Day 22 | Building a Climate of Equity and Inclusion
“Racial equity is the condition that would be achieved if one’s racial identity no longer predicted, in a statistical sense, how one fares. When we use the term, we are thinking about racial equity as one part of racial justice, and thus we also include work to address root causes of inequities not just their manifestation. This includes elimination of policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that reinforce differential outcomes by race or fail to eliminate them.”
Today: Do one or more of the following:
READAwake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture, from Equity in the Center, outlines ways that organizations can dismantle structural racism and inequities both inside and outside their organizations. (Agree to their license agreement to download the report.)
Read the executive summary on pages 2-3.
Read the explanation of dominant culture in the context of building a race equity culture, found in the box on top of page 10.
WATCH Be inspired by your colleagues and neighbors who are transforming the work environment in central Iowa. In Right Where We Belong, a Program of CultureALL, community advocate Deidre DeJear interviews two local leaders who acted to create more equitable and inclusive work environments.
And Lindsay Ladd knows exactly what compelled her to create a hospital clinic just for LGBTQIA+ patients. (9:40)
View the full interviews here or look for individuals in our own community who are making strides big and small towards durable change.
READ Review Racial Equity Tools’ new Glossary of Racial Equity Terms, with over 60 terms and definitions. The words and language we use hold significant meaning. Staying educated on these terms can help us engage in more inclusive and respectful dialogue.
REFLECT Enjoy this #InclusionStartsWithI video about the importance of a positive, inclusive work environment. The video demonstrates that bias can appear in both expected and unexpected ways—and that each of us has the power to make a difference. (3:27)
As you watch, consider:
- Is there someone you need to know better so you can see them as more than a stereotype?
- How might you forge a friendship with them that is authentic, respectful, and inclusive?
WATCH See what happens when people take time to converse with one another despite their differences. Watch the 2020 Governor’s Emmy® Award-winning documentary Breaking Bread, Building Bridges, a project conceived and directed by Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission Director Joshua V. Barr. (37:16)
Don’t forget to log your activities!