Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lens - November 202312/5/23, 11:17 AM The Lens - November 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/379d3a7 1/5 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 - November 2023 City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 11/09/2023 10:00 AM CST Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. November 2023 | The Lens is the City’s newsletter to expand on conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access. Human Rights Commissioners deliver Racial Equity and Social Justice checks to this year's recipients Subscribe to updates from City of Iowa City Email Address e.g. name@exam Subscribe Share Bulletin 12/5/23, 11:17 AM The Lens - November 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/379d3a7 2/5 (Clockwise from top right: Al-Iman Center, Wright House of Fashion, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, Natural Talent Music, CommUnity Crisis Services, Houses into Homes) Members of the Human Rights Commission had the honor of distributing funds to this year's recipients of the Racial Equity and Social Justice grants in person. Houses into Homes: Expanded the Youth Volunteer Academy to include a curriculum that visits important topics connected to social justice, starting with trust-building and an examination of identity. Mariam Girls' Club: Created a mini library at Al-Iman Center that serves young children to provide them with the opportunity to read and learn about characters through stories about children like themselves. CommUnity Crisis Services: Has partnered with two underestimated community businesses that distribute African and Mexican foods to be culturally responsive to consumers of the food pantries. Wright House of Fashion: Put together a racial equity and social justice fashion experience called the Big Dreams Fashion Festival. Natural Talent Music: Is working to expand the diversity of performers, styles of music, and venues in which entertainment is presented in Iowa City. Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County: Are piloting “CommUNITY University” a neighborhood- level approach that embodies representative leadership, collaboration, and growth mindset with the willingness to try new things. *Not pictured: Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa: will purchase a SMART Board for its newly built computer lab and hire instructors to host free educational workshops for community members. 12/5/23, 11:17 AM The Lens - November 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/379d3a7 3/5 Great Plains Action Society: will host its seventh annual Truthsgiving - a night of truth-telling, music, and laughter celebrating Indigenous culture and history. The Platinum Rule approach to diversity Treating others as we want to be treated - also known as The Golden Rule - is generally considered a common-sense way of practicing respect. However, adopting this attitude may do more harm than good when trying to be respectful toward others different than us. Many factors, such as culture, life experiences, and socialization, heavily influence one's idea of what it means to be respected. For example, in American culture silence in conversation is generally seen as disinterest. In contrast, in some East Asian nations, silence can be used to show agreement and receptiveness. Knowing what makes another person feel seen and respected has been coined by author Thais Compoint as ‘The Platinum Rule:’ treating others as they want to be treated rather than assuming they want to be treated as we do. The ‘Platinum Rule’ is one of the many topics discussed in Compoint’s book, Succeed as an Inclusive Leader: Winning Leadership Habits in a Diverse World. The book sheds light on habits that can be adopted every day, everywhere, to create an inclusive culture while boosting workplace performance by focusing on helping individuals develop into more inclusive and aware leaders. Compoint uses contemporary research and real-life examples to drive home the point that when everyone works on mitigating unconscious bias, navigating cross-cultural differences, embracing diversity, and supporting work-life integration, engagement, and productivity increase. Being conscious of one’s background when interacting with others is essential in the workplace. In an article for LinkedIn, motivational speaker Tim Crowley emphasizes this idea and reiterates the importance of Compoint’s ‘Platinum Rule,’ saying, “to truly honor your team’s diverse culture and forge an inclusive workplace environment, you must set aside the Golden Rule, and adopt, instead, the Platinum Rule.” While companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies and practices, many take a superficial approach that does not accomplish their goal of making their workplace more inclusive or equitable. When everyone, including those in the C-Suite, takes the time to get to know where others are coming from and how that influences their needs and expectations in the workplace, that demonstrates the highest respect and the most authentic form of inclusion. There are steps individuals can take to encourage an environment of inclusion and respect. Though these ideas may seem obvious to many, regular reinforcement of them demonstrates a commitment to a positive workplace culture for all: 1. Recognize and reward those who uphold EDI standards and hold those who do not accountable, including leadership. 2. Provide ongoing opportunities for EDI training for everyone, again, including leadership. 3. Review your company’s mission statement and check in with team members to see if they feel it is being met and what improvements can be made; encourage an honest and open conversation. Overall, fostering an environment where people are secure enough to be authentically themselves or voice their genuine thoughts and feelings is paramount to enable mutual respect. With honest communication and intentional action, everyone wins and is treated as they want. Beyond the Land Acknowledgement November is National Native American Heritage Month. One way to honor Native American history and culture is by using a land acknowledgement. A land acknowledgement is a statement recognizing and respecting the ongoing relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the land. Land acknowledgements have become increasingly common at public events. However, these acknowledgements evoke mixed feelings among Indigenous leaders. Some feel they are meaningless and simply performative. Kevin Gover of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and undersecretary for museums and culture at the Smithsonian Institution says he hears land acknowledgments as something that “goes in one ear and 12/5/23, 11:17 AM The Lens - November 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/379d3a7 4/5 out the other. … There used to be Indians here. But now they’re gone. Isn’t that a shame?” Dr. Len Necefer, an Indigenous Studies scholar and CEO of NativesOutdoors, says, “It feels like a box- checking activity, like people are doing it to signal their politics.” Others say land acknowledgments can cause actual harm. They can be “a very painful denial” of how Indigenous people were violently removed from their lands, says Michael Lambert, an enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and associate professor of African Studies and Anthropology at the University of North Carolina. They can remind Native people of the gulf between their understanding of and relationship to the land and that of the dominant culture: “Landscapes’s elements make up the blood, bone, and flesh that animate our bodies. When we die, we return to the land and turn into the trees, rocks, and water that once gave us life. The phrase ‘on stolen land’ can unknowingly erase these cultural views,” Len Necefer wrote in the journal Outside. Similarly, they can obscure complicated history and differences in belief between Native peoples. Dr. Necefer notes, “For some Indigenous people, while the land is important, bodies of water—rivers, lakes, and the ocean—hold significantly more cultural relevance. For other tribes, the dream world may be a much more central component of their lived experience. I have yet to hear a water or dream acknowledgment on one of my conference calls.” Land acknowledgments can also burden Native people; after the non-profit Native Governance Center began developing resources on how to draft a land acknowledgment, it received many inquiries from organizations expecting free labor: “Can you read this? Can you do this? Can you help us research? … It’s important to understand that when you put that upon Indigenous people, it can create a lot of additional stress,” Apryl Deel-McKenzie, Native Governance Center program manager, cautioned. Some Indigenous leaders, however, feel land acknowledgments have value, but only if they lead to something more. Cutcha Risling Baldy, of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and Associate Professor of Native American Studies at California State Polytechnic University, says that the land acknowledgment is only the beginning; “Now it’s time to think about what that actually means … What are the concrete actions you’re gonna take?” For example, Risling Baldy paused after reading a land acknowledgment at a talk she gave to ask audience members to support an Indigenous community garden in the area. She included a QR code and gave time for audience members to use it. As a result, the garden received more than $200. Similarly, Shotgun Players, a Berkeley, Calif., theater company, begins its performances with a land acknowledgment but also pays a voluntary land tax to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. The company donates space and tickets to the Trust and plans to recruit more Indigenous talent. Summer Wilkie, a Cherokee Nation citizen and University of Arkansas Student Coordinator for Indigenous People, believes the key must be action. “We need action to restore Indigenous rights to the land. Action is the form of acknowledgment needed to support the rights and well-being of Indigenous people. We all return to the land, eventually.” The Native Governance Center has published an action guide, which can be found here. To learn more, watch the video of Megan Red Shirt-Shaw’s “Beyond the Land Acknowledgement: Higher Education, the Occupation of Native Nations, and “Land Back” here. It was recorded as part of The Lens series on Aug. 31, 2023. Check out past programming Miss one of our monthly programs? Many are recorded and available. Check out the list below. "Don't Say Gay" program to address Iowa’s new anti-LGBTQ+ education law (October 2023) ADA:33 - A Celebration of Rights and Responsibilities (July 2023) The Rich History of Emancipation Day Celebrations in Iowa (June 2023) Panache Before the Shoah: The Effect of Jewish 1930s Refugees on Iowa City’s Progressivism (May 2023) Book Talk - Water Tossing Boulders (April 2023) If you just recently subscribed to The Lens, visit this link to view archived issues. 12/5/23, 11:17 AM The Lens - November 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/379d3a7 5/5 Questions? Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe | Help Powered by Privacy Policy | Cookie Statement | Help