Diversity Hot Buttons Conversations
I have a friend who lives in New Mexico. He tells me that some of his Native American friends there share stories of being told to go back to where they came from. And where would that be?
As a society, the United States is going (going, going...) through a sort of identity crisis. What kind of a country are we? What is our way? What do we stand for?
Here is a painful manifestation of that quest:
The Merriam-Webster dictionary tweeted after Trump’s North Carolina rally that among its top-searched words were “racism,” “fascism,” “xenophobia” and “bigot.”
(July 18, 2019)
As a diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner, how do you deal with your own reality of being triggered by societal events and how you address other people's reactions in your workplace?
Join the Diversity Hot Buttons Conversation on this coming Friday, July 26, at 7:30 am Central Time.
Diversity is a tricky thing. We are indeed all different in lots of different ways. And that makes our "hot buttons"/"trigger points" very different, as well. For example, if you have never heard, "Go back to where you came from," you may react with disbelief or may not think it’s such a big deal when a crowd joins the rally chanting, "Sent Her Back!". However, if you (or people like you) have been recipients of these kinds of messages, you might be really frightened.
These survey results just-published by the Pew Research Center illustrates how differently people react to the same thing done or said by President Trump depending on their political affiliation. Talk about hot buttons and trigger points!
(July 18, 2019)
Playing on identity-related keys is not a new thing. But in the current election season, that music promises to be louder and uglier than ever. If our workplaces are to progressively face forward toward inclusion, we must create cultures of social accord within an otherwise polarized climate.
We, Tatyana Fertelmeyster and Malii Watts Carolyn, have been talking a lot about the intersection of diversity and politics. We want to invite you to join us for a morning conversation on Friday, July 26. Participation is free but registration is required. Bring your coffee, your passion, your thoughts, and your whole self to our first open Diversity
Hot Buttons Conversation.