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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lens - August 20238/14/23, 10:26 AM The Lens - August 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/369d302 1/4 We only use cookies that are necessary for this site to function to provide you with the best experience. The controller of this site may choose to place supplementary cookies to support additional functionality such as support analytics, and has an obligation to disclose these cookies. Learn more in our Cookie Statement. The Lens - August 2023 City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 08/14/2023 10:00 AM CDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. August 2023 | The Lens is the City’s newsletter to expand on conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access. What is Intersectionality? Audre Lorde said, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single- issue lives.” Lorde was a poet and theorist who contributed widely and prolifically to feminist theory, critical race theory, and queer theory. Her 1979 essay, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House,” represents an early foray into intersectional thought. Legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, however, coined the term “intersectionality” in a 1989 paper examining how different aspects of a person’s identity overlap and “intersect.” Crenshaw’s paper focused on several court cases showing how intertwined aspects of plaintiffs’ identities had been ignored by the courts, leading to unjust outcomes. For example, in one case, employees with less seniority were laid off. The court ignored the fact that the company simply had not hired Black women before 1964, so that when the layoffs occurred in the early 1970’s, all Black women working there were necessarily newer employees and subject to the layoffs. The court ruled against the women, holding that combining race and sex discrimination to create “new classes of protected minorities” would result in a Pandora’s box of endless permutations. It was precisely the intersection of their race and sex, however, which led to the women’s predicament. Scholars recognized Crenshaw was on to something and broadened her theory to include not only Black women’s experiences, but intersections of many kinds of identity including races, genders, sexualities, disabilities and other identities that can be oppressed or discriminated against, such as religion. The theory reached the popular press in 2017, when critics of the Women’s March on Washington debated who the March was for and who it marginalized. Crenshaw says, “There have always been people, from the very beginning of the civil rights movement, who had denounced the creation of equality rights on the grounds that it takes something away from them.” Contrary to critics’ objections, she notes, the goal of recognizing and studying intersectionality is not to flip the power dynamics to create different winners and losers, but to instead engage in “more advocacy and remedial practices” to create a more egalitarian system as a whole. Subscribe to updates from City of Iowa City Email Address e.g. name@exam Subscribe Share Bulletin 8/14/23, 10:26 AM The Lens - August 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/369d302 2/4 So, what can an individual do to be an ally? Since intersectionality involves many different identities, it is impossible to address specific ways to support each intersecting identity. And it is quite possible to be both oppressed in one identity and oppressor in another. For example, a white, gay, Jewish man could both operate from a position of privilege as a white man and suffer discrimination based on his sexual orientation and religion. But here are some general principles from Womankind Worldwide: Be aware of your privileges. Not only your skin color, but your class, education level, sexual orientation, disability status, and other characteristics could combine to provide you privileges others do not have. Listen and learn. Open your ears, mind, and heart to people who are not from the same groups as you. Take their perspectives seriously and meaningfully collaborate with them. However, do not expect them to educate you; it’s not their job. Do your own research. Make space. Ask yourself if you are the person best equipped to speak on an issue or lead a project. Does another person have more experience in that area? Don’t speak for or over people or assume your knowledge is superior. Think about your language. So many terms we are used to hearing and using are ableist, exclusionary and offensive. View Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Ted+ Animation here. The Importance of Empathy in EDI Work Although the “E” in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion stands for equity, another “E” is necessary for achieving both equity and inclusion: empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings or perspective. It is not, as some assume, a “fixed trait,” but “a skill that can be strengthened through effort and is primarily built through making connections with others,” says psychologist Jamil Zaki. While almost all Fortune 500 companies list equity as a corporate value and offer some kind of diversity training, empathy can help to enhance employee engagement and productivity. A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study found that 97% of employees surveyed believe empathy is essential to a healthy workplace culture. Employees scoring their workplaces high in empathy were three times more likely to feel their careers had meaning than those who scored their workplaces low on empathy; while those at low-empathy workplaces were more than twice as likely to have searched for a new job within the past six months than those at high-empathy workplaces. What are effective strategies for building a culture of empathy? Worktango, an employee-experience platform, offers these suggestions: Listen actively to employees. Active listening is a skill in itself, involving focusing undivided attention, giving clues that you are present (nodding, eye contact, questions), and reflecting (“I think I hear you saying… Is that right?”). Be open-minded. Create space for differing perspectives. Recognize and uproot your own biases. Don’t make assumptions. Respond with kindness rather than judgment. If someone makes a mistake or is not their best self at the moment, be compassionate. Try to understand their situation or perspective. Welcome feedback. Workplaces at which employees are afraid to speak up are not healthy or empathetic. Make sure people know they will be heard without retribution for offering ideas or opinions. Recognize and reward empathetic behavior. Encourage positive feedback both vertically (from management to team members) and laterally (among peers). Eric Kasoyaga of the Emotional Intelligence Training Company cites “understanding that your actions have an impact on others” as “a key aspect of empathy.” He suggests asking these questions: Do policies benefit some employees more than others? Who are we considering when processes are changed, or resources reallocated? Do we consider that when we make decisions, some employees will be affected more than others? Kunal Gill of Aditi Consulting notes, “Building connections, creating safe spaces, and giving others a platform to discuss their successes, failures, challenges, etc. can result in stronger, more empathetic relationships at work (and even outside of work). As leaders it’s our responsibility to learn, grow and develop away from bias and headfirst into equity, diversity, and inclusion.” 8/14/23, 10:26 AM The Lens - August 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/369d302 3/4 Meet Commissioner Jahnavi Pallav Pandya How long have you been on the commission? Six months. What ways have you found to be most effective for advocating and promoting human rights? Being a part of the community and DOING it, not just talking about it. I strongly believe that we need to put our feet in the water, and become a part of - or a true support to - the community we are advocating for. What human rights issues do you hope to work on while serving as a commissioner? I want to advocate for the rights of immigrants, refugees, and children in Iowa City. What advice would you give to individuals who want to get involved in promoting and protecting human rights? You don’t need to wait to become someone “big” or “professional” to start this work. I believe human rights work starts at home, with family and community. When you walk outside, or sit in the bus, and see someone being treated unjustly, you can speak up, and that is contributing to human rights work. Quoting Gandhi, "we need to be the change we wish to see in the world." What is your useless talent? I’m a singer! What is your favorite book? Self-Hypnosis by Adam Burke. What is your favorite color? White — it stands for peace. Where is the coolest place you have traveled? The very welcoming and loving Leech Lake Reservation of the Ojibwe tribe in north-central Minnesota. What is your dream project? I have many—one of my biggest dreams is to open an orphanage for girls in India and channelize resources to support education for them. Upcoming Programs Defining our Future, Celebrating our Legacy In recognition of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission's 60th Anniversary, the Office of Equity and Human Rights will host a webinar conversation with Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Wednesday, September 13 at 1:00 p.m. PDAS McCain will cover HUD’s efforts to eliminate housing discrimination and promote economic opportunity, and how a community can work to achieve diverse and inclusive neighborhoods. PDAS McCain joins HUD following fifteen years of service, with five as president, at the Inclusive Communities Project (ICP), a Dallas, TX-based affordable fair housing nonprofit. Prior to becoming president, she oversaw operations, communications and ICP’s Mobility Assistance Program, a housing mobility program that helps housing choice voucher holders exercise their fair housing rights. She conceived the ICP’s “Voices for Opportunity” initiative which has provided advocacy training to low- income renters and neighborhood groups of color. 8/14/23, 10:26 AM The Lens - August 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/369d302 4/4 PDAS McCain is a graduate of Howard University School of Law, New York University and Brooklyn College and a member of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. You can register at this link. Beyond the Land Acknowledgement: Higher Education, the Occupation of Native Nations, and "Land Back" The Office will host educator Megan Red Shirt-Shaw on Thursday, Aug. 31, at Noon. Red Shirt-Shaw will discuss how land acknowledgments have become a powerful introduction to convocations, graduations, meetings, and conferences in higher education, but institutions must challenge themselves to move away from encouraging acts that are just performative into commitments of transformative change. You can register at this link. Questions? Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe | Help Powered by Privacy Policy | Cookie Statement | Help