October 23 - 29, 2020
On June 19, 2020, I made a commitment to educate myself on the
lingering effects of racism, discrimination, and bias in America. Every
day through June 18, 2021, I will read an article or book chapter,
listen to a
podcast, watch a movie or documentary, view a webinar, or do something
substantive to educate myself in these areas. As part of that
commitment, I will post to this blog each Friday with a list of what
I've done over the past week as well as any pertinent thoughts or
reflections.
Today's post covers the week of October 23-29, 2020.
This 2018 article from the Harvard Business Review focuses on the world of office politics. While political behavior often carries negative connotations, office politics are inevitable and can be constructive as well. Dominant groups most often set the political norms at work, leaving those on the outside unwilling or unsure of how to engage in office politics. The authors recommend reframing the discussion - instead of implementing programs aimed at improving the political skills of women and minorities, organizations should focus on creating environments that support a diverse range of behaviors.
Former Microsoft executive and Gates Foundation CEO Jeff Raikes writes this piece for Forbes on the necessity of confronting race and equity issues for white business leaders. He offers a set of recommendations based on advice he's received over the years, and he encourages white CEOs to speak up on how they are learning, what challenges they face and how they may have erred in the past.
Carlyn Ferrari, assistant professor of English at Seattle University, writes for The Chronicle of Higher Education about one of her first job interviews and the ensuing challenges she faced in her first faculty position. As the only person of color in her department, Ferrari felt constantly questioned about her academic credentials and pressure to always be the "voice of diversity" at faculty meetings. She has since resigned and taken another position where greater faculty diversity exists.
This PBS documentary tells the story of racial politics in Chicago in the late 1960s. Three groups - the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords, and the Young Patriots brought Black, Puerto Rican, and white citizens together as part of the first Rainbow Coalition to fight for education, housing, fair trials and against police brutality. Members of the coalition talk about the progress they made and the struggles that remain today.
Psychology Professor Eden King moderates this panel discussion featuring Associate Dean Catherine Clack and eight Black Rice undergraduates, including two student-athletes. The conversation topics range from finding community on campus, to the pros and cons of the college system, to the burden Black students often feel to represent all people who look like them. This is an excellent window into a diverse range of Black student experiences at Rice.
I have included material about the anti-racist program at San Francisco's Mission High School before, but I found this interview in The Atlantic showed how an effective strategy goes beyond the curriculum. Recently retired history teacher Robert Roth details his approach with students. "Anti-racist teaching involves more than changing curriculum. It demands a
deep, heartfelt love for the students that we teach. You have to
develop relationships with students that are very deep and that
transcend just their years in high school."
A University of Washington study shows that children ages 4-5 respond to non-verbal cues from adults that could influence their racial bias. Allison Skinner, lead author of the study, suggests that parents should have positive conversations with their children about marginalized groups, and that the avoidance of conversation about race won't counteract lessons children learn from body language and facial expressions.
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