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The Lens - May 2023
City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 05/19/2023 10:00 AM CDT
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May 2023 |
The Lens is a newsletter to expand conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access.
Brain Twister
Test Your EDI IQ at this link. The first three people with all correct
answers and who are able to unscramble the twister who reside in
Iowa City will receive a complimentary copy of “Rethinking
Columbus: The Next 500 Years” by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson.
DEI vs. EDI
As the focus on DEI increases, some are choosing to embrace EDI instead. You may be thinking the
letters still represent the same things so what’s the difference? This change may seem simple or small
on the surface, but the reordering of letters has the potential to make a huge impact. This small
change just may be the way forward for companies interested in creating meaningful and lasting
changes to the workplace.
Since its rise to popularity, DEI has faced significant backlash and that hasn’t changed much in the last
year. The focus on diversity first often serves as a stumbling point for people who don’t view
themselves as being “diverse”. EDI instead places equity first, allowing that to be the emphasis and
goal of the movement. An emphasis on diversity may allow companies to create visible change, but
this change is meaningless if the new hires are thrown into an inequitable environment without
support.
An equity-first approach allows companies to create genuinely equitable workplaces that support the
various needs of everyone and not just some people. In this way, companies create environments that
allow people of varying levels of privilege and marginalization to feel as though they belong and can
succeed. No one can feel left out in a workplace that is constantly seeking to meet individuals as they
are by anticipating different people having different needs.
Beyond this, some have chosen EDI over DEI to avoid creating confusion with other uses of the
acronym, like the disability equality index which is also abbreviated as DEI. In this case, the switch
furthers the cause by prioritizing the voices of marginalized people. More specifically, this switch
centers people with disabilities.
On an even larger scale, others note that EDI is used more often globally, citing the UK and Canada
as frequent users of this ordering as well. DeEtta Jones also argues that equity allows for some local
nuance. After all, equity is all about embracing the nuance of different situations.
No matter what approach you choose, it’s important to remember that regardless of what you lead
with, the other parts of the equation will also always be important. Both movements are seeking
essentially the same thing. The difference is simply where the emphasis is placed and how the first
step is made.
An equity-first approach is inviting to all. Instead of emphasizing defining diversity through creating an
often-perceived division between those who are diverse and those who aren’t—which isn’t what
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diversity is at all—an equity-first approach allows people to begin with the goal of creating unity
through fostering equity.
Upcoming Office Events:
"The Rich History of Emancipation Day
Celebrations in Iowa"
This virtual program will be presented by Dr. Leslie Schwalm,
historian of Civil War America and Professor Emeritus of history and
gender, women’s, and sexuality studies at the University of Iowa,
Leslie writes and lectures on how the wartime destruction of slavery
shaped the lives of Black and white Americans, North and South.
The program will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June
14 via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. You can sign up here.
How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of
Slavery Across America
The Office of Equity and Human Rights and the Iowa City Public
Library are hosting a virtual discussion on “How the Word is
Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America”
by Clint Smith.
Journalist Hope Wabuke writes “Smith seeks out this troubling
history to understand the stories America tells itself about who we
are through what is remembered. The aegis of the book is this:
Smith traveled 'to eight places in the United States as well as one
abroad to understand how each reckons with its relationship to the
history of American slavery.'"
The program will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20,
2023, via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. You can sign up here.
The Office of Equity and Human Rights is offering a limited number
of complimentary copies of the book to persons who reside in Iowa City and who would not
financially otherwise be able to participate in the book discussion. To request a copy, please
email humanrights@iowa-city.org or call 319-356-5022.
If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this event, please call 319-
356-5022. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
RoyalTea: Queens Talk About Drag
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Hazel Sanchez Belle
Have you ever wondered about the world of drag? In honor of Pride Month, on the 54th Anniversary of
Stonewall, the Office of Equity and Human Rights will host “RoyalTea: Queens Talk About Drag.” The
program will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, via Zoom. Queens will
discuss several topics, including the intersection between being trans and doing drag, and all ages
events versus adults only events. There will be ample time for conversation and questions.
The program will feature:
Paris J Beverly Hillz, a Black trans woman with eight years of experience doing drag, concentrating on
the poised and glamorous old-school pageant show-girl style. Paris is working on a double major at
the University of Iowa and is a wife, dog mom of two, and home chef.
Hazel Sanchez Belle, who also has eight years of experience doing drag and is the owner/show
producer of Big Grove x Brunch Babes and HSB Productions. Belle is a pageant contestant with three
past titles, including Miss Gay Iowa USofA Newcomer 2018. During the day Belle works in the medical
field and on weekends she’s playing Barbie, which she describes as the best of both worlds. Belle
says what she loves most about drag is meeting people and - with a wink - inspiring young people to
live their inauthentic selves.
This will be a rare chance to draw back the curtain on a world many people do not have a chance to
experience. So register here for the tea on Drag, and get ready: as Paris says, “stand back, 'cause
there’s a hurricane coming through!”
Paris J Beverly Hillz
“Panache Before the Shoah: The Effect
of Jewish 1930s Refugees on Iowa
City’s Progressivism.”
On May 8, 2023, Dr. Jeannette Gabriel, Director of the Nate and
Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the
University of Nebraska, hosted this virtual webinar on Jewish
refugees and their impact on the Iowa City area.
Dr. Gabriel was generous enough to allow us to share the program on City Channel 4. It can be found
here if you would like to view it again or forward to someone who may be interested.
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