Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Our employees come from a variety of countries and cultures, and we are better for it. Part of delivering excellence requires championing diversity, which is why diversity is one of our core values .

Diversity refers to the presence of a wide range of human differences including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other ideologies.

Championing diversity is just the beginning. The Allen Group strives to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment where everyone feels they belong.

Creating an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and belonging requires humility to see bias, from unconscious to overt; courage to do something about it; and an honest assessment of effectiveness when measuring results.

– Schatzie Allen Jefferson

Equity:

The workplace provides access and opportunities for success according to the individual – each person has different needs and abilities.

Inclusion:

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to contribute to the success of the organization.

Belonging:

Something employees feel – that the environment is a safe place where they can be themselves and freely express their opinions.

Championing Diversity – Not Just a Tagline

Starting in 2025, The Allen Group began a new tradition in partnership with Spelman and Morehouse Colleges – two highly esteemed Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Atlanta – and the San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO’s) Museum, the only museum to hold an accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums.


Schatzie Allen Jefferson, TAG President and a member SFO’s Museum Advisory Committee, worked closely with SFO Executive Leadership, including Jeff Littlefield, and SFO Museum leadership to select two talented students pursuing art history and curatorial studies from Spelman and Morehouse.


Each summer, the Spelman and Morehouse interns are integrated into the SFO Museum Collections team where they support a variety of projects, including:

  • Assisting with all phases of the accessioning process for donations, beginning with intake of received objects, conducting condition reports and photography, catalog preparation, basic catalog entry, identification of conservation issues, identifying permanent housing approaches, and tagging/labeling of objects, and tracking of object location

  • Assisting with the preparation of objects for exhibit install or deinstall, including assisting registrars with condition reporting, soft packing, object transfer to gallery sites, object installation, and object deinstallation.

SFO Museum’s internship provides behind-the-scenes experience and training sessions conducted by professional museum staff. Project assignments introduce various skills and knowledge essential for entry into museum professions or arts-related fields.

The Allen Group is proud to partner with Spelman and Morehouse Colleges and the SFO Museum to provide opportunities to underrepresented students passionate about history, art, and its preservation.

DEI and Belonging Resources

The Allen Group is an African-American owned firm and eager to support DEI and Belonging discussions. We have compiled a starting list of resources to help you in your exploration of the topic:

  • Nonprofit: 100% College Prep
  • Nonprofit: Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure
  • Museum: MoAd (The Museum of the African Diaspora is a contemporary art museum in San Francisco, California. MoAD holds exhibitions and presents artists exclusively of the African diaspora, one of only a few museums of its kind in the United States)
  • Nonprofit: National Society of Black Engineers The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE, founded in 1975, supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. With more than 600 chapters and more than 24,000 active members in the U.S. and abroad, NSBE’s mission is “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.“
  • Nonprofit: Next Gene Girls
  • Government Service: San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
  • Business: The Sistah Shop (The Sistah Shop is the latest initiative of the Sistahs in Business Expo brand. This 5000+ sq ft retail store, located at the Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, NJ, solely features and highlights brands created by Entrepreneurial Women of Color, the nation’s largest and fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs)
  • Movie: The Big Payback January 16, 2023, | Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow (2023). (The passage of the first-ever tax-funded reparations bill for Black Americans stirs up a debate.)
  • Report: CA AB 3121: Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans 
    • California Assembly Bill 3121 establishes the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, with a Special Consideration for African Americans Who are Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States (Task Force or Reparations Task Force). The purpose of the Task Force is:
      1. To study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans
      2. To recommend appropriate ways to educate the California public of the task force’s findings; and
      3. To recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Task Force’s
        findings.