I hope that I create new experiences and truths by challenging practices that are commonly accepted yet have served some communities so faithfully while harming others. May we all experience the change via the challenges we need. I acknowledge the power of the story and look forward to sharing mine and hearing from others.
Read More
Will I always be a hyphenated American? That’s been the question on my mind lately. Since the release of the 2020 Census data, I have been captivated by the hyphen. There is a simple, yet very existential American question in the hyphen.
Read More
This week, our feature is a conversation between two of The Winters Group’s instructional designers, Tami Jackson and Scott Ferry. In this chat conversation they discussed their respective experiences with anxiety in the workplace and by whose standards we measure being “okay,” as well as how their respective identities have influenced how they have learned to navigate mental health issues in the workplace.
Read More
As a young kid growing up heavily influenced by white culture, I spent a lot of time wishing that I had a “Black experience.” There is privilege and honor in being socially accepted in your racial community. There are those of us that did not have that access. I know there are others out there who have had similar experiences. Now that I am older, I understand that what I perceived as “authentically Black” is not real. My experience and life are a Black experience, because I am Black. No one has the right to tell me if I am Black enough. It took me decades to figure this out.
Read More
Some would argue that new identities are “coming out of nowhere.” This is not the case: most of these identities have always been a part of the human experience, but being our authentic self requires risk, and people have not always had the same access to information, support and community that they do now. As the DEI field and society continue to evolve, it is time we fully embrace and begin to apply an intersectional lens.
Read More
It was in that moment of reflection that I realized the pattern. How something as simple as food is a part of your identity. How recipes are passed down for generations and the taste can spark feelings of comfort. Hence the term “comfort food.” There are reasons and memories rooted in the foods you loved as a kid. In that same sense, you get older, you try new things and who you are changes. Your preferences change and you become a mesh of your past and present experiences.
Read More
One of the most common phrases I’ve encountered throughout my career has been, “You don’t look Latina.” But I do, because I am. And the conflict is not between my physical appearance and my identity, but rather with reductive stereotypes and my colleagues’ participation in perpetuating them. No one has the right to determine whether someone is “enough” to qualify for an identity, and I sure hope for a day when our belonging to our identity groups is not decided by the depth of our skin tone.
Read More
I was eight years old and had a scantron in front of me. The teacher was explaining how to complete our identifying information. I nervously raised my hand. “Well, my mom is Filipino, and my dad is white. I’m both. It says you can only select one response. What should I do?” She answered, “Pick the one you feel the most like today,” and kept moving on. How does an eight-year-old child pick which of their identities to identify with on any given day?
Read More
Once again, we find ourselves asking: How many more Black people must die in vain? When will we come to terms that Black lives do matter? At what point will we take responsibility for the inexcusable racism that still prevails in our society? Having conversations about racism is, indeed, a challenging process. I am offering some steps you can take, followed by action steps to start your journey to better understanding.
Read More
In D&I work, we often offer suggestions to the effect of: “This is an ongoing journey,” or “Expect a lack of closure.” In essence, both phrases can be boiled down to one statement that would by now be cliché if it wasn’t so essential to continue restating: This work is never done. In this post, I’ll be unpacking some common distancing statements that people may use when trying to assure others that they are on the “right side” of the issues.
Read More
Designers at New York Fashion Week always make a statement on the runway, but this year, one designer wasn’t just talking fashion. He wanted to take a stance. His models were sent down the catwalk in denim, cowboy boots, grand colorful gowns, and beauty pageant-style sashes that read, “Who gets to be American?”
Read More
I find that I am constantly searching to understand my identity in my friendships, relationship, family, and even workplace. So, when I heard a commercial for an at-home DNA test that could “help answer, once and for all, what it is that makes you, you,” my curiosity finally got the best of me. I swiped my cheek, sent off my saliva, and the search for my identity began.
Read More
