As young as we are, Generation Z is frequently overlooked as unknowing and inexperienced, yet in a short time, we have witnessed as much beauty as we have duress. However, in this world, where there is much that we cannot control, we are choosing to center ourselves and our communities and thus equity.
Read More
The single post threatened the very concept of self for many right-leaning beer drinkers who hold a narrow, exclusive view of who should drink their beer — or perhaps more to the point, whose humanity is worth honoring.
Read More
I understand that generational issues are not at the top of everyone’s inclusion shopping list as we struggle with more visible matters like race, ethnicity, culture, disability, gender, gender expression, and identity. Ironically, generational inclusion or the lack thereof, has a profound impact on whether we achieve inclusion, diversity, equity, and justice for all differences, regardless of their label.
Read More
An inclusion strategy that focuses on addressing the needs of first-gen talent is one that can perforate across a multitude of communities in a unique way that has often been excluded from mainstream conversations about DEI in the workplace. Here are a few key tactical strategies companies can fold into their DEI initiatives to positively impact the first-generation employee experience.
Read More
All spaces are not for, nor should be for, those with the most privilege in our society; they have literally everything else at their disposal. Our work of carving out spaces for the oppressed will continue to be of the upmost importance until the people dismantle the patriarchy, white supremacy, and ableism within our systems. Please don’t insult and invalidate our work for liberation by saying we should focus on all lives when systemically all lives do not matter yet.
Read More
Hypocrisy isn’t a good look on anybody, let alone an organization. Any distance between words and monetary investment in IDEAS work at an organization will easily be sniffed out and identified. But we know this can be fixed with budget redistribution, flexibility, and the right motive. As consumers, we want to see companies do the right thing, not only because they can, but because they know that they should. The next time an organization says that they can’t afford to do IDEAS work, tell them that they can’t afford not to.
Read More
The persistent nature of social justice challenges can leave organizations in the precarious position of not doing enough, leaving teams feeling discouraged, frustrated, and overwhelmed. As a clinical psychologist, I have learned the importance of listening to how we share stories. How we share stories in our organizations and teams can either inspire or dampen efforts to support connections and move us toward a collective vision of equity. Stories that center only the challenges can often leave us feeling hopeless about creating change.
Read More
Just do it. Millennials and Gen Z’s don’t want to hear excuses from older leadership, we want to see what you’re about. As a queer, biracial, Millennial woman, I and many of my peers are looking to both challenge and dismantle unjust practices in society as a whole, in our personal lives, and in the workplace. This is not a blaming, pointing fingers kind of piece. It is an external and internal accountability check for what we’re doing, what we expect, and how we can work together better to set our NextGen folx up for success.
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
The simple act of play or leisure can be limited depending on if one is a low-, medium- or high-income earner. While this is an uncontrollable play of economics in our current systems, it is worth reflecting: what kind of policies or designs make it so that the simple and necessary parts of life depend on how much income one has earned? Do public spaces truly function as communal points for everyone, or are there several segregated points that cater to just one spectrum of the economic scale?
Read More
I knew that groups like the demonstration in Charlottesville, VA, still existed, but the blatant — even proud — demonstration jolted me. What made it worse was that while expressing my disappointment and hurt to those I had recently welcomed into my ‘inner circle,’ they downplayed, challenged and even downright dismissed my frustration. Eventually I realized that I had fallen prey to a vicious cycle of emotional turbulence.
Read More
Have you ever had that sinking feeling? You know, the one where you just NEED to get something out into the open? And that thing you need to get out into the open is raw, vulnerable and so uncomfortable? This feeling is pain. Resmaa Menakem tells us there are two kinds of pain when it comes to healing from “white body supremacy”: clean pain and dirty pain. Menakem breaks down the core elements of each kind of pain, and invites us all to embark on the journey of healing.
Read More
