people with disabilities. It's everywhere and they're everyone. And so if you don't have that representation or that voice at the table, then what are we missing? You talked about it earlier around the board membership. It makes so much sense to have people on your board who have a disability. Because it just changes the whole conversation. The same argument we use for race and ethnicity and gender, you should be using that for disability at the board level because you do want all opinions and all perspectives at the table. And it's not because it's only the right thing to do, but because there's an ROI to it. If I can't win you with hearts and minds, I should be able to win you with business. This is a good business decision. It's business smart beyond the thing— beyond the fact that it's the right thing to do. It just makes good, good business sense.

Yeah, it does, because, right, it's not charity, it's a return on investment. It's a return on investment. And hey, hey everyone, we're on the half hour. It's time for our news break with Advocacy Matters and our newscaster Perri Jude Radesic. Perri, are you with us?

Joyce, I am. Thank you for having me.

Of course, you're our newscaster. So let's, let's hear what's on your mind today, Perri.

Well, Joyce, it's been one year, one year ago exactly today that Mr. George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer, and we know that officer was recently convicted of murder. There are rallies and events marking Mr. Floyd's death that are happening across the country today. And we join in those voices to end racism. We know that police-involved shootings for the BIPOC communities, that is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, as well as people with disabilities have set in motion police reform efforts at the federal, state, and local levels.. And the disability community stands at that intersection of disability and race. And as I've said, we've embraced a reform agenda to end racism, and that includes police reform. There are some statistics. A 2015 Ruderman Foundation report estimated that between 1/3 and 1/2 of shootings that involve the police and a person with a disability occurred. So So shootings with the police and a person with a disability took up about 1/3 to 1/2 of all of police-involved shooting. That's a lot. So policymakers have been holding hearings, introducing proposals, all in an effort to reduce that high rate of police-involved shootings for the BIPOC communities and for people with disabilities. Our own Senator Bob Casey just introduced 2 bipartisan bills that would decrease that interaction between people with disabilities and law enforcement. We have links to these bills on our website at disabilityrightsPA.org. One proposal is called the Safe Interactions Act, and that would enhance collaboration between disability organizations and law enforcement law enforcement, increase training for law enforcement every year, and that training has to include self-advocates. Another proposal, it's called the Human Services Emergency Logistics Program, really works to divert crisis calls from 911 and enhances the accessibility and coordination of the current other phone lines that are in operation, like 211. And 988, which is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. So advocacy matters. We have to continue to educate ourselves about justice and policing, speak out against racism, and support legislation that reforms law enforcement. And again, Joyce Bender, people can go to disabilityrightsPA.org, click on our Advocacy Matters segment for today, find links to the study and to Senator Casey's legislation.

Oh, Perry, thank you so much for that great report. I have to tell you though, when you said today was the 1-year anniversary, I cannot believe that was a year ago. I, I mean, it seems like it was just the other day. That, that is burned in my mind, sadly, in a horrific way, you know, for forever, but it's true. We in the disability community, once again, as we were just talking about intersectionality, many of my biggest supporters have been people from the African American community. So, we are with you. We know this exists and we don't deny it. We know it's true and we're here to help you. And please, Go to disabilityrightspa.org and go to advocacy matters page. And by the way, when you go, make a contribution. Thank you, Perry. We'll talk to you next week.

Thank you, Joyce.

Take care. All right. Oh, what do you think about that, Ty, otherwise known as losing my mind today? What do you think about that, Dr. Haynes? The report that you just gave.

Yeah, I mean, listening to that, listening to the data that was just quoted around, you know, people with disabilities who are stopped disproportionately by the police, and to the point that, you know, many of them are people of color who have a disability. And then, you know, who is speaking up on their behalf? And so there is a lot of work to do. And And I go back to— I was sharing this, I cannot remember, maybe you recall, Joyce Bender, the author of the quote, but it's— and I'm paraphrasing it, but you know, it goes like this: They first came for the unionists, but I wasn't a member of the union, so I said nothing. Then they came for the communists, and I wasn't a communist, so I said nothing. Then they came for the Jews, And I wasn't Jewish, so I said nothing. But then they came for me and there was no one to say anything for me. And so I say that to say we all have a voice and a job to do in supporting and advocating for each other, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, disability status. We all have to speak up for each other, whether it's hashtags, stop Asian hate, whether it is the disability space, whether it is the LGBTQ space, whether it is African Americans or Hispanics who are having, you know, social justice challenges. We have to speak up in unity and as a collective. And that report that was just shared with us reminded me of that.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And that is Martin— Niemöller, one of my favorite quotes that is so powerful that Dr. Haines just talked about. "First they came for the communists, but I was not a communist, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the socialists and the trade unionists, but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not Jew." Here's my favorite part. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me. I'm not surprised that you would use that quote, Dr. Haynes. I'm not surprised at all. And that tells you a lot about him because that's such a powerful quote, but it so resonates and it should resonate with everyone when you think of leaving out a group. Because remember what you said, someday we will all be facing this, and then we will want someone that spoke out for us. And you know that— thank you, that was such— so profound. Thank you. That really— I never thought of that, but wow, that really fits. It really does. Well, you know what she just brought up a year ago? What happened with George Floyd when he was murdered. I want to ask you a question I've been asking different friends of mine from the Black and brown community. You know, this really did so much, changed so much, really made corporate America look in the mirror and see, is there anyone different than me in the mirror. So I mean, it really did a lot. Here's my question: what do you think it will take to sustain that and see success? Because it can't be just a rah-rah or a, you know, one-year thing. Do you know what I'm saying?

Yeah, I hear you. And I will say this, Joyce, I think And I say this, you know, with all sincerity, I think there is a new generation of individuals, young people who are much more determined. And I do not want to say than my generation or your generation. I think we all have— we have all responded based on the climate and what we, you know, what we faced. And you know this as well as I do. As I do, whether it was the civil rights movement, the women's rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement. You know, there are movements and there are times, and I think this time is different because you're hearing it from different areas of the culture. You know, it might have been Chris you were talking to earlier mentioned, you know, we're not only hearing about social justice and disability rights and race rights and gender equity from social activists. We're hearing it from employees. There is employee activism. We're hearing it from the organizations who govern corporations, the NASDAQ. You're hearing it from the Securities and Exchange Commission. You're hearing it from institutional investors. BlackRock, State Street. And we're hearing it from them because they're hearing it from the people. They're hearing it from the teachers who invest their money. And so it's a groundswell. I don't think that it's going to pass. I don't think it's a moment in time. I think it is a time that has come. And I think that's what's driving it is really a younger, much more energized population. They give me excitement. They give me fervor. And I just think this is a new moment in time. Now, it, you know, may disappear from the news off and on, but there is a movement, whether it is #StopAsianHate or #MeToo around women's rights, or whether it is George Floyd, or health disparities, or even after COVID, there is a movement in this country that people people will not be silenced and they want a seat at the table. And if you don't give them a seat, they will bring their own table. And so we have to be prepared for that. We need to respond. And as my former pastor said, or would say, "Govern ourselves accordingly." And that means be prepared to entertain and support and advocate on behalf of those people who are asking and deserve it.

Yeah. What a good message. You know, I am so blessed that I became friends with Dr. Sherelle Barber, who will be heading up a huge racial equity commission that she was appointed to in her time here at Drexel, right there where you are. So you'll have to meet her. But anyway, I became friends then with her father. Reverend—

He's phenomenal.

Yeah, Reverend Dr. William Barber. And he was talking about race and how you looked at all this. And he said, he said, remember when the airplanes and applause and everything were going on for the healthcare workers, you know, at the beginning of COVID And it should have because they put their life on the line. You know, for all of us. However, he said, and that's great, but when they go home, they have to have more than minimum wage in their payroll. And I think what he's getting at is that this is going to be like a long-term, not overnight, uh, thing. And I also think that it has to be something that becomes in the fabric of the company. You know, what do you think about that?

No, I totally agree. I mean, again, it has to be embedded. It has to become part of the DNA. That's how culture changes. That's how you move a culture. And I know of Dr. Barber, and I know, you know, I can't remember, I saw him recently, maybe a year ago, And he brought to mind a conversation about— again, this is about how we're all together, you know, advocating for $15 an hour, you know, minimum wage. We are our brother's keeper, and it is important that, you know, whether you work— if you work at a corporation, you make half a million dollars a year, there's somebody in that same building who is a secretary or an administrative assistant who's making $45,000 a year just getting by. You know, we are intertwined with each other. There's no way around it. And how— and we didn't learn that from anything from COVID We learned that, you know, what happens to you happens to me. We may not see it or may not be immediately apparent, but we all have a role role to play. So corporations, you know, there's a whole other conversation that's happening now, Joyce, around the role of a corporation. What is its real purpose? Of course, traditionally, it has always been around, you know, providing ROI to its investors. But there's another conversation now about the role of corporations.. It's corporate social responsibility. You know, what do you do within the communities in which you operate? What do you do for the employees that you employ? There is this responsibility and this calling that corporations are having to grapple with, and I'm excited that, you know, my presence at AmerisourceBergen, we're having that conversation that we're more than just, you know, we're not here for a profit machine. We're here to really serve How do we serve our patients and our members and our customers? And that D&I piece around it is important because it is about the individual, that everybody has equity. So it's not something that's happening just at some corporations. There is a conversation that's happening. And if you're going to make the changes that need to happen, it has to be embedded within the DNA of the corporation. It has to become part of the culture. It's not a checkoff, it's not a project, It's not a plan that you're doing. It needs to be part of the DNA.

Yeah. And I just want to say, because I'm just so proud of her, I want to get this correct in what I'm telling you. Shirell Doctor, Dr. Shirell Barber, at Drexel University, they are establishing a new center on racism and health., and it will be called the Ubuntu Center on Racism, Global Movements and Population Health Equity. And she was appointed as the director. And, you know, when I talked to her, I said, "Why did you change— why did you pick that name, Ubuntu?" And she said, "Well, it's South African, and this is what it means: I am Because we are. I am because we are. Yeah, I know, that's so powerful. So, you know, on one of my trips to Philadelphia, I'll want to introduce you, uh, to her because she is a force to be reckoned with. She was on my show before, but she will be on my show again, and I know that she would, you know, just love to meet you. And you know, I guess this all comes down to love your neighbor as yourself, right, Lonnie?

Yes, yes. Again, I, you know, if we didn't learn after COVID, we will never learn that how my neighbor lives and breathes and succeeds, it impacts me. Again, it doesn't seem apparent, but we learned this from COVID That no matter your class, no matter your race, your income, where you live—suburbs, urban, rural—we are all connected. And, you know, not to get off into a spiritual realm, but, you know, I believe, you know, we reap what we sow. And so it behooves us to be good stewards of what we have. And be good stewards of the work that we do. And I feel that personally, you know, in this role at AmeriSource Bergen, that this is an opportunity for me to be a steward with what they're entrusting with me. And I want to make sure that I deliver that for the organization. And that means ensuring that voices— and there are voices and seats at the table when decisions and opportunities are made.

I can see why you like Reverend Dr. William Barber with what you just said, because in 1968, it was Dr. Martin Luther King that started the Poor People's Campaign. And now Reverend Barber heads up that Poor People's Campaign. And, you know, he always says we are called to a moral revival. And I always think, wow, isn't that true? A moral revival. But you know what? That's one thing I've got to say about this man: he is a wonderful man of integrity and faith, and you can always count on him. And I know, being that you're also so brilliant, that you are going to do so much for AmerisourceBergen.

Well, thank you, Joyce. I, I appreciate your, um, your confidence and Thank you for your support, your partnership, and you've always been a mentor to me. And I think the work that you do is really invaluable. It's a mission that you've taken on, and it's critical. And for us in business and corporate America, we thank you, and we need your voice and your opinion at the table, and we need you in the room.

Well, thank you so much. Nothing about us without us, right? Exactly. Nothing about us without us. Well, what message would you like to leave with our listeners today?

I, I, I think just, you know, what you just said. Um, be an advocate for those who don't have a voice, especially in the, in the ability/disability space. Because you may not see that it benefits you directly, but it does. And if not you immediately, in the future, and if not you, someone within your family, within your sphere of friends of influence. And I also say that, you know, again, be a good steward to the talents that you have and the opportunities you have in this space. I learned so much from Highmark Health and the disability work that that we did and that you helped lead and that you were a sponsor to. And I just encourage everyone to advocate, be a voice where you have opportunity to be a voice. It's critical.

I will say amen to that. Well, I want to wish you the best of luck. In case you did not get this at the beginning, This is Dr. Lonnie Haynes, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer on a global basis from AmerisourceBergen. And if you know of someone that you think, wow, they need to hear this show, remember, this is on demand on Spotify, Apple, Voice America, benderconsult.com, so you can share the podcast with someone, anyone that you want. And what a great podcast to share. So I want to end this show once again thanking Lonnie and all of our listeners. I want to make sure you stay tuned next week when we talk to the Chief Human Capital Officer from InnovAge, the company that Ted Kennedy Jr. referred to me, these on the board of Denise Treba next Tuesday. Don't miss it. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice at Disability Matters on voiceamerica.com. Talk to you next week.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific Time and 2 PM Eastern Time for another installment of Disability Matters right here on the Voice America Variety Channel. We are the leader in live internet talk radio. VoiceAmerica.com.