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The Lens - June 2023
City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 06/06/2023 12:00 PM CDT
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June 2023 |
The Lens is a newsletter to expand conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access.
Test Your Pride and Juneteenth Knowledge
In the month of June, we celebrate both Pride Month and
Juneteenth, but how much do you know about these
commemorations?
Put your knowledge to the test with these two quizzes:
LGBTQ+ History Quiz
The first five people who receive a perfect score will get a
complimentary copy of “The Little Book of Pride: The History, The
People, The Parades” by Lewis Laney.*
Juneteenth Quiz
The first five people who receive a perfect score will get a complimentary copy of “On Juneteenth” by
Annette Gordon-Reed.*
*You must reside in Iowa City to be eligible to receive either book.
Pride and Juneteenth yard signs available
We still have It’s a Matter of Pride and Juneteenth (very limited
quantity) yard signs available on a first come basis. You can pick
up a sign at City Hall’s front lobby information desk, 410 E.
Washington St., during regular business hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday. Because of the limited number of signs
available, we ask that you take only one of each sign per
household, business, or organization.
Your Whole Self Belongs at Work
Although Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs are now
standard in the corporate world, some companies are rethinking
their approach, reports the New York Times. In the Times article,
Irshad Manji, founder of Moral Courage College, says “traditional
D.E.I. hasn’t worked well,” because “it all but compels people to
stereotype each other.” She offers a personal example: “I happen
to be Muslim and a faithful Muslim. But that does not mean I
interpret Islam like every other Muslim out there.” Andrew
Anagnost, President and CEO of Autodesk, a large software
company, agrees. He feels traditional DEI initiatives at his
company led to employees fearing to offend each other and defaulting to being either silent or passive
aggressive. He pivoted the entire focus of his company’s DEI initiative, renaming it “Diversity &
Belonging.”
Building on the concept of bringing your whole self to work, more companies are now adding
“belonging” to the DEI structure. According to the Times, “seventy-six percent of respondents [to a
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Society for Human Resource Management survey] said their organization prioritized belonging as part
of its D.E.I. strategy and 64 percent said they planned to invest more in belonging initiatives this year.”
Furthermore, “respondents said that identity-based communities, like employee resource groups,
helped foster belonging, while mandatory diversity training did not.”
According to the New York Times article, some consultants disagree with the new direction, believing
“an abstract focus on belonging allows companies to avoid the tough conversations about power” and
is merely “a way to help people who aren’t marginalized feel like they’re part of the conversation.”
Others, however, embrace adding “belonging” to DEI. Karith Foster, Chief Executive of Inversity
Solutions, told the Times that “as a practical matter, there will be no equity if the people in power …
feel excluded from the conversation.” The goal is for everyone to feel secure and supported at work,
no matter who they are. Then, as Mr. Anagnost noted, “we can all rise together.” Read the full article
here.
You can access the New York Times for free through the Iowa City Public Library at this link.
Save the Date - Celebration of the 33rd signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Office of Equity and Human Rights will host a program
presented by Reyma McCoy Hyten.
Hyten will discuss how historically, access to initiatives intended to
center people with disabilities has unintentionally created
disparities that multiply-marginalized members of the disability
community fall victim to. The program will offer an opportunity to
discuss how access to necessities like food, housing, healthcare,
and transportation are impacted by the degree of
underrepresentation an individual experiences and to explore
systems-based solutions that can create a more inclusive society.
About the presenter:
After a 20-year career as a helping professional, Hyten's vocation has shifted from serving
marginalized people to addressing, through her signature approach, how systems create
marginalization in the first place. Hyten's work has been featured in Vice, TIME, The Guardian, and
USA Today.
The program takes place at noon on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Preregistration is required. You can
register at this link. The program is part of the Office’s monthly Lens Webinar Series.
If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this event, please call 319-
356-5022 or humanrights@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient
time to meet your access needs.
Beyond the Land Acknowledgement: Higher Education, the
Occupation of Native Nations, and "Land Back"
The Office of Equity and Human Rights will host educator Megan
Red Shirt-Shaw at noon on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.
Red Shirt-Shaw will discuss how land acknowledgments have
become a powerful introduction to convocations, graduations,
meetings, and conferences in higher education, but that institutions
must challenge themselves to move away from encouraging acts
that are just performative into commitments of transformative change.
Red Shirt-Shaw is an educator, writer, and researcher in higher education. Passionate about
Indigenous rights issues, college admissions, and a greater Native presence in media and higher
education , Red Shirt-Shaw believes in empowering young people to use their voices for the issues
they care about in their communities. Her writings have also been featured on Huffington Post,
ThinkProgress, Racialicious, Model View Culture, and Last Real Indians.
Preregistration is required. You can register at this link. The program is part of the Office’s monthly
Lens Webinar Series.
If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this event, please call 319-
356-5022 or humanrights@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient
time to meet your access needs.
June programming:
The Rich History of Emancipation Day in Iowa, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, from Noon –
1:00 p.m., via Zoom.
How the Word is Passed Book Discussion, Tuesday, June 20, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30
p.m., via Zoom.
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Royal Tea: Queens Talk About Drag, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, from Noon to 1:00 p.m.,
via Zoom.
Apply to Serve on the Iowa City Human Rights Commission
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission is seeking applicants to
fill an unexpired term. The vacancy starts upon appointment and
ends on December 31, 2025. Service is on a volunteer basis. The
group meets at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
The duties of the Commission involve educating the public on civil
and human rights, including planning programs and activities to
eliminate unlawful discrimination. For example, the annual Youth
Human Rights Awards and the Human Rights Awards Breakfast
are two programs supported by the commission. The Human
Rights Commission also makes recommendations to the City Council on the Racial Equity and Social
Justice Grant funding and for any additional local legislation relating to unlawful discrimination.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and reside in Iowa City. Applications are available online.
Applications must be received by 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 3, 2023.
Applicants sought for vacancies on the Ad Hoc Truth and
Reconciliation Commission
The Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has two
vacancies to fill unexpired terms ending December 30, 2024.
The TRC is tasked by the City Council to collect evidence of
discrimination and racial injustice; provide forums and creative
opportunities for those traumatized by racial injustice to share their experiences; and provide
opportunities for reconciliation. To learn more about the work of the Commission, visit this link.
The TRC meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Johnson County residency is
required. Iowa City residency is preferred, but not required if an applicant offers expertise or
representation not available from applicants who reside in Iowa City. Members of other City boards
and commissions are eligible to serve on the TRC. Applications are available online.
Questions?
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