I’m feeling a little mean today. I’m facing some sweeping tech system changes at work, which always puts me in a bad mood. So I thought I’d take this time to kvetch about something that just gets on my nerves. I’m talking eye rolling, lip smacking, facial expressions, the works. What is it that creates … Continue reading Business Case for Diversity, My Foot
In 1969 American poet and writer Maya Angelou wrote an autobiography called “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” That’s where this blog title came from. In the book she talked about racism and sexism in her early years, feeling alone, trapped by her blackness, her talents stifled. I can relate. It’s no longer 1969, … Continue reading I Know Why the Caged Employee Sings
So North Carolina has been all over the news for what many have dubbed “The Bathroom Bill.” I’ve been doing a lot of head shaking over it, when I wasn’t thanking my lucky stars I was born and raised in Chicago, and spared a lot of the foolishness that people in southern states seem to … Continue reading Trans Fear Goes Beyond Bathroom Policies
Intersectionality is an interesting thing. It’s defined roughly as an idea used to describe ways in which oppressive institutions like racism, sexism, homophobia and classism are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another. It’s interesting, and it’s complicated. I’d venture to say the complexity of the subject matter is one key reason so … Continue reading Being Inclusive Starts Early — Like, Grade-School Early
I had no plans to blog this week. I was content to bask quietly in my latest accolade – thank you so so much Folio for naming me on of the top women in media for 2016 *cheese* – that and I had little miners testing their pick axes out on the back of my … Continue reading Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and All Lives Matter
So I learned something interesting this week. Actually, interesting probably isn’t the right adjective. It was more disturbing. A colleague and I were talking, and he revealed that for the first six months he worked at our company — we’ve been working together for many years now — he was scared of me. *crickets* I … Continue reading The Skin We’re In
Conference season has begun with a bang. I’ve attended two in the past 10 days: the Forum on Workplace Inclusion for diversity and inclusion professionals and the Spring 2016 CLO Symposium for learning and development leaders — both of which I’ve attended many times before. Conferences, these two in particular, are a safe space for … Continue reading Flying While Black
So, the trailer for the upcoming Nina Simone biopic was released, and the Internet has gone wild with commentary this week, most of it against lead actress Zoe Saldana. It can’t compete with a nude Kim Kardashian West shot in terms of sheer click power, but calling Saldana’s portrayal of the late singer and Civil Rights … Continue reading Zoe Saldana and the Case of Too Light to Be Right
Hollywood might be one of the most action-packed industries out today when it comes to diversity, with the possible exception of sports, pun intended. With the recent and continuing Academy drama over the upcoming Oscars and its dearth of nominations of color, the critical commentary on the gender wage gap and various well-known faces lending … Continue reading Meryl Streep Is Not the Enemy
