Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Embracing Collective Action

By Matt Allen | Executive Vice President, Chief Client Officer

As we recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I’m inspired to reflect on the teachings of Dr. King and their relevance to our work, industry and community.

Dr. King believed in the transformative power of collective action and cooperation, and he saw these as essential tools in the fight for racial equality and social justice. His vision of a “Beloved Community” — a world where racism, poverty, inequality, and violence have been eradicated — continues to resonate deeply today. Also, his leadership and focus on both equity and unity are a model I’m inspired by and align with our values at McKinstry centered on working as one team, ensuring inclusion and going far TOGETHER.

Our industry has long lagged in having a workforce that is diverse and representative of the communities we serve, and we continue to lack the diversity needed both to create a culture of belonging and to fill a critical shortage of skilled workers. I’m disappointed by the hard truth that there’s still so much to be done to improve access and opportunity for disenfranchised communities — particularly people of color. Expanding diversity in built environment industries, especially in positions of leadership, is essential for fostering innovation, better connecting with clients, creating a more inclusive workplace for all and meeting our swelling workforce needs.

So, what are we doing about it? At McKinstry, we’re actively working to increase the diversity within our industry. McKinstry has taken a leadership role in industry and community organizations and initiatives, such as the Heavy Metal Summer Experience that connects under-represented youth to our industry, to drive tangible change. Our people contribute thousands of hours of community service to nonprofits nationwide that are supporting social justice, and we direct much of our charitable giving to organizations addressing the equity crisis.

In addition, we created a best-in-class vendor diversity program and an annual vendor mentorship cohort, ScaleUp. We’re becoming more racially diverse as a McKinstry Team, including among our people managers, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to grow. And most importantly, we continue to take action to ensure all our people feel safe, welcomed and that they belong. We’re proud of this work but know there’s still significant progress to be made and we remain committed.

On a personal level, I recently joined the board of Washington Alliance for Better Schools (WABS) in part to help increase awareness within schools in communities of color for opportunities in both skilled trades and professional careers in our industry. I’ll also continue to find ways within McKinstry to be a constantly curious ally who listens and advocates for our under-represented groups.

I’m inspired by my teammates and the work we’re doing at McKinstry to build a better future for all. I’ve had the pleasure of engaging with the Unity Alliance (and our others, too) and it’s amazing to see everything that group has built to help us live our values on equity and inclusion every day. That said, Dr. King would remind us that it’s ALL of our responsibility in this effort to truly foster meaningful inclusion within our teams and our communities. Our work to advance equity remains one of the central pillars of our Action for Impact strategic plan, and I’m confident these actions will continue.

Reflecting on Dr. King’s words, I’m reminded that, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.” I encourage everyone to spend some time reflecting on Dr. King’s impact and how we live out his values in our personal and professional lives to create positive and lasting change.

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