When we kicked off the “Let’s Get Practical” series, it was in response to a common sentiment we’ve heard from clients and colleagues, alike, after they’d experienced new learning around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): “What can I do now?”
We get it. Equity and inclusion can sometimes feel like abstract concepts—and when met with altruistic intentions and a greater sense of urgency to “make a difference,” action can feel overwhelming…
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Years ago, following the death of Philando Castille here in Minnesota, our community and our companies were reeling. Employees reached out to our Diversity and Inclusion team to help them navigate: Where does our organization stand when it comes to black lives? What resources and spaces exist to help me navigate my identity in the workplace?
Read MoreThis week, two high-profile instances of government entities using facial recognition technology to identify individuals in photos or video footage hit the press. In Washington, Utah, and Vermont, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have used photos from drivers’ license databases in attempt to identify undocumented immigrants…
Read MoreThis week, I want to share key strategies for facilitating trainings and content in an inclusive manner. In considering what it means to facilitate inclusively, I want to take into account a few dynamics that exist in almost all DEI learning spaces: power, partiality, and polarization.
Read MoreThere is a quote I often refer to when this work towards equity and inclusion gets just plain hard. When I start to wonder if what I’m doing matters, or if anyone is impacted by my voice and my efforts to bring awareness, I think of it. The quote reads, “Be strong. You never know who you are inspiring.”
Read MoreIf you haven’t yet heard the news, Yale University has a new student body president. His name is Kahlil Greene, and he has made history by being the first African American to be elected as student body president at the prestigious university. When I first read this news just over a week ago, my first response was elation
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I am frustrated that we continue to need new legislation to mandate pay equality for women. It seems like an easy fix to me. We do, however, have a long history in the US of legislative attempts dating back to World War II.
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Consider This: The community of people with disabilities is a minority within our society compared to the able-bodied community. Those with developmental disabilities comprise a fraction of the disability community, and when broken down even further, individuals with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and neuro-sensitivity make up an even smaller, often time overlooked, population.
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Last week, I found myself recording a video of my 2-year-old daughter dancing in her car seat to Old Town Road by Lil Nas X. The song came on as I was waiting in a drive thru line, and as soon as the beat dropped, she immediately started bopping. It’s quite interesting how this song, created by a 20-year-old, has caused the amount of controversy that it has since going viral and topping the charts….
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Our Feature Series on The Work We Didn’t Do—reflections on times when we failed to intervene or act for equity and inclusion—was inspired in part by a post from a friend of mine on social media. In it, she shared an anecdote representative of a larger trend she had recognized in which she failed to intervene as a bystander and later regretted her lack of involvement.
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While I cannot recall a time when I failed to intervene to prevent or address an overt injustice, I recall moments as a facilitator when I did not put in place the norms and mechanisms necessary for all people to experience the psychological safety needed to share their truths and experiences around being part of a marginalized or subordinated group.
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I went from moving my car because (in my mind) he was a racist Trump supporter, to being really reflective. Here, I had attributed so many negative character traits to a man I had never met, all because he had a few hats on his dashboard. I was quickly realizing that, he may be none of the things I was allowing myself to believe and that he was probably just a regular guy, who, like me, enjoys a good Target run.
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