After graduating from North Carolina Central University, Henderson made his way to the northwest and, in 1973, began working for Weyerhauser. He worked in human resources and diversity initiatives, which looked very different in the 70s. “DEI has evolved in fascinating twists and turns over the past 60 years,” reflects Henderson. “Originally, in the 1970s, DEI was entirely reactive; it was about affirmative action compliance issues and putting out fires regarding discrimination and harassment complaints. It was about meeting government equal-opportunity regulations. If there were patterns of discrimination, lawsuits and severe penalties could be brought against companies. DEI was not about enhancing productivity or work satisfaction, like now. Plus, DEI was an unpopular, dead-end career in HR at the time and came to the attention of leaders only when there was legal action.”

Thanks to Louis Griggs, a distant relative of the Weyerhaeuser family and video producer, Washington state was an exception to the dead-end career of DEI. Griggs decided in the early 1980s to create a video series about valuing diversity, a concept not yet on anyone’s radar. “Because of that video series, which was sponsored by several national corporations,” says Henderson, “the term diversity ‘took’ in a way it hadn’t before. DEI evolved from that series. Former Weyerhaeuser and Washington State HR executives played a pivotal role in growing DEI as they moved to firms across the globe. This includes formative influence on the world-class DEI certification program at Cornell University and the development of the first global standard for diversity and inclusion (ISO 30415:2021)” (Survey, 2023).

In 2000, Henderson and his wife founded HenderWorks, Inc., a family-owned consulting firm specializing in human resources, DEI, social justice, and international cross-cultural training. The firm helps companies develop sustainable HR and DEI strategies.

Henderson has spoken to many international groups, including the United Nations General Assembly, about intercultural and interreligious diversity. He also presented to high-level panels at the Alliance of Civilizations held in Madrid, Spain, in 2008; Istanbul, Turkey, in 2009; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2010; and Doha, Qatar, in 2011 (Pride 365). Henderson was a keynote speaker at the 9th and 10th Forums in Morocco in 2012 and 2013 and spoke at the 2nd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in 2013 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

In 2007, Henderson was recognized for his relentless efforts to promote DEI. He received the first Diversity Officer Leadership Award for his work at a US corporation by Diversity Best Practices / Working Mother Media. In 2010, Henderson was included on Savoy magazine’s list of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America and received the National Urban League’s Collins Award, recognizing Henderson’s service and commitment. In 2011, Black Enterprise Magazine named him one of the “Top Executives in Diversity” for his outstanding business achievements.

In 2011, Henderson joined the Society of Human Resource Management, serving for over ten years as cho-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Standards Taskforce. His work with the task force helped create professional standards for human resource departments to evaluate diversity programs. 

From 2012 to 2015, Henderson was a U.S. EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Council member. He represented industry and his sustainability and social justice values, which had grown while working at Weyerhauser. In 2012, Henderson also began a term as President of the Council of Affiliate Board Members for the National Urban League, an organization with which he is also a National Trustee. He stayed with the National Urban League until 2021. In 2015, Henderson started at Pinchot University as a Change Agent in Residence, a position that allowed him to share his environmental and DEI experiences.

Henderson retired from Weyerhauser in 2013. He views his HR career with Weyerhaeuser, especially his role as Chief Diversity Officer and Director of International Human Resources and Administration, as highlights of his career.

In 2016, Henderson and Barbara Deane co-founded the Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion  (ISDI). Henderson still serves as co-director and helps guide the IDSI’s programming. He particularly focuses on the Northwest Diversity Learning Series (NWDLS). ISDI board member Eddie Pate says, “The NW Diversity Learning Series is known and respected nationally. It’s a Seattle gem forged through the hard work and passion of a few individuals. […]It’s changing how local organizations operate for the better in terms of talent acquisition, talent management, employee satisfaction, customer base alignment, corporate innovation, and profitability” (Pride 365).

Over 15,000 individuals have attended the NWDLS since its inception in 2000, learning how to incorporate DEI into their organizations. ISDI has helped the NWDLS grow beyond its Washington roots to educate managers and human resources (HR) professionals across the United States. With ISDI, Henderson facilitated DEI training workshops for northwest-based companies like the Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines, Nordstrom, Boeing, T-Mobile, Weyerhaeuser, and Costco.

From 2016 to 2021, Henderson served as a convener of the International Organization for Standardization’s Technical Committee on Human Resources, Working Group 8, which led to the development of the first ISO global diversity and inclusion standards approved and published in 2021 (ISO 30415:2021). In 2014, Henderson was honored with the Outstanding Leadership in Human Resource Management award at The World HRD Congress in Mumbai, India. In 2017,  Henderson and his ISDI co-founder Barbara Deane were awarded the Innovation and Inclusion Award in the Non-Profit Sector by the Society for Diversity, Inc. In 2018, Henderson joined the Forbes Coaches Council.

Henderson is also an Advisory Board member for the Global Dialogue Foundation in Melbourne, Australia. Henderson belongs to the United States Technical Committee 260 for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The committee works on human resource standards.

In 2019, Henderson joined the Board of Advisors for a Ugandan-based organization, the African Diversity and Inclusion Center.

Henderson is a founding member of the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals (ISDIP) board and former chair of the Attrition Retention Consortium, a national group studying US corporate turnover trends. He is also a former Florida A&M University School of Business Board of Advisors member. Henderson was also on the school board for the Federal Way School District.

More than 60 years after his mother’s passing, Henderson is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Northwest Diversity Learning Series (NWDLS). At 73, Henderson shows no interest in slowing down. “The older generation is yet another new demographic,” he muses (Survey, 2023). “We might go at a different pace, but retirement is no more” (Survey, 2023). On the other hand, he enjoys more time with his wife, three sons, and six grandchildren, football viewing, golf playing (“only when it’s warm and sunny”), and church activities (Survey, 2023).

What does he have to say about the future of DEI? Henderson views demographics as the primary driver of DEI improvements. “Women and people of color are no longer distinct minorities in the workforce, like when I began” (Survey, 2023). Early in his career, Henderson hired the first female logging power-saw operator and truck driver in logging at his company. Henderson notes that the upcoming generation, “Generation Alpha,” individuals born from 2010 to 2014, are more comfortable with artificial intelligence but, like “many Millennials, expect to see value and respect for all cultures played out in the workplace. (Survey, 2023). As tech-savvy Gen-Aers enter the workforce, employers will need to be prepared with a DEI-infused environment.

These days, many firms have DEI professionals who report directly to the top executives or work alongside HR departments rather than under them. When Henderson began his HR career in the 1970s, DEI was focused on legal compliance. He has helped advance an industry that focuses on attracting and retaining diverse employees, enhancing production, and doing the right thing (Survey, 2023).

He is married to his college sweetheart, Helen Skinner Henderson, and they have three sons and six grandchildren.