Diagnosed with the hair-loss disease alopecia at age 6, Shalynne Jackson used to struggle with how people looked at her.

“Society told me that I had to have hair to be beautiful,” she said. 

Jackson’s liberation came decades later when she tossed the wig and was embraced by a co-worker eager to hear her story. 

“I was able to lean into my fullness,” she said. “…It proved to me that I could be a bald, Black woman in corporate America. I was able to operate in my full truth, and they got all of me.” 

Jackson, founder and principal strategist at Sonder Strategies, was keynote speaker Thursday at the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s State of Inclusion event at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center. 

Addressing a crowd of about 500, she set the stage for a panel discussion that featured Scott Schingen, senior vice president of natural gas liquids and natural gas operations and co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council at ONEOK; Cinthya Allen, diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Arvest Bank; and Hannah Jackson, partner, chief operating officer and diversity and equity and inclusion director with Schnake Turnbo Frank. 

The annual State of Inclusion event furthers the Tulsa region’s efforts to cultivate diverse, equitable and inclusive best practices. Thursday’s audience included about 60 college students who are interning with Williams, a Tulsa-based energy company. 

“DEI is not dead,” Shalynne Jackson said. “…What is true is that the noise is loud. We have to be able to decipher what’s just noise and what’s the truth. The truth is organizations remain committed to this.” 

Relationship-building and respecting others’ views, she said, are paramount to furthering DEI efforts. 

“There are a lot of things that we can’t change, but what we can change is ourselves,” Shalynne Jackson said. “Focus on respecting diverse beliefs, not changing them.

“…Show respect to other people and let people be. Love and let love. Love and let love.” 

Jonathan Long, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Chamber, moderated the panel discussion. 

“People are paying attention (to DEI); before it was ignored,” Schingen said. “Now, it is starting to take really take hold.  

“I personally believe we’re at a stage where it’s a must-have, not a nice-to-have.”

Panelist Hannah Jackson said communicating with and considering the feelings of others who are different is key.

“I get asked questions all the time about ‘Should we say queer or LGBT?’’’ she said. “‘Should we say Hispanic or Latinx? Should we say this; should be say that?’ My answer is always, if you are talking about a group of people, go ask them. 

“…I’m good with queer. You can call me queer. You can call me gay. You can call me lesbian. But everybody has different life experiences. And so, instead of asking me, work with the people who know better.”

She continued.

“Before saying something (on social media), ask yourself, ‘Would your employees believe you?’” Hannah Jackson said. “Then, before you celebrate something, engage the people who are going to be celebrating that thing.”