Everyday Conversations on Race for Everyday People

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Precious Stroud- founder or the Black Female Project.org

Precious Stroud- Gen X Black Woman from Berkeley

Importance of story telling in communications

Important to talk about race because everything is racialized. She says race impacts everything in her life.

Impacts how society was set up. If someone believes another person is inferior based on color of skin, they won’t promote that person.

Economics doesn’t impact how long Black people live but it’s the result of racism.

She has been a friend with people from different races and backgrounds since she was in elementary school.

Her first experience with racism that she remembers was people not wanting to sit next to her little sister at Marine World because of how dark her sister was.

Jim Crow was not that long ago. Her great grandmother was first generation born free. Coping skills for being Black in the US were passed down and Precious has had to unlearn some of the fears for survival sake that she internalized.

She is working on just being herself instead of having to feel like she needs to take care of “white women,” so she will be accepted.

Precious started the Black Female Project to help Black females tell the truth about their experiences in the workplace. She always felt pressure to navigate and code-switch at work, which took its toll on her stress level and health.

She was hired at her last job for her talent and creativity, and then was told she wasn’t

“measuring up,”  and didn’t meet “their standards.” This is very common issue for Black women who are told they speak up too much, don’t fit in, or not meeting expectations.  In addition,  she later found out she was paid less than a white man at the same level.

It’s also common for Black people in organizations to not get feedback about their work, or areas for improvement until they get fired. When they ask why they didn’t get feedback before, their manager told them that they didn’t want to be seen as racist.

The Black Female project celebrates Black females in the workplace and to have them share their stories. Racism in the workplace contributes to autoimmune diseases and hair loss. Sharing their stories has been healing for all the women who participated. It is in-person, online and ongoing.

It’s important for Black females to speak up about racism and inequality.

Prccious talks about the myth of the “angry Black woman,” and how Black women are stereotyped that way any time they show emotion, disagree or speak up for themselves.

Her project is continues to grow. They are also starting the Black Teacher’s Project.

Check out BlackFemaleProject.org

Jada Imani, an Oakland, CA-based  MC, hip-hop artist, workshop facilitator, and founder of the Tatu Vision movement, is dedicated to helping co-create regenerative communities through her performing event production and hosting, healing practice, and coalition-building with communities of poets, Hip-Hop aficionados, entrepreneurs and Permaculture practitioners. She was born in Belleville, Illinois and spent half of her childhood in Illinois and Missouri.

Jada believes we are all influenced by race, and she thinks of leveraging her unique position of being from a mixed-race background to bring Black and White together.

Apart from sharing about Tatu vision activities, Jada shares her favorite cultural music mashups. Talking about Hip-hop culture, she points out the difference between a true hip-hop soul and gimmicky people. Disrespect to the hip-hop culture by such people brings a lot of disappointment to Jada.

Since childhood, Jada has loved music and gets inspired from every genre. She shares about how she uses music and performing to bring people together across race and make everyone feel included.

Talking about her experience of racism, her light skin attracts a lot of attention and has experienced painful comments from Black and White people.

According to Jada, a lot of millennials are more sensitive and interested in growth and liberation. But there is still hatred and racism among some of the young generations, most probably the effect of acquiring this hatred from their previous generation. Many of the white supremacists are millennials.

Jada says it most important to focus on your growth, peace, and love but also don’t avoid the crucial matters like racism!! It needs to be solved.

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Howard Ross and Tracy Brown- Experts on race, belonging, and all aspects of diversity and inclusion for over 25 years.
Howard is a white Jewish man and a baby boomer and Tracy is an African-American woman and a baby boomer.
Most people want to feel like they belong to something greater than themselves and being part of an environment where they can feel supported and connected.
Tracy started cross-race dinners where people talk about race, make new connections and new friends.
Tracy has facilitated dialogues about race and race relations in corporations where people were afraid to talk about race with each other.
She saw people drop their fear of each other and collaborate more.
Howard discusses the need for people who are in dominant groups to learn, understand and support people from non-dominant groups.
There are ways to have the conversation and make a difference without shame, blame and attacking people. That doesn’t make any positive changes.

Why people are afraid to talk about race

People of color are worried about repercussions in the work environment and in other environments if they speak up.
White people are afraid of saying the “wrong thing.”
Tracy asks, “do you want to be a diversity cop or diversity coach?”
While there are times someone might have to be a “diversity cop,” but we you really want change and transformation you need be a “Diversity coach.”
Howard Ross,”In organizations my job in diversity and inclusion is to be a facilitator, and not an advocate.” In his life outside of work, he is an advocate but if he’s an advocate in the corporate environment, he won’t be able to help facilitate change.”

At what point should someone be fired and at what point should they be educated?

Howard supports free speech. He asks, ”What is the intent? Do they just not know, it’s a one time incident that is not systemic. However, there are the incidents that happen over and over and need to be stopped.
There is a difference between what happened with Megyn Kelly and Juan Williams.
The Juan Williams incident was an example of extreme political correctness. He should not have been fired.
Tracy Brown,” Zero tolerance is inappropriate. It takes away opportunity for change, learning and increased understanding.

Key points:

• Recognize and share your blind spots- like when you become aware of your own bias or other people point out a bias to you.
• Know why this is important to you personally
• Seek solutions instead of just complaining about problems
• When you fire someone there is no way to hold them accountable for their behavior and they will take their behavior somewhere else. There is no one who will force them to behave differently.”
• White people don’t think about race all of the time, but people of color are always having to deal with racism and bias at different levels.
• No matter who we are, we can all say the wrong thing at different times.
• Be aware of the impact your words and actions have on other people. It’s really offensive when white people put their hands on Black people’s hair.
• As experts on diversity and inclusion, we have to be aware of how we “correct” or call attention to someone behavior that might be inappropriate
• Allow people to change and redeem themselves when possible
• Take time to listen and understand other people’s lived experience who are different than you
• Learn about privilege. Having privilege doesn’t make you a bad person but you need to understand what they means. White people don’t have to tell their kids to be careful when they’re driving and what to do when they are stopped by cops
• There are subtle ways that antisemitism shows up even when it’s not overt
• We have to learn and share the history of other ethnic and racial groups
• The conversation on race has to go beyond Black and White.
• Why it has mostly been black and white
• Because it has been the most prevalent
• No one is just one identity
• We are all intersections, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
• Too often there is a misconception that all people of color have the same dynamic when dealing with race
• There is also a lack of understanding that not all Black people have the same experience
• A black person from Africa from an upper-class background doesn’t have the same trauma or history as someone who is African American and dealing with post traumatic slave syndrome
• When you fire someone there is no way to hold them accountable for their behavior and they will take their behavior somewhere else. There is no one who will force them to behave differently.”
• White supremacy, racism, anti-Semitism has been normalized and spread by the political climate and people at the highest levels
• Are we going to choose evil and hate, or are going to build a country of love and acceptance. We choose love, acceptance and responsibility and need everyone who feels the same way

[caption id="attachment_899" align="alignleft" width="150"] Tracy Brown[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_900" align="alignleft" width="150"] Howard Ross[/caption]

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Patrick Tindana nd Simma, “The Inclusionist,”

Patrick Tindana and Simma, “The Inclusionist” in an everyday conversation on race.

Key topics:

Hear the history and motivation behind Everyday Conversations on Race.

What it was like to be the only white student at a Hispanic college, and why it’s not the same as being the only person of color in an all-white school.

Why it’s more important for white people to take action to eliminate racism today than to spend time feeling guilty.

The intersection, overlap and questions related to race, color, ethnicity and other differences. How skin color can determine health outcomes, access to services and treatment by others.

Too often when people feel uncomfortable around people who are different, they ignore them and people of color become almost invisible.

There are different ways to talk about race. Some people relate to intellectual, academic conversations like Robin DeAngelo, and other people connect more on emotional levels or specific examples like Beau from the 5th Column. Both ways can prompt listeners, particularly white people to take action.

While racism in systemic and institutional, it’s created and perpetuated by individual people. It will take individual people to change those systems and processes, and no one can do it alone.

Patrick breaks down the differences in understanding and experiencing racism in the US between a Black person born in the US and Black people coming from Africa.

He talks about the exhaustion of dealing with racism every day, and  knowing that people of color are getting detained for selling water, harassed for speaking Spanish, or babysitting for white kids.

Patrick and Simma share their diversity heroes who have stepped up and spoken out against racist actions, and diversity zeroes who have harassed people of color for speaking Spanish, called police on the Black man babysitting two white kids, or going entering his own apartment.

[caption id="attachment_866" align="alignleft" width="150"] Patrick Tindana[/caption]

Everyday Conversations on Race with Charmaine McClarie and David Casey

African-Americans in the Executive Suite

Guests: Charmaine McClarie, senior executive coach and David Casey, Chief Diversity Officer of Fortune 30 pharmaceutical innovation company

Charmaine McClarie  and David Casey share  their experience in meeting the challenge of racism and bias as African- American as well as provide sage advice to other African-Americans and everyone else who wants to reach the highest levels of success.

Conversation topics include:

• Why the history of slavery is not something African-American people need to “get over.”

How slavery and the history of slavery courses through the veins and DNA of people whose ancestors were slaves. The history and trauma of slavery and it’s aftermath   can never be ignored and must be addressed to move forward as a nation.

• Why Charmaine McClarie says “Essential to one’s success is the ability to own your own narrative and know your value. If you don’t define yourself, other people will and their definition will be inadequate, Once you have your own narrative you define yourself and you can be yourself.”

Charmaine shares her experience feeling the power of going to Africa and seeing her original heritage.

“People need to know their heritage and their identity.”

Being African-American and meeting the challenges of advancing to higher levels

Both Charmaine and David spoke about not being comfortable in their own skin early on their career journeys. They were worried about how they would be seen because they both experienced usually  being the only Black persons in the room. David said he wondered, ”Will they think I represent all Black people, and what assumptions do they have?”

Their advice today to African-American and other people of color who aspire to success is “Don’t waste your time getting comfortable. Be comfortable now. Own your narrative and identity.”

Hear how both Charmaine McClarie and David Casey took charge of their careers, began speaking out and taking risks, and having conversations on race with people who don’t look like them.

Listen to this episode of “Everyday Conversations on Race,” to learn how to advance through barriers, racial bias, and embrace your identity no matter who you are.

Was case then and cast now and be the only one

More power when you walk in the room and see other people who look like you.

Who  do you ask

Ask people who look like you

What do you need to know

What is the barrier

What are assumptons people might make- so people can make introducitons

Knew early on and she needed to be ready to embrace her blackness or she was walking into room with a deficit

What are the contributions that Black people have made

Where did I get my narrative- my grandparents lived a good life and perservered

Didn’t have her first name on card so wouldn’t make assumption

What are you looking for- you’re comfortable or not

People underestimate based on assumptions- sure it happens-

Before linkedin- “didn’t realize you were Black or African American” I’d be a billionaire

Taught you have to outperform your peers

Back to “articulate”

As person moving up, she says that people who are not Black are coindescending- they don’t see her as who she is

When that happens ask why HR instead of CFO

What experiences do you want me to have?

How will we partner together do

Getting people to support you

Get witnesses so people know what you’re doing

Who are your advocates

If someone has a limited view of who you are, are you willing to see me differently?

Who have been your advocates?

What kind of support  have you had?

CDO of 2 Fortune 30 companies so he met the CEO

Spoke that the organizations were serious about diversity

Ability to meet with the CEO

Spent time in interview process building trust

Sponsors and champions

Be as equal as middle management where everything tends to converge

Often POC looking for mentors- but just 5% are people of color  so good chance a mentor will not be a person of color.

People make their own assumptions

No one gets it right all the time

We all make  mistakes and we can learn

Every time we take a risk, we can learn

Why did you think that- teaching moment

Your narrative is your power

Who you are

Website

Mcclariegoup.com

[caption id="attachment_856" align="alignleft" width="150"] David Casey[/caption]

David has served as a Chief Diversity Officer for two Fortune 30 corporations, positioning them both as top companies in the country for strategic diversity management.

Active in the community, David has served and/or currently serves in an advisory and board of director capacity for several national and local organizations, including the American Lung Association, the American Society on Aging, Disability:IN, Advisory the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Skills for Rhode Island‘s Future, Year Up, the Urban League.  He also serves on the advisory boards for the Human Capital Executive Research Board, the i4CP Chief Diversity Officer Board and the National Association of African Americans in HR.

David has been published or cited in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Atlantic, Diversity Inc. Magazine, Drug Store News, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity Global and Diversity Executive, and has appeared on the television series, American Profiles.

David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps,here he served for 8 years, including Operation Desert Storm.

[caption id="attachment_857" align="alignnone" width="150"] Charmaine McClarie[/caption]

Charmaine McClarie is a C-suite advisor, keynote speaker, executive coach and executive presence authority who helps leaders have their best year ever. She has worked with leaders in 27 industries across five continents. Her clients include top executives from Coca-Cola, Gilead Sciences, Humana, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard, Starbucks and T-Mobile.

For more than two decades, 98% of Charmaine’s clients are promoted within 18 months. For CEOs, that might mean a promotion to corporate directorship. For other senior leaders, that might mean a promotion from SVP to EVP or even CEO.

Charmaine works predominately with C-suite leaders and executives with demonstrated readiness to be in the C-suite, coaching them on leadership acumen, communications ability and executive presence.

Charmaine and her work have been profiled in People, Forbes, Harvard Management Update, The London Times and The New York Times.

She is on the faculty as a leadership and communications expert at the University of Missouri Kansas City Bloch School of Management, EMBA program, and is a visiting lecturer at the Smith College Executive Education program.

Please Visit my Website | Connect on LinkedIn | Watch me on YouTube

Click here to download a vCard for Contact vCard

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Conversations on Race- Perspectives  from a black Ghanaian and a white Hungarian

Patrick Tindana and Peter Kovacs: a Ghanaian and a Hungarian share stories and perspectives on race as immigrants to the US

A cross-race conversation about race with Patrick Tindana a black African from Ghana and Peter Kovacs, a white Hungarian

Key topics:

Why Patrick Tindana had to leave Ghana for being gay

What it’s like to be from a country where everyone “looks the same” and move to the US

An African perspective on how experiencing race in the US

How Patrick and Peter developed relationships with people of different races, and cultures in the US

Why it’s important to talk about race

Recognizing and understanding the challenges of talking about race with people who are different and people  who have been traumatized

Which immigrants have more privilege and security in the US and which ones are most endangered

Why lack of empathy for people from different cultures and race cause some people to dehumanize others

Hope for the future and bringing people together

Cultural intelligence and why it’s essential to get along in today’s world

The role of sharing food and stories can play to bring people together and find surprising connections

The role that culturally intelligent white people can play to disrupt racism and discrimination

Using privilege to start conversations across race and other differences

Intentionally seeking out and engaging with people who are different

Recognizing trauma amongst different groups

Tips for having cross-race conversations about race/the need to listen and validate experiences of others

What white people do to speak up about racism

Guest is Hassan Zee and he talks about life and difficulties he felt in Pakistan and moving in another country. Main topics are Race and Equity.

• How Hassan Zee handled racism when he came to the US

• The need to stop generalizing all Asians. There is no one culture throughout Asia

• How one person can make a difference in the race conversation.

• Hear how an older White woman named Julie Halvorsen had a major impact on the life and career or Hassan Zee when he moved here from Pakistan

• Why issues of gender, women's empowerment, and equity are important to Hassan Zee and people in Pakistan.

• Why seeing people's humanity across race is crucial to collaborating and helping people be successful

Jewish, Orthodox Rabbi and African-American, MaNishtana enters the race convo as a voice of young Jewish leaders who speak out on issues of race, racial justice and religion in the Jewish community and beyond. He shares his experiences, perspective and  Jewish philosophy with us in all of these areas. MaNishtana is a speaker, blogger, screenwriter and author  of two books. He is the author of “Thoughts From a Unicorn, 100% Black, 100% Jewish, 100% Safe   Episode highlights with MaNishtana:

• Racial stereotypes within US Judaism and the outside world
• The intersection of race, religion and social justice
• How racism, immigration, and climate change are all Jewish issues
• Dealing with other people’s bias, stereotypes and assumptions toward him as a Black Jewish man and an orthodox rabbi.
• Making the world a better place for Jews of Color

In Episode 9 Guest is LeRon Barton

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Everyday Conversations on Race for Everyday People Episode 7- Race, Racism and 3 Emmys Producing Oprah

Race, racism and racial bias are still challenges  that people of color  have to contend with in the pursuit of success. Engaging in everyday conversations on race, with people different than you is one way to reduce racism and racial bias.   It’s widely accepted that a Black person in America has to be at least twice, and even three or four times as good as a white person with similar qualifications.  

Growing up in a lower-income Black neighborhood in North Carolina. my guest LeGrande Green heard his father tell him over and over,  “A Black person in America has to be at least twice as good as a white person with the same qualifications to be successful.” LeGrande used those words to  propel him  forward.  

He graduated Princeton on a full academic scholarship, received four Emmy Awards as supervising producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show, and the NAACP Image Award.  Even at that level of success, he still had to confront racism,  and racial bias as a Black man in America. In this podcast episode of Everyday Conversations on Race, LeGrande talks about his journey to the top, only to lose it all and find  himself as a Black, gay man in America. Key points from Episode 7  Race, Racism and Producing Oprah

• Issues of safety as a Black man in America
• Intersectionality of race, sexual orientation (LGBTQ,) and age- “So to me aging is about wisdom and about acknowledging the past, present and how I want to live my life” (LeGrande Green)
• The reality of race and being called paranoid for calling racism
• Race is not a scientific reality, but it is a social construct and it’s about color
• No matter how successful you are as a person of color, you still have to confront racism and racial bias.
• Internalized racism, self-esteem and eliminting self-doubt that is self-destructive
• Racism, agism and invisibililty in the LGBTQ community
• Speaking out against racial profiling
• Why we need everday conversations on race to eliminate racism

  Thanks for listening Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of Everyday Conversations on Race podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please head over to iTunes and leave us a rate and review to help us get our message about how to talk about race to more people. Remember to check out www.raceconvo.com and listen to other episodes.  

Race plays in important role in issues of mental health, domestic violence and treatment. Race and whether someone is a pearson of color or white, impacts who goes to jail, who gets help and who is ignored. Gerald Chambers, MFT at www.GeraldChambers.com shares his experience and insight about these issues and more on Everyday Conversations About Race for Everyday People. According to Gerald, research shows that the darker the skin tone, the more likely the conviction and the harsher the sentence. Want to hear more, download and listen.

You'll hear Priya Klocek, an Indian-American woman and Dante King, an African-American man, both diversity, equity and inclusion evangelists talk about when holding people accountable for past behaviors helps or hinders the race conversation.

Can we allow for change, new perspectives and education? Can we correct people with love and help them grow? When is an apology an excuse to continue racist behavior? How do we have the race convo with love and disrupt racism?

Listen to Talking About Race With Love and afterwards weigh in with your thoughts.