Tag: Religion

The Buzz: (The Essence Of) Ramadan Is For All Of Us 

Focusing on the mechanics of Ramadan not only perpetuates “othering” of the Muslim community, it shortchanges a deeper understanding of the tradition. The essence of Ramadan is for all of us. To me, it begins with a sincere contemplation of three elements: our relationship to our bodies, our relationship to consumption, and our relationship to community.

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A Point of View: Faith in Flux

I saw how my religious beliefs were not aligned with the work I was doing in DEI. I couldn’t talk about oppression in one area and not acknowledge other kinds of oppression or intersectionality. I had to let go of some beliefs. I had to get in right relationship with myself, as well as the people Christians had been sending to hell.

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A Point of View: How Reflecting on My Own Story Informs My Practice

From my name to my clothes and inability to participate in certain events during a time that pre-dated religious accommodations, it was an interesting childhood experience navigating what I now have the language and tools to describe. Back then, I just wanted to be picked for the team, laugh, and chat with friends and just be included. It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized my experience had a name, that I was straddling cultures and races and generally not quite accepted by either side, so permanently on the fringes.

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A Point of View: What the Disciple Thomas Taught Me About Inclusion

Of all of Jesus’s disciples, Thomas is my favorite. He was a realist and sometimes a pessimist. He represents some of what I am and more of what I want to be. He symbolizes my struggle with inclusion: I know what to do, but sometimes I don’t do it. Thomas’s cry of “My Lord and My God!” when he met the restored Jesus is our claim as we flee the promise of inclusion. Jesus’s response, “Blessed are those who believe and have not seen,” is the clarion call for inclusion as we admit our unfaithfulness to this worthy cause.

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DEI Beyond the Boardroom: Our Faith Communities

By nature, religion and religious institutions are steeped in traditions – which are part of what brings us meaning in engaging with them. By the same token, uncritical embrace of “tradition” at times risks obscuring the ways that institutions may be upholding inequities and elements of systems we seek to dismantle. As members and leaders of religious institutions navigate the role of faith in this work, it is critical that we unpack these nuances – even if they present us with questions that elicit discomfort. 

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A Point of View: Creating a Diverse and Inclusive World Through The Wisdom of Sufism

Though DEI concepts have gained momentum in recent years, a Muslim scholar and poet in the 13th century was already imparting these teachings to the world: Mulana Jalal Ud Din Rumi. His beliefs, known as Sufism, focused on love, tolerance and worship of God, community development and personal development through self-discipline and responsibility. I have come to realize that to be a good Muslim, I need to become a good person first, and I have tried to follow this creed all my life. 

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A Point of View: Inclusion Tips for the Holidays

This upcoming month is a challenge and an opportunity for everyone to practice inclusion during a part of the year that it is particularly difficult to do so. Why? The holiday season is exciting, stressful, imbued with traditions. “Adopt a family,” “Secret Santa,” cookie exchanges, holiday auctions, and holiday parties can often be understood as “Christmas in disguise,” which may be familiar and comforting to those who celebrate, but alienating to those who do not. 

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Unpacking the Conversations that Matter: “Homosexuality is wrong. It says so in the Bible.”

“I love all people as the Bible commands, but I also cannot condone homosexuality.” “Marriage is reserved for a man and a woman according to the Bible.” “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” Attempting Bold, Inclusive Conversations® in faith-based communities can be especially difficult on value-based topics like human sexuality.

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Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change

Racial Justice at Work book cover

Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy and Belonging Across Differences

We Can’t Talk About That At Work! (Second Edition)

Cover of the book We Can't Talk about That at Work (Second Edition) by Mary-Frances Winters and Mareisha N Reese

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