We talk about the diversity of magazines – the variety of topics and interests they address – but what about the diversity of perspectives that magazines have to offer about diversity itself? We’re highlighting five magazine stories that inform and drive action on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their own unique way. 
With IMPACT Magazine’s Fall 2024 cover story “Breaking the Ice on Inclusivity,” we learn how Canadian figure skating icon Elladj Baldé transformed his personal and career aspirations to focus on making the sport more inclusive. Baldé, along with several fellow skating professionals, founded the Figure Skating Diversity and Inclusion Alliance (FSDIA) “to create a safe space for Black athletes and hold the sporting organizations accountable for their promises of inclusivity.” He and his professional choreographer wife Michelle Dawley also created the Skate Global Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focusing on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), mental health, and climate change.
Urban Affairs shares details of a community-based anti-racism project dedicated to making real change at a grassroots level. “Tough Conversations About Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” offers a look at the one-year EFCL (Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues) Anti-Racism Project, bringing the EFCL together with three BIPOC organizations: Ribbon Rouge, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society and Sisters Dialogue.
In “Designing Optimal Workspaces for All Kinds of Brains,”UCalgary’s Arch magazine explores inclusive environmental design and the benefit of mind-friendly work environments, especially for neurodivergent employees. “Regardless of how your particular brain works, a workspace designed with neurodiversity in mind will be a better workspace for all.”
The story “Corralling Cowboy Culture” in the Spring 2024 issue of Mount Royal University’s Summit magazine outlines the historical diversity of ranching traditions in the Americas. We learn how the modern definition of cowboy fails to include Indigenous traditions of horse riding, and how the Eurocentric colonial lens erases the fact that a large number of North American cowboys were Black. Women have also long fought for equitable inclusion in the professional rodeo circuit.
Lastly, the 2024 Queer Edition of SNAPline includes Michelle Lavoie’s essay “Queer is (Still) Here” reflecting on the role of arts spaces like SNAP [Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists] in supporting and caring for the queer community. “Making art together and holding space open for dialogue through public art exhibitions holds infinite possibilities to build stronger communities and forge new paths forward by walking them.”
These are just a few of the many fascinating stories of diversity, equity and inclusion that we found in Alberta’s magazines. Each publication offers a unique perspective on the topic, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of our province.