Writing is one of the ways I make meaning, ask better questions, and stay close to what matters.
This morning on a walk I saw something that didn’t make sense. It took me a moment to figure out why, but my brain (so fast!!) had already clocked that something was out of the ordinary. I didn’t need to know why, I just knew. Have a look above (you may need to enlarge it).
For the past several months, I have a song in my head. Well, just two lines, actually. Maybe you know them? They go like this “What the world, needs now, is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing, that there’s just too little of…”. Jackie DeShannon sang it in 1965 (you can listen to her
I’ve just read a great article called How Women can Win in the Workplace published in the Harvard Business Review. It is an interesting article, based on years of research. It does highlight that there are systemic issues at play, and it then focuses on the things women can do for themselves. There
I’m watching the emergence of Kamala Harris and the dust it’s kicking up around race and racism with keen interest. I notice how (like with Barack Obama) we are taking her identity apart, instead of talking about where she stands on issues. And the intriguing thing is that it seems to work. We are S
By “stepping up”, I’m thinking about leadership in its many forms. Not just the type with the official title – but also the kind of leadership (little l) that inspires us to volunteer, get involved, share a perspective, take on a project, be “out front”. I’ve been thinking about it because of this a
On this final day of Black History Month (in Canada and the USA at least), I bring you this image from a historically significant burial ground in the Niagara region of Ontario. This is part of The Urban Guide’s BHX game series for Black History Month. You can read more about the burial ground here.
Wow! It’s been about a year since I have written here…. But I’m back – and of course it’s my favourite month to gripe about. Black History Month. If you’ve followed me for a while you know that there are so many reasons I dislike “special months”. Yes, they can raise awareness and that’s important.
The Context: We recently got a dog. It’s not my first dog, and it took me a while to agree to get one when my daughter asked. If you have (or have had) a dog – you know many of the reasons why. One of the many reasons I didn’t want another dog is the
If you live in North America, June is Pride Month in many places. If you live in Toronto, this week is Pride Week – culminating in three parades on the weekend: the trans march, the dyke march and the Pride parade. Depending on your social location, this could mean a great deal to you, nothing
Perspective is everything. We bump into this reality time and time again in communication with others: at work, at home, at school, in the community… As soon as we have more than one person in any situation, perspective is going to be a necessary component to consider. If we want to communicate well
This week I’m reflecting on aspects of US President Biden’s message last week after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvale on May 24, 2022, Texas where 19 school children and 2 teachers were killed. Makenna Lee Elrod Layla Salazar Maranda Mathis Nevaeh Bravo Jose Manuel Flores Jr. Xavi
Last week, because of the mass shooting in Buffalo, we offered Listening/Sharing sessions for the employees of our US clients. These are meant as safer spaces for people to share and process the impact of such a traumatic event together. Because it was a racially motivated hate crime, we created saf
“Mom, why do people treat us like that?” My daughter asked me. She was in the room when I learned about the mass shooting and wanted to know what I was reacting to. I told her, and she sat there in a daze, devastated. I put my arm around here and said, “People are taught
Nova Scotia has moved to recognize Mi’kmaw as the province’s First Language. While this is not to be confused with an “official language” it is being hailed as an important step. Language and Identity Language is an important part of our identity. In many First Nations communities, the amount of peo
I’m not religious. But last year we were living with my child’s grandparents, who are. One Sunday I realized that it wasn’t the denomination or type of religion that was important, but the connection to Spirit. So I started listening to the sermon with them periodically, to see what I could glean in
Last week, Pope Francis apologized to Canada’s Indigenous Peoples for the role of the Catholic Church in Canada’s Residential School system. Here is the excerpt that CBC included in their article. “I also feel shame … sorrow and shame for the role that a number of Catholics, particularly those with
Maybe you have seen it, maybe you have heard about The Slap at the Oscars. “Everyone” seems to be talking about it. In fact it has overshadowed many amazing aspects and “wins” of the night, sadly. So, what I want to focus on here is what we can learn from it. While I don’t condone
Last week I watched the movie Luca again with my daughter. It’s a beautiful movie, and although there was hardly any diversity, there are so many interesting elements we can apply to D&I. The main issue is humans vs. sea monsters. Sea monsters are a very visceral example of “the Other” that we can s
If you’ve been following my posts for a while, you’ve surely read this is one before: words are powerful. We may use them carelessly, but the messages can stick and inform/lead to/strengthen biases, prejudices, and judgments that can ultimately undermine acceptance and inclusion. My mom is staying w
It’s been a looooong year. I have heard from many clients how staff are feeling the impact of the lengthening pandemic, and the additional stressors on life and work. These stressors may include: Fear and worry Health concerns Navigating (online) schooling for children Creating a workspace at home C
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about accessibility and language. It started with the word “blindspot”. I have continued to use it, despite recognizing that it’s ableist language – language that underscores that society determines ability (vs disability) as the norm and therefore as more valuable. I
Yesterday – Tuesday November 30th, at midnight – Barbados became the world’s newest Republic. Shaking off the Monarchy, becoming a Republic is symbolic of a new beginning; one with Barbadians as self-determined, and navigating their own path. Sounds amazing. Connecting the Dots – Republics to Organi
I recently purchased a new pair of glasses. My first pair of progressives. I was excited! New Perspectives When the glasses were ready, and I left the store… I felt like I was 20 feet tall. Everything looked bigger. Suddenly I saw more depth. Was this what the world really looked like? Had I been
Yesterday, I was able to watch part of the live press conference that launched the search for missing Indigenous children at the Mohawk Institute in Ontario. The Mohawk Institute is the longest running Residential School in Canada. It was open for 136 years. Children from 20 Indigenous Nations acros
Last week a TDSB teacher went to school in Blackface for Halloween. You can read about it here. Egregious enough on its own, it seems that complaints weren’t acted upon until the end of the day. Think about that…. This means students of colour (the school in question was in a culturally diverse neig
Last week was our first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. And on the weekend, I heard a few things on the news that made me pause. I’m writing about one of them today. There is a new cutting-edge community in the making near the shores of Lake Simcoe. The Orbit. town of Innisfil in
Tomorrow – September 30 – marks the first National Day for Truth & Reconciliation in Canada. (If you’re not Canadian, take some time to consider what a day like this could mean in your country and look for resources to raise your awareness about Indigenous issues where you live). Previously, this da
Monday was our first full day of online school, and it was a completely different experience to our first day last year. The difference are notable: No frantic calls for help We both ate well And we both got our work done Why the difference? There are a few things I can think of, that
Disregard… the manifestation of an ism My mother is an environmental activist. At 83, she uses her pen and email to raise awareness and to protest. The local newspaper knows her name, as do local MPs. So this post is thanks to an email from Greenpeace that she forwarded to me yesterday. It’s about t
On Monday I was a tourist in my own city (Toronto), and I stumbled across the South Liberty Trail. There was a sign detailing the history of the area, starting in the 1880s. Although it was interesting, it made me wonder about what came before the industry. Signs like this – while interesting and pr
Last week I watched The Upside. It’s a movie from 2017 that stars Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman. It’s based on the true story of a man who is quadriplegic and who hires a Life Auxiliary. I loved it. And it was filled with racial stereotypes that annoyed me. Philip (Bryan Cranston) is
There is a new pedestrian overpass near where I live. It provides easier access to the grocery store (and other stores that have popped up in the past decade+ since they promised to build it) for people living on the north side of the railway tracks. It probably shaves at least 15 minutes off the
Last week I was a guest in a Sharing Circle that one of my clients hosts monthly. The focus of the Circle is about promoting Indigenous Cultural Safety as it seeks to increasing awareness. One of the questions I was asked was how to convey that both Diversity & Inclusion and Indigenous Cultural Safe
I was going to write something “lighter” this week, but then I saw the video on Instagram of a white woman in a store, crying and screaming and saying she was being threatened by a Black woman who was videotaping her. The video opens with what looks like the white woman coming to hit the
Tomorrow is Canada Day. If you’ve received the Inclusion Insight for a while, you’ll know how I feel about it. Canada: 150 years of…? Why I won’t be saying Happy Canada Day today. What does Canada Day mean to you in light of the recent discoveries of mass and unmarked graves at the sites of
As we reflect on the recent discoveries of unmarked and mass graves at the sites of former Residential Schools in Canada, I am pleased to introduce my guest for today’s blog, AdéX, to add an international perspective on Canada and Indigenous Peoples. ADÉX – Writer & Visual Artist is a Canadian/Saint
I went for a walk early this morning. The sun was just coming up and the roosters were crowing all around the neighborhood. I could hear the wind rustling in the trees and when I looked up at the sky I saw two sets of clouds: darker ones lower in the sky and lighter ones
My heart is broken again. Is yours? If you haven’t read the article “White Supremacy is as Old as Canada” in the Toronto Star, please do. It centres the hate/Islamophobia-motivated murder of the Muslim family (Yumna Salman, Madiha Salman, Salman Afzaal and Talat Afzaal) last week in London Ontario,
In the wake of recent events in Canada regarding the discovery of a mass grave at a former residential school, Egerton Ryerson’s statue was torn down on the Ryerson University campus in Toronto, and the university is considering a new name. We saw this same type response during the swell in the Blac
The discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children at a former Residential school on the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops, B.C., Canada is horrific and heartbreaking. My heart goes out to our Indigenous communities and families in Kamloops and across Canada. As I struggle to find
The fact that much of the globe operates under the concept of white supremacy means that this belief underlies decisions, actions, and even (ironically) support for equality. May was Diversity Month in Europe. And as part of their campaign, Spain launched “skin colour stamps” on the anniversary of G
“This can be a moment of significant change.” Those were US President Biden’s last words at his address yesterday about the guilty verdict in George Floyd’s murder trial. I see the possibility, and I hope he proves this to be the case. He certainly has put some important wheels in motion with the Ge
Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) are not new – these are words we have heard in business for at least 20 years now. What is new is the leaning in around issues of race. More than Representation Companies that are committed to D&I are being asked to take a look at the representation of people who are blac
This week, in the aftermath of the murders of Asian Americans in Georgia, USA last week, and the mounting (and more visible) anti-Asian sentiment and violence in Canada as well as other countries, the theme is acknowledgment. Specifically regarding identity and experiences. It may often feel awkward
This week’s murders of predominantly Asian American women in a US comes amid increased examples of anti-Asian sentiment in action, and therefore rising fears in Asian communities. White this surge is frightening and disheartening and shows us the reality of hate in it’s many forms, it is not new. An
This week, let’s examine white supremacy and the monarchy. White supremacy is a concept (not a hate group, although those groups are based on the concept and use it to do hateful things). As a concept, it is about white skin being the standard or norm, and people with white skin being superior. With
There are so many things I want to write about, with regard to the interview Meghan and Harry gave with Oprah which aired on Sunday. You’ll see these musings over the next few weeks. Today, I’m focusing on the big picture – the pervasiveness of racism. Racism is Pervasive Let’s take in the fact that
Dr. Seuss is getting a lot of attention this week. If you haven’t read about the decision to no longer publish 6 books you can do so here. The CBC article has many good points, some of which I will discuss below. Impact First, let’s talk about the impact of images and words in books.
If you have been an Inclusion Insight subscriber for at least 13 months, you know BHM is not my favourite. If you search in this blog under Black History Month, you’ll find some reasons why. This year, my plan is to share some insights every week to deepen your awareness and sharpen your lens. This
Last week I made an assumption based on incomplete facts. These are easy to do – because although we don’t have all the information we think we know enough. Assumptions are one of the things that undermine inclusion, connection and belonging. So we have a new President elect and a ground-breaking ne
It’s a bright new day…or is it? Although I haven’t looked at the specific details, Trump has won the US election and will be in office for 4 more years. What now? In some ways I feel like I could re-post the blog I wrote when he was elected the last time. But the world
Last week I wrote about the activism in the NBA; the way basketball players were using their status to continue to shine a light on anti-Black racism and demand action and change. And, I missed something. The roots of resistance: the WNBA Long before the NBA players paused the playoffs, even before
If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll have personally felt the impact of the pause in playoff games last week. But even if you’re not a fan of the sport, you likely heard about the boycott. (In case you didn’t you can read about it here and here Acknoweldging impact With the NBA boycott in mind, I
If you live in Toronto, did you know that August is Emancipation Month? And that August 1 is Emancipation Day? I didn’t. You can read about it here. So what? Acknowledgment is very important. So, Emancipation Day/Month is a good idea. But we have to know about it, and do something with it, in order
This week, in the wake of the shocking shoe description found on one of Amazon’s sellers, I’m thinking about how policy translates to practice. When a shoe is not just a shoe… Last week a friend of mine sent me a screenshot of a shoe found on Amazon (in the UK). I glanced at the
It’s August and for those of us with children, it’s the time we start thinking about “back to school”. This year, “back to school” isn’t the same; it comes with many more concerns and questions than usual. I imagine school boards and districts around the world are handling these in a variety of ways
Last week I had the opportunity to facilitate a conversation that reminded me (again) of the importance of sharing, creating spaces for sharing to occur, and the beauty that can happen when we make the time to connect. Often, when something impacts us, at work or elsewhere (a comment, an omission, a
BlackNorth Initiative was formed last month. As many of these, it was in response to the killing of George Floyd. But anti-Black racism is (sadly) not a new issue. Their goal? To increase the representation of people who are Black around Canada’s Boardroom tables and among executive suites. They hel
As the weather gets warmer and we step into summer, I’ve noticed a change in my spirit. A lightness. It also has something to do with lifted COVID restrictions. And, as if on cue with the weather, I have noticed that I’m slipping back into former COVID habits – like not washing my hands right away w
If you’re in Canada, today is a holiday. It’s “Canada Day” – the day we celebrate the official creation of our country. It’s a day that many Canadians celebrate for many reasons: from being thankful to have a day off work to being thankful for arriving and living in a country where there is no
(Yes, I also have Beyoncés Sorry, Not Sorry in my head now…) I have had many conversations over the last few weeks about anti-Black racism and systemic racism. The conversations feel different. There is a sense of leaning in, of wanting to know, of awareness (even small), that I have not felt before
Around the world, we are seeing protests (sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police and the ensuing riots in the USA) that include demands to remove monuments, statues, and street names that honour people involved in anti-Black racism – from people who profited from and were invol
I’m feeling hopeful this week as our federal political leaders have publicly stated that anti-Black racism is real in Canada. Because it is. Because we need to talk about it. Because allies help in our struggles for justice of all kinds. (You can read about the statements made here and here). And, I
Last week was challenging, to say the least. And sadly, not new… We had two publicly shared incidents of racism. One in Central Park and one in Minneapolis. One involving police and one involving a civilian. One involving men and one involving a woman. Both targeting Black men. You can read some gre
I’ve been thinking about masks this past week. Specifically, wearing them or not wearing them. I have 3 masks that have been made for me. I like the idea of wearing them. But I find I don’t wear them often. Why? It seem like such a simple thing. I had to think about it. I’m
Just in case the need for race*-based stats is a new conversation to you, it’s not just about COVI-19. COVID-19 is just the latest reason to beat the drum. Laurie Townshend (filmmaker, photographer and teacher) has a gripping installation up as part of Toronto’s Scotiabank Contact photography festiv
For many of us, the past 6 weeks in quarantine/lock down have been… interesting. Some things have changed, some things maybe not so much. For example: Because I work from home (unless I’m training), being home is not a big difference. Spending all day with my 7 year old and homeschooling is. Another
As you may recall (if you read last week’s blogpost) I changed the password on my cellphone two weeks ago. I’m reporting back on my progress, and I’m happy to report that it’s been a couple of days that I’m finally getting it. Link to D&I What does this have to do with D&I you
Last week I changed the password on my cellphone. What it’s showing me is how powerful repetition is, and how easy it is to get stuck in one way of thinking. Every time I pick up my phone, I have an automatic and physical response: I type in my old password, without thinking. The Brain is
On a bike ride over the weekend, we came across this poster. At first glance, without a proper look, it’s a feel-good gesture: our health care workers are not only working hard for all of us, but are taking risks every day as they do so. But look closer. What do you see? Who do
A couple of weeks ago, my colleague and friend Joseph Ranseth (who teaches people how to create movements) asked our Mastermind Group what the positives were about social isolation. What had we noticed? While this may sound like a bizarre question, it was a very good one. My positives included: My p
Simon Sinek, in his book Leaders Eat Last, writes about how people are social beings. In those pages he explains how we feel stress when we feel that we don’t belong. And how that stress manifests in our bodies and impacts our ability to firm bonds and problem solve – among other things. This makes
Last week I wrote about social vs physical distancing. This week I’m asking you to think about the ways assumptions and pre-judgment are sneaking into your actions and feelings during this pandemic. When we are stressed, or afraid, we tend to default to what we know. The impact of fear I’ve been obs
Yesterday, a friend of mine asked a great question: “Why are we calling it social distancing when we are physically distancing ourselves?” Hmmm…. So I looked it up and here is what I found in an article in The Atlantic. The CDC issued guidelines which include social distancing, which is: “a term tha
Spring is in the air in Toronto. Today at least. But there are other signs – last week my daughter and I saw snowdrops – small white flowers – on our way home. And for the past week we have spotted a few Canada Geese Vs. So today I’m taking a bit of a departure from
The past 12 months or so have been a whirlwind of insights, new learnings, discoveries, and growth for me in my work. It’s been exciting and scary all wrapped up together as I step more and more into the work I feel I am meant to be doing in the world. Years ago my business
Today as Black History Month is coming to an end once again, I am musing about this practice of months. They are meant to help raise awareness, which is good. They often result in reducing awareness for the rest of the year, which is not good. I’ll remind you in July to look for Black-led and
I haven’t immersed myself in the news about the recent nationwide protests in support of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. There are two main reasons for this, I suppose. I’ve been busy/don’t have time to read all about it and listen to the news. I run a business and I have a child. Those keep me busy enough
I had a powerful conversation yesterday with a colleague – Heather Hansen O’Neill. She was asking me about my thoughts regarding bias, assumptions, fear and how they get in the way. During that conversation she asked me a question that I had to think about. Not because I didn’t have an answer. But b
Every year I cringe when February arrives. And every year I try to think of new ways to raise awareness that can bring us closer to understanding and bridging the racial divide. This year I encourage you to pay attention to what you see and hear during Black History Month specifically related to Bla
Last week, Goldman Sachs announced that they wouldn’t be granting any companies IPO certification if they don’t have at least one diverse director on their Board. Well….! It is amazing to me what can happen when someone influential (or a business in this case) draws a line in the sand about diversit
Last week I was in San Antonio, Texas for the Evolutionary Business Council’s annual conference. My colleague and I led a short session called Real Talk: Race, Equity and Raising Social Consciousness. We also met with the organizational leadership to discuss these issues in the context of membership
I had a whole other topic planned and written for this week, but Harry and Meghan’s announcement has given me pause. When I heard the news that they would be stepping down from Royal duties (and that the Queen hadn’t been consulted first) I was with my daughter. As I explained it so she could
It’s the new year, but I have to comment on our Prime Minister’s Christmas message from a D&I perspective. You can watch it here. Powerful Messages There are many beautiful messages in there: – compassion – giving and giving back – supporting folks in our communities – reaching out to neighbours who
This past weekend I had the fortune of spending some time at the spa. It was lovely and relaxing and I made a concerted effort to not think about work – but as I finished one of the hydrotherapy circuits, I wondered about the cycle and the link to D&I. Hydrotherapy The spa I was
I’m a little late to the party, but wanted to wrap up my representation series before moving on. By now, Don Cherry’s remarks and his subsequent firing are old news. But what intrigues me most about this story is how we defend ourselves, and what those defenses tell us about awareness and inclusion
So, Justin Trudeau is in hot water as images of him in “brownface” 18 years ago have surfaced. And although I’m disappointed, I’m not surprised. Well, maybe a little that it was only 18 years. Why? Because this is an example of how deeply the social construct of race has embedded itself into our glo
As many of us are aware – we live in a technological world. Wifi at home and in public spaces with which we can access information from our laptops, tablets, and cellphones. Email addresses that are accessible from any of these devices – and even via apps to make it easier to connect. When we
A few weeks ago I had a mommogram (if you have breasts and are of a certain age, I can feel you cringing). During my appointment at the hospital I was handed a clipboard with and intake form, and a survey. I was pleased to see many options for the gender category along with some
If you live in Toronto, Pride week is over, and Pride month will end in a few days. But no matter where you live, if Pride is celebrated, here is some food for thought for after the parade is done. What happens now? Where do all the rainbows go? The stickers, the flags, the sentiment?
If you live in Toronto, June is Pride month, and this weekend coming up is Pride weekend. Rainbows abound. It’s nice to see the outwards signs of support. It wasn’t always like this. And it isn’t like this everywhere. In fact you don’t have to drive far to experience that. And we are also getting
I’m writing this on the eve of Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The game has been going on for about 2 hours. I am not watching – I have no TV – but I can hear the energy spilling out from neighbouring windows. My 7-year-old daughter has taken to basketball in the last few weeks,
First I want to acknowledge that the report from the Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was released in Ottawa yesterday. I want to read more about what it says before I write about it. In the meantime, a little something about privilege. The cover of NOW Magazine in To
Last week I had an experience that reminded me how important it is to ask questions so we can see more. I was at Paramount Restaurant for dinner. Paramount is owned by a man who is Muslim and I have seen a prayer room in one location. I would not be surprised if that is
For many of us, the fact that it’s Ramadan may not even be on our radar. Ramadan is the 9thmonth in the Islamic calendar and is a month where Muslims around the world fast between sunrise and sunset. As the days get longer, consider what I might be like not to eat or drink for
Last weekend I accompanied my mother to the 2019 Awards Gala for Voice of Women for Peace, held at the 519 Community Centre in Toronto. Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) is a grassroots organization that next year will turn 60. That’s quite something for an NGO. And it is the oldest women’s organizatio
Over the last two weeks I’ve been exploring resistance – specifically to immigration and to the accommodations we make (and/or are asked to make) for individuals who are new to Canada and who are bringing different beliefs and customs with them. If you missed them, here are Part 1 and Part 2. The Ba
Last week I started this series with a common argument: that people who come to Canada should be prepared to become Canadian and “leave their ways at home”. If you missed it, you can read about the irony I highlighted last week here. This week I’m going to explore another phrase I heard recently: “W
You’ve likely heard the argument, or perhaps made it yourself. It goes something like this: “When you come to Canada you should be prepared to be Canadian. Do whatever you want to do from ‘your own culture’ at home, but otherwise this is how we do things here.” Often in this argument someone says, “
Last week I spoke at Allies in Tech. Given their mission, it wasn’t surprising that the room was filled mostly women – and there were two men present. Yay! My topic was why inclusion is the key to diversity. As I was looking for images for an activity, I came across a few statistics about
It’s Day of Pink tomorrow, April 11, 2019. I have seen the rows of pink shirts on display at my daughter’s school, with words of encouragement and advice on how to be more caring. I hope that these are words that go beyond the assignment and the t-shirt slogan, and show up out loud on the
Sometimes when we talk about an issue, and when we are talking about the right things and using the right language, it’s easy to miss when the talk changes to just words. That’s how I felt watching the video clip of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response to activists “crashing” the Liberal Fundrai
This past week I was at the Global Influence Summit, run by Joseph Ranseth. Joseph has spent years studying the movements of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and teaches this to thought leaders in their commitment to change. The Global Influence Summit was about starting movements. As you can i
In the past two weeks I have watched two thought-provoking movies: Green Book and Same Kind of Different as Me. The former (as you may know) won Best Picture for last year. I watched it on the plane. The latter was from 2017, and I found it on Netflix. I love them both for the lessons
I was in Winnipeg last week to deliver training for the CGLCC in LGBT+ Inclusion for the tourism industry. While I was there I visited the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Overall, the visit reminded me that when our rights are protected, we don’t necessarily realize their importance or the weight
A few months ago I wrote about my experience moderating a panel on raising socially conscious kids. What I discovered was that being socially conscious meant different things depending on who was speaking – some parents were busy reading and speaking to their young children about privilege and resid
Over the weekend I was considering cultural competency versus cultural humility. If you’ve been to one of my workshops, chances are you’ve heard me talk about the latter as a new (and more appropriate) point of reference than the former in terms of D&I work. Cultural Humility Cultural Humility is ab
Diversity and inclusion. D&I. What if we put the I first? Imagine what might change? This week I’m thinking (again) about Board diversity. The lack of diversity and the need for diversity on Boards of Directors is something we have been hearing about for years. Last week I was at an Allies in Tech e
Last year, we heard a lot in the news about the Starbucks incident with the two Black men who were arrested for being in the café, while waiting for a friend. The issue? Being Black – and what this meant for the Starbucks employee who called the police. We then heard a lot about unconscious
A few weeks ago I attended a Diversity Committee meeting at my child’s elementary school. They were, not surprisingly, talking about Black History Month (and Asian Heritage month, also in February now) and what they could do. I’m going to share some of the highlights of that conversation because the
As I watch the snow fly, and it’s freezing outside, I feel like a little injection of hope is in order. So, in this blog post I’m sharing a few things I’ve come across in the last little while that I believe are good examples of some of the great choices and actions we can
Next month is Black History Month (BHM) here in North America. I have a love/hate relationship with BHM, that you can read about in past blogs. Today, however, I want to focus on a BHM event that you can participate in, and what I’ve learned already just by hearing about it. BHM is a month
This past weekend, I overheard a telephone conversation between my 6-year old daughter and her dad. He was watching a documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and was explaining who she is and her work. Here is some of what he said (I’m paraphrasing): “Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lawyer. When she went to
“There will never be a wall tall enough to prevent a parent from looking for a future for their children.” – Joanne Liu, President Doctors Without Borders My mom called me yesterday to read me the above quote and tell me about the article. Thanks Mom! I thought it would be a great way
Last Monday the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a report called A Collective Impact – about the Toronto Police Department and the racial profiling of Black people. I saw some of the statistics flash across the TV screen at the dentist’s office that day. Sadly, none of them surprised
Allyship is a word we hear and use often in reference to LGBTQ communities and LGBTQ inclusion – but it’s not specific to that group. Today I’m going to explore what the word means and why it’s important for furthering inclusion, equity, diversity and social justice. To be an ally means to align you
You may have heard about the D&G advertising faux-pas last week. If you haven’t you may still be able to google the news reports. Here’s the high-level summary: China was offended and D&G may well have lost a big market. For something that could have been avoided. A simple truth… There are many exam
I was recently asked about making a Diveristy & Inclusion (D&I) workshop mandatory. Before I tell you what I said, I have a few questions for you to consider. Questions for consideration: 1. What’s your criteria for making a training program optional? I’m sure there are many answers to that question
Unconscious Bias is a hot topic in the D&I world these days. It’s not surprising then, that the majority of presentations and workshops I have done in the past year have been (at least in part) about unconscious bias. Educating people about what it is and how it works is important and valuable. We n
Next week I’m presenting at an Advocates Society conference here in Toronto. The theme is body language. I’m no body language expert by any stretch, but what’s fascinating is examining body language within the context of power, privilege and unconscious bias. These are issues that I speak and train
This past weekend I moderated a panel at the 4Trimesters.org conference on Raising Socially Conscious Children. There were three women on the panel, and all had amazing insights, examples, and ways that they are raising their children to be more socially aware. I marvelled at all of the panelists, a
Diversity and Inclusion are lumped together (we even shorten it to D&I) but the reality I see as a consultant is that they aren’t often practised together. As our populations continue to diversify, and as organizations come under the spotlight for their commitment (or lack thereof) to diversity and
This week I’m re-reading a book by David Cameron Gikandi called A Happy Pocket Full of Money. It’s a great book about the mindset of abundance. I highly recommend it, it’s a fascinating read. It’s my second time through, and of course different things are jumping out at me this time. Here is one tha
If you live in Canada, this past weekend was Thanksgiving. I’m not going to write about why I don’t celebrate it. I’ve already done that twice. You can read those posts here. And here. Bias and its Impact This weekend I was thinking of two things – bias, and the impact of that. And it
When you have children in your life, it’s bound to happen that they will say something that embarrasses you in public. Sometimes it’s more painful than other times. But likely every caregiver has had at least one experience where a child has noticed something about someone out loud. What does that m
Fall Equinox happened this weekend and it has brought some cooler temperatures to Toronto (and likely elsewhere too!) While for some people this presents the opportunity to sport some new Fall fashion, change the furnace filters and consider turning up the heat, for others there are greater implicat
I have had the opportunity of a few discussions about Serena since last week’s blog – all of which I am grateful for. A key component of diversity and inclusion is dialogue and discussion. It’s imperative that we create an environment where we can share our perspectives and expand our awareness in t
I’m not a tennis fan. I have an idea of how to play, even owned a racket once, but I don’t watch it. Until maybe now. Maybe now I need to start watching. Serena Williams has been in the news twice in the last weeks for issues that point out (glaringly, to me) the way
I’m writing this amid the screaming of airplanes over my head from Toronto’s Airshow. Why we still “celebrate” this tradition when we have thousands of people living here from war-torn countries is beyond me. But I already wrote about that. I wanted to write about Serena Williams’ catsuit debacle. I
It’s the end of the summer holidays and this will be the last post in my reconciliation is a verb series. And it’s a good one! It’s one thing to write about something. It’s another to experience it. Last week I spent 4 days on Manitoulin Island. It was my mom’s 80th birthday trip and
Before I get into today’s topic, how did your role model search go? I found a book at the Glad Day Bookshop that I put on my list to read. It’s by Neel Patel and it’s called If You See Me Don’t Say Hi. It’s stories of his experience as a Native American. I also
I’m taking a week’s hiatus from reconciliation because of a conversation I had with my daughter. She is 6, and she just had a birthday. I bit the bullet and bought her a Barbie. It was a “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” moment, and she was introduced to them through an Aunt and
So….how did the challenge last week go? What new reality did you become aware of? Who did you speak with? What did you listen to? This week we’ll expand our awareness by considering whose land we are on (#61 on the list), and looking for Indigenous role models (#65). Whose Land? Early on in this
Which podcast or radio show did you listen to this past week? If you’re like me, I finally cleared some time and listened to a podcast on Monday night…and discovered someone I worked with years ago has released an album! So exciting. Jeremy Dutcher is Wolastoq (an Indigenous nation in New Brunswick)
Last week I wrote about cultural appropriation. I hope you were able to notice and discover some of the ways we do that with Indigenous cultures. This week is about knowledge, exposure and awareness. Most of the items on the 150 ways list are about information and learning. They include recommendati
Part 3 in the Reconciliation Series. This week I’m thinking about cultural appropriation as I consider reconciliation. Obviously, these two don’t mix. First of all, what does it mean to appropriate a culture? It means we are taking something and using it as if it were ours. In so doing, we strip it
Reconciliation is a Verb Series – part 2 One of the foundational pieces to change is awareness. That’s not a new phenomenon; it just makes sense. So to kick start the series, here are a few important things to provide context for reconciliation work. Colonization is devastating. If you’re not famili
This past weekend I was reflecting on Canada Day (you can read past blogs here), and how different the narrative is this year – specifically, how I haven’t heard the strong Indigenous voices and narrative that Canada’s 150 celebration brought up last year. I know that activism takes its toll. Speaki
In April I attended The Mastery of Self Expression. One of the things I was challenged with there was to examine if I wanted to be right or happy. Both! I said, laughing. But it’s no joke. Which one? What I’m discovering is that the desire to be right keeps me in my pain, in
If you live in Toronto or another city celebrating this month, Happy Pride! It’s Pride week here and all month rainbow flags have been waving all over the city. In fact, Scotiabank has PROUD in large letters outside their plaza. I walked by it the other day, remembering a time not too long ago when
On Monday, Starbucks Canada closed their stores for Anti-Bias training, and I was on the radio again to speak about it; this time with Alan Neal at CBC Ottawa’s All in a Day. What strikes me the most about conversations regarding bias is that we tend to focus on behaviours and individuals. This make
We have seen some big decisions in the last week related to anti-bias and Diversity & Inclusion. Last week I wrote (a spoke on CBC Radio) about Starbucks’ anti-bias training held across the USA on Tuesday. On that same day, ABC (the TV network) made a bold statement of its own by cancelling Roseanne
Yesterday Starbucks closed most of its stores in the USA to provide anti-bias training for their staff. This was part of their response to the incident at one of their locations in Philadelphia where the police were called and two Black men were arrested as they waited for their friend. Starbucks is
Yes, I admit it! I watched parts of the Royal Wedding on the weekend. I wasn’t planning to, but then the thought of showing my 5-year-old a non-white princess got the better of me at 8pm. And I heard the commotion about the sermon by “the Black preacher”, so I had to watch. I was
I recently participated in a city tour of Toronto run by Peter Odle – a friend and colleague of mine (check out UrbanExpeditions.com). It was fabulous and I saw parts of the city I have never seen before, in addition to learning a lot about the city’s history. (By the way, Peter and I are
Last week I was honoured to be part of the Pride@Work Workplace Summit 2018. Pride@Work is an organization dedicated to “building a nation where LGBTQ+ Canadians can achieve their full potential at work.” Why is Intersectionality Important? At the Summit, I moderated a panel about intersectionality
Yesterday, a story ran in the Globe and Mail about an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruling for a restaurant to pay a Black man $10,000.00 in compensation. He and his (Black) friends were asked to prepay for their food. You can read the article here. It’s more evidence of anti-Black racism in this co
Two weekends ago I was in Owen Sound Ontario (yes, in the snowstorm!) attending a workshop called The Mastery of Self Expression. It’s an amazing few days of getting to know ourselves better and challenging ourselves to be more of who we are. One of the things we talked a lot about over the weekend
In the wake of last week’s events where two Black men were arrested for hanging around a Starbucks while waiting for a friend, Starbucks has announced it will be closing 8,000 stores in the USA to offer anti-bias training. That equals about 175,000 employees. When you do the math, that’s a fairly he
The cover of my journal says Perfect is Boring. I was at a workshop when I picked it, and the message has spoken to me many times since, in different ways. Today, it struck me as an important point when talking about the work of diversity and inclusion. Sometimes we don’t know what to say…
I happened to be listening to G98 on the radio this weekend, and I caught an interview with Jully Black – the Canadian R&B singer. The topic was the Canada Reads and how it got “heated” between Jully Black and Jeanne Beker in the final episode. They played it on the radio, and I have
Something a little different this week… I’ve been taking an improv class at Bad Dog Theatre company in Toronto. While I signed up for an 8-week course on the art of Improvisation, every week I am also learning a little more about myself, relationships, and emotion. And…inclusion! Warm-up Exercises I
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Given what I do, every day is a day to eliminate racism, but I digress. First, I notice that it feels different to say ‘the elimination of racial discrimination’ vs. ‘the elimination of racism’. The latter is more powerful.
I didn’t watch the Academy Awards, but I did google the video about representation. If you didn’t see it, you can watch it here. The messages are clear. So I’m going to highlight a few of the many great things that were said, and say a few words about them. Voices being heard… Mira Sorvino
This past week I have been thinking a lot about resistance, and how it manifests itself in both overt and covert ways. Often when we are afraid, we resist. It’s a defence mechanism designed to keep us safe. But the result is that we can miss opportunities for learning, growth and change. Dealing wit
Of course I saw Black Panther this past week. Here are a few thoughts. I left the cinema feeling proud. Like the melanin in my skin was an opportunity. I wondered why the person who technically saved the world was a white dude. One of the few in the movie. Really?! Wesley Snipes could have
Ah… the chance to write about something positive! As you may have heard, the 2018 Gerber baby is Lucas Warren. And he has Downs Syndrome. Hooray for broader representation. Hooray for another chance to confront and challenge bias. And hooray for something to celebrate. And take a moment to imagine a
This is a hard blog to write. And I can’t even find an appropriate image. I was all set to write about happier things, like the new Gerber baby, but… The verdict in the Colten Boushie murder trial is heartbreaking and infuriating – and, sadly, not surprising. It’s one more story in a large volume
PepsiCo wants to launch a Lady Doritos chip. No, it’s not pink… But I think it says a LOT about how women are still viewed in society. Take a look: It’s going to be a bag that is smaller (to fit in a purse), less messy, and…wait for it….quieter! Not as crunchy – but they
In Canada, despite the fact that Visible Minorities make up 21.9% of the population (much more in some cities) the representation of people from “diverse” backgrounds (as well as female representation) is still abysmal. Bill C-25 (currently before the Senate) is aimed at changing that. It would requ
I have an issue with Black History Month. I have written about how everything Black happens in February and is forgotten for the rest of the year. I have written about “firsts” and what they say about how far we have (and haven’t) come. And last year I wrote about the lessons we could learn
It was announced today that transgender inmates in Federal prisons will be housed according to their gender identity and will be addressed using the correct pronouns (among other rights). This is a “win” for gender identity and expression and human rights – but what about for Trans and non-binary in
This coming Wednesday January 31st in Canada is Bell’s Let’s Talk day – a day set aside to raise awareness about mental illness, and funds to support mental health. You’ve likely seen the ads from Bell in bus shelters, billboards and transit vehicles. If you don’t live in Canada, don’t let that stop
Lessons from The Lorax Last Thursday night we took out 5-year-old daughter to a theatre production of The Lorax (the Dr. Seuss character who “speaks for the trees”). She was enthralled with the stage performance, the dancing, the singing and the large puppet that was the Lorax. There were a few scen
Last week was quite a week… I wrote a blog about Judge Eidsvik’s comments about “dark people”, commented on the H&M “coolest monkey in the jungle advertising debacle, and then President Trump made disparaging comments about Haiti and African nations in the context of immigration. If you haven’t seen
2018 has just started and we have our first public misstep in advertising: H&M had a black boy modelling a hoodie that brands him as the “coolest monkey in the jungle”. Are you kidding me?! The white kid next to him is the “survival expert”. Ah… if only someone had caught this during the photo
Judge Kristine Eidsvik told her class at the University of Calgary that she was uncomfortable walking into a room “full of big dark people.” If you haven’t read the brief article in the Toronto Star, you can read it here. Sigh. Welcome to 2018. This type of comment isn’t surprising or shocking. It’s
This past week I hard-pressed to find a menorah anywhere. Christmas trees, yes. But a menorah? I live in a condo, and the Christmas tree went up in the lobby on Dec. 7. When I called the management office to find out if a menorah was going to appear I was told no, and that I’d
Three things stand out for me in this clip from Tuesday night’s coverage of the Alabama Senate race in the USA where Doug Jones won. On Tuesday night, following the US election where Doug Jones won, Jake Tapper speaks with one of Roy Moore’s spokespeople who doesn’t think Muslims should be allowed i
Soon after the news of the engagement between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke, my 5-year old daughter and I were in the store. I showed her the cover of the magazine. “Look!” I said. “That woman will be a princess.” Princesses can be brown too! Believe me, it’s not because I want her to
How many of you know a Niqabi woman? Did you know that is what a woman who wears a niqab might call herself? I didn’t. How many of you have spoken to a Niqabi woman? I haven’t. Not because I don’t want to, but because the opportunity has not presented itself. Interesting, right? Especially given
This week I’m thinking again about freedom of speech – and more specifically, who is really afforded this right and who is not? It’s prompted by disciplinary action taken against Masuma Khan by Dalhousie University (now retracted). Ms Khan posted a Facebook comment in response to reactions to her mo
It’s an interesting thing that Quebec has done with Bill 62: they haven’t used the word Muslim or niqab in their Bill, but they have still managed to target Muslim women. Sneaky. And, in my opinion, sinister. There has been a statement to attempt to defend the universalism of the Bill. Something lik
For the last installment of the series, I have two more common examples of privilege to share. Both are based specifically on identities: race and gender. The first example is thanks to Hadiya Roderique, who wrote an amazing article for the Globe and Mail last weekend entitled Black on Bay Street. W
Last week we explored taking up space. This week we’ll explore the ways we use our privilege to discount others (and impose our needs on them). I was recently facilitating a workshop. Right away, during the introduction, one of the participants indicated that he was aware of his privileges as a whit
I’m sure you’ve been in situations like this – the ones where someone is talking way more than anyone else in the group. Maybe you were at a party, maybe it’s a group of friends, or perhaps it happens at work. Share the Air In workshops, we always have an agreement about sharing the air.
I’m hearing Tina Turner in my head as I start this blog post. “What’s love got to do with it…” Sing it, Tina! I’m starting a series on privilege. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be examining some of the ways it shows up in our lives. At the end of the series, we’ll have
Last weekend we saw another mis-step in the advertising world. If you didn’t see Dove’s Facebook ad, you can see it here. Dove pulled it down, and apologized for the “racial insensitivity”. Well. The ad is not just racially insensitive, it perpetuates (and is perpetuated by), systemic racism. Here’s
If you haven’t seen or read about Cam Newton and his response to a female reporter’s question about football routes, you can watch it here. It’s a great example of micro-aggressions and bias – conscious and unconscious. It also provides the opportunity to have a conversation about how insidious isms
I was really busy with a project this past week, so this weekend was my first chance to catch up on the Take a Knee movement. I’m intrigued by the history as well as what it has become. You can read about it and watch the video here. Taking a Knee Here’s a rudimentary synopsis:
To me, one of the most important parts of this work around diversity and inclusion and anti-racism/anti-oppression is to give people a chance to expand their awareness and broaden their thinking. Because generally speaking we all live in a pretty small orbit – our own. This works really well for som
To be honest, today, I don’t feel like writing. There are many things going on in the world that I could write about: Sloane Stephens’ come-from-behind win at the US Open and how she (and other female athletes) are making much less less in sponsorship than their male counterparts. The inequities tha
Last week Munroe Bergdorf was fired by L’Oréal after a Facebook “rant” on racism. You can read about it here. There are so many points of entry into this issue for me, but I’ll focus on two today. Who is ranting? First. The definition of a rant is to “speak or shout at length in
Last weekend, a good friend of mine was the only Black person at a wedding. There was one guest there, a white woman, who was intent on making sure my friend understood that she “got it”; that she was an ally. She sought my friend out throughout the evening, on multiple occasions, and shared her
I went to see the movie Wonder Woman last week. For the second time. There were many things I like and appreciate about the movie: Female superhero: check Strong female lead character: check Female lead who doesn’t spend time obsessing over a guy: check I’m also glad Gal Gadot is Israeli, to remind
What happens when people in positions of power don’t speak out against things that are wrong? If you were listening to the news last week, we’ve had a recent example with President Trump condemning both sides for the recent violence in Charlottesville. If you missed it, you can check it out here. Ra
A few weeks ago, President Trump decided to reinstate a ban on transgender people serving in the military. It was a blow to transgender rights, which had been creeping along in a positive direction in the US. You can read more about the details here. The first thing that comes to mind is how some
Last week I had another interesting experience that has rocked my world a little more. Quite frankly, I should know better. But every time I get to see more, to notice and challenge my assumptions, I grow. That is the point, after all. And because these challenges allow me to see myself and others m
This week I’m going to get a little personal, and tell you about an experience I had with seeing more. I have a brother who has a mental illness. It’s easy to judge him; to see the many ways he “doesn’t cut it” and the things he should be doing (the things that make sense to
Last week in the Toronto Star there was an article about claims of homophobia, Islamophobia, and racism at The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). You can read more about the emails employees allegedly received from their superiors in the article The first thing that comes to mind, when w
A few weeks ago I took an Uber in Washington DC to get to the airport. As we drove, I struck up a conversation with the driver. I like to hear about people’s lives while I’m sitting in the back seat, and I always learn something new – plus I often get to challenge my
Last week I visited a Health Care Practitioner. As I sat in the in the waiting room I watched the TV screen display with a slide rotation of all of the practitioners who work in the office and offer complimentary care. While there is a range of offerings and small bios underneath so one can
I’m watching an interview with a leader from the Maritime Forces Atlantic (the Navy) about the Proud Boys “interruption” of an Indigenous ceremony in Nova Scotia on Canada Day. You can google the footage of the disturbance and the troubling comments made by the Proud Boys. I’m not going to link it h
Welcome to week 5 of “How to be an Ally.” We’re on the last letter of the ROAR acronym this week: the R. If you missed the others, they are R – Recognize Privilege O – Openness to Learning A – Action The last R is for Recognize Difference. This is possibly the most important
Welcome to week 4. Happy Eid to all of our Muslim brothers and sisters! Ramadan ended last night, and today is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, which means ‘festival to break the fast’. It will continue until Tuesday, June 27th at sundown. And if you’re (also) part of the LGBTQ community in Toronto, it
Welcome to week 3! If you missed the last two weeks, you can find them here: – A general overview, but with a focus on Ramadan – The first R in ROAR – Recognize Privilege O = Openness to Learning The whole point of the O is that as allies, there will be many things
Welcome to week 2! An ally is someone who supports someone else. In the context of social justice, allies support people and communities who are marginalized, in their struggle for equity, human rights, justice, etc. An ally is not a member of the group they are allied with. Last week, we started wi
Every once in a while we get to pull the curtain back and see what people are really thinking and saying about others – sometimes even about us. And when it is less than flattering, we are always shocked, hurt, appalled. And we have every right to be, because ideally people (especially those in posi
This month is Pride month in many places, so I’m doing a series on Allyship using the acronym ROAR (recognize privilege, open to learning, act, recognize diversity). Because LBGTQ-identified people come from all walks of life, I’m starting the series by talking about Ramadan – and how you can be an
Complaining is something that only those with privilege are really afforded. Did you know that? It’s true. So, who is heard? Complaining is something that only those with privilege are really afforded. Did you know that? It’s true. And to highlight this, I’m going to share two examples from the past
Today’s Toronto Star newspaper article by Shree Paradkar bears blogging about. It’s a perfect example of how bias works, and how language helps to fuel both unconscious bias, and hatred. The columnist – Shree Paradkar – makes many excellent points. Here are a few of my favourites. You can read the w
It doesn’t matter why you use a derogatory word. It’s just not acceptable. Ever. But they keep flying out of people’s mouths. This week we had two Canadian examples of the way we often carelessly throw hurtful words around. One was homophobic, and one was racist. Both words are derogatory and are sl
I have spent the last 8 days in Delhi, India – an incredibly busy and crowded city, with beautiful people, stunning monuments that are older than the “birthday” Canada is celebrating this year, ridiculous traffic, some green spaces, and much poverty. I have traveled to many countries, and poverty lo
This coming Sunday, May 14th is Mother’s Day in North America (and possibly also elsewhere). Whether you appreciate the commercialism or not, for some women, it will be a day where they are wrapped in the warm embrace of family, reminded of the many reasons they are loved by their children. But not
A few weeks ago I got into a taxi in Toronto. The driver was South Asian (no surprise.) He asked me where I was from and a lively conversation ensued in which he told me about Tamil Nadu, the part of India he is from, and some of its fascinating history and present. I learned
The other night as my four year old filled up her cup from the tap and had a drink after brushing her teeth, I reminded her how lucky she was to live in a country where she could drink the tap water. We have just returned from a vacation in Cuba, where I had to
Serena Williams was confronted with (and responded to) racism through social media. You can read all about it here. The subtlety of racism Racism is often subtle. And as such it comes out of people’s mouths in ways that we often don’t catch: “You’re not really Black.” “I hope the baby doesn’t get an
A TV Commercial Yesterday I saw a commercial on TV that made me smile. Picture this: It starts with a close up of little feet running through mud, and into the house. At which point we see that the little girl (4 years old? 5?) – complete with skirt and crown – is chasing a
I’m in Cuba with my family this week – well, actually an island off the coast of Cuba. And while we are at an all inclusive, in a location with little else around (sadly), there is still enough going on here to be aware of race politics. Cuba has a mixture of people of colour
This Wednesday April 12th is Day of Pink – the international day against bullying, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia and transmysogyny. An act of support It didn’t start out meaning to be a day recognized around the world; it started as an act meant to support one person. Jadrien Cota – a high
Well. I’ve finally seen the Pepsi commercial. So many things wrong with it, and so many things to say. But first, one or two positives (yes, I found some): There is cultural diversity. Lots of it. And we see some people in roles we may not usually – a cellist of colour, a photographer who
Yesterday I watched Trevor Noah’s Afraid of the Dark (available on Netflix – here’s a clip). It was amazing from start to finish. What I love about Trevor Noah is that while he is making us laugh, he is educating us as well. Afraid of the Dark is no exception. He covered colonization, being Black in
This is what Islamophobia looks like This is what Islamophobia looks like: A policy that has been in place for 20 years, allowing Muslim students the opportunity to pray at schools on Fridays, being violently opposed. This is what Islamophobia looks like: Tearing pages out of the Qu’ran. This is wha
This year Canada as a colonized country is 150 years old. And we’re going to celebrate. I imagine that on July 1 there will be a plethora of festivities, with flags and music and who knows what else. Canada means different things to different people, for sure. You can read more about this in my
I’ve been thinking a lot about belonging and connection lately – thanks to Simon Sinek and his book Leaders Eat Last. And then I came across an article questioning if children should learn sign language in school. Which hit me for two reasons, one of which is that my latest preoccupation has been wh
Last Friday morning, my world felt different. I had watched Desmond Cole’s documentary The Skin We’re In on CBC the night before (if you missed it, you can watch it here). The Skin We’re In – a brief overview The Skin We’re In was insightful, personal and thought-provoking. I appreciated how the iss
Many of you are likely familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote: “There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal.” I would argue that time has nothing to do with it. Silence equals betrayal anytime – whether we realize it or not, whether we are alone or in a group – because it equals
After the public spotlight on race in the last two years, it’s nice to see some melanin in the Oscar winner lineup in 2017. Just to be clear, I didn’t watch, but I see that Moonlight won Best Picture, Viola Davis won for Best Supporting actress and Mahershala Ali won for Best Supporting Actor (not
Recently I was in a restaurant having lunch with a colleague. The server came to tell us the specials and announced that the soup that day was vegetable, but added: “It isn’t totally vegan, because it’s made with a little bit of cream.” Pause. “So then, it’s not vegan at all,” I suggested. They thou
Two weeks ago, I wrote about why we don’t talk about Black present or future, and mused about whether we are helping all people to learn from Black History when we talk and teach about it. A few things have happened since then that I need to share: Musings on Black History from 4- and
Nancy Elgie’s resignation as a trustee from the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) is a good thing, but let’s be clear that it’s only a step in the right direction. The school board has been in the news frequently over the past few months about allegations of racism. Nancy Elgie’s use of the
Let’s talk about Bill C-23, and what it could mean for some Canadians. Bill C-23 is called the pre-clearance Bill because it’s about the powers that US customs officials have when Canadians pre-clear US customs on Canadian soil. You can read more about it here. Currently, if you are pulled aside for
I am not a fan of Black History Month. For one, it becomes a month crammed with everything Black/African/Caribbean and then we don’t see much of it the rest of the year. You can read other musings here. But this year, I have another angle that adds to my disdain. I recently had a conversation
I just read that the White House issued a statement last week about Holocaust Remembrance Day, without mentioning Jewish people. Wait, what?! An article in the New York Times states: “Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for the president, told a CNN reporter that the wording was intentional because the admini
I was in the USA last week when President Trump announced his 90 day ban for entry into the USA for any citizen from 7 predominantly Muslim countries (those were his company apparently does business conspicuously absent) and 120 day ban on the admission of refugees from those same countries (Iran, I
Women’s Marches This past weekend, thousands of women around the world took to the streets to show their protest against the new President of the USA, their commitment to each other, and their solidarity towards the other groups also targeted by him during his campaign. It gave me pause to think abo
This past Tuesday, at the Pride Toronto AGM, members voted to uphold the demands of Black Lives Matter made last summer at the Pride parade. One of those demands was the removal of police floats from the Parade. Police spokesperson Mark Pugash expressed disappointment, and is quoted in the CBC artic
A Story: Picture this (a true story): A Person of Colour and a White person are texting (you pick who you want to be in this scenario). They are discussing plans, and at the end of the exchange the Person of Colour sends their White friend a brown “thumbs up” to indicate that they agree.
A Toronto restaurant has been called out by the media for calling their non-spicy food option “White” on their menu. Reality Check Firstly, I have to point out that in a world where Black men are routinely targeted by police – in some cases fatally – and there are many many examples of systemic oppr
I finally watched Meryl Streep’s acceptance speech for her Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes. Wow… If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it or read it. It’s powerful. And so important. It’s also heartwarming and inspiring to see someone use their position and privilege to make such importa
Lack of Diversity One of the things that irks me is the lack of diverse representation in images. If you take a look at the images that are used on websites, in ads, on posters, on billboards, the majority of the people used are white, thin, depicting heterosexual relationships, able bodied, and cis
2017 has started, but it’s not the beginning of a New Year for everyone – just those of us who go by the Gregorian calendar (the internationally accepted civil calendar – also known as the Western or Christian calendar. It’s only been in use for a few hundred years – read more here.) This is
Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! All of these major festivals (and maybe others) are being celebrated this week in some places around the world. If you aren’t aware of these holidays (and I’m guessing, that by default if you are in North America, you’ll at least be aware of the last o
I’m currently in Barbados with my family, and of course, Christmas is in the air. What strikes me as we travel around and listen to the radio, is the presence of Santa Claus. Santa Claus is Black here, of course, which may surprise some people and certainly shakes up the image that is typically pres
If you live in North America, it’s hard to not know that this coming weekend is Christmas. Many of us have been bombarded with decorations, commercials, Santas in shopping malls, and Christmas carols on the radio and in stores for the last month – sometimes more! If you’re Christian, or if you’re ce
It’s fitting, on the heels of last week’s blog, that I have been introduced to The Maplelea Girls – a group of Canadian dolls. Conversations about race can be difficult. Yes, we are making progress, but there are still issues to raise and improvements to make – and unless we talk about these, they w
Last week I arrived back in Toronto from a trip to the US. As I made my way through the terminal at Pearson International Airport, I was greeted by this image. As you can see, it’s a large series of photographs that hangs high above the escalators as you go down to customs. It’s meant,
Since Brexit an interesting phenomenon has appeared – the use of the once innocuous safety pin as a symbol of safe space. It has popped up in the USA post-election as well. It’s heartening to see people recognizing that spaces are not safe for everyone. Check. It’s also great to see that people
This past week I have had the opportunity to reflect (again) on the way we have been taught to not see skin colour – specifically, the way we have been taught to not see non-white skin colour. Somewhere along the line someone decided that this would be a good idea, and would show acceptance. It
The US election is devastating for so many reasons – not just the results, but the whole campaign. Beyond the US president elect, it has shown us the underbelly of what seems like half of American voters: Racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy… But Trump didn’t cause t
This morning I woke up early and was fortunate to catch the sunrise as I walked along the lakeshore. It’s one of my favourite places. As I walked, I came across this sign. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it, but it caught my attention today again, especially since I’ve been thinking a lot about re
Last week I attended the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Conference – Inclusive Canada, 2017 and Beyond. It was a thought-provoking and intense two days with a strong theme of Indigenous inclusion. The opening keynote was by Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Ambassador for Reconciliation Canada. He spoke
Recently I spent a weekend in the Crown Height, Brooklyn – a Hasidic neighbourhood. As I walked to and from my friend’s apartment, I was surrounded by men in black suits, white shirts and hats or yarmulkes, and a few women in long skirts. Despite being a person of colour who is used to being
Today I’m writing about words and choices. In our post-colonization societies, the use of words still reminds us (if we are aware and paying attention) of who is in charge, and who has value – and who doesn’t – in the eyes of the state. Take some of the names of sports teams, for example.
You have probably already heard or read about Dr. Tamika Cross’ post on Facebook and her experience of anti-Black racism on a Delta Airlines flight. In case you haven’t, here it is in a nutshell: A man needed medical attention. She got up to help and was told to sit down. The flight attendants calle
This week there is an interesting convergence of two holidays in Canada. While one is religious and one is not, I’m finding the timing quite meaningful. Everywhere in Canada (except in the Atlantic provinces) Monday is Thanksgiving, and in the Hebrew calendar, Yom Kippur begins Tuesday night at sund
Happy New Year! If you’re Jewish, you know exactly what I’m talking about – Rosh Hashanah began last night at sundown. “Shanah Tovah!” If you’re not Jewish, or don’t have any close friends (or family) who are Jewish, it’s possible that you had no idea. Or, like me, no idea until yesterday. Which is
If you haven’t heard about it already, Disney has a new movie coming out (Moana), featuring Maui – a revered figure in Polynesian culture. That’s a topic all of it’s own; that a company will take culturally significant figure (particularly an Indigenous one) and make a movie with it. But that’s a po
Race can be a difficult topic to discuss. (Ha! Did you think this was going to be about your retinas?) And somewhere along the line some of us were taught that being colour blind was the answer; that not seeing the colour of someone’s skin is a good and respectful thing. To be more precise,
I heard something last week while listening to Spark (on CBC radio) that created a shift in perspective. I love that! American Sign Language (ASL) is not the same as English. Which means that often the literacy rates of people who are fluent in ASL is low. Wait, what?! If you are having the same
If you live in Toronto or the GTA, and were home this past weekend, you likely noticed the Air Show. Or maybe your city has an Air Show as well? Read on. Photograph:JasonGillman The Air Show is an end-of-summer CNE-closing tradition in Toronto. Does anyone know why? I don’t, and I’ve lived in Toront
Intention vs Impact Ah Ellen. I enjoy her show and I think she is funny. So do many people. But when she posted the meme of herself on Usain Bolt’s back, some people didn’t think she was funny at all. Here’s what I want to pull from this happening: Intention and impact are not the
The Olympics are a perfect place to sit back and watch how (unconscious?) bias filters in to reporting. Consider who is shown on the podium and who is not. Consider who is getting airtime and who is not. Consider how we talk about athletes, and who we hear about (and who we don’t). Consider who
Last week in Calgary, a woman was shopping for dolls for her children at Toys R Us and made a startling discovery – the “dark skinned” doll was priced lower than it’s “lighter skinned” counterpart (those are the words from the CTV new report). Image from: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/toys-r-us-says-
Last week I was part of many conversations about race and racism – in organizations, with the people in my life, in the community. Race and racism are tricky to talk about. People feel cautious – even afraid – to say the wrong thing, or to be perceived as ignorant (or worse, as racist). The
Black Lives Matter Toronto halted to Pride Parade on Sunday to make some demands of Pride Toronto. It’s not the first and won’t be the last of their bold activism. And, as Naila Keleta-Mae writes in her Globe and Mail article, the point is that they make people uncomfortable. Here’s my perspective a
Today I put my foot in my mouth, big time. I mentioned it was Canada Day to a new American friend, and cheekily suggested he could wish me a happy one. And he is Indigenous. Yup. That’s right. I will give you a moment to let that sink in. I have been doing Diversity & Inclusion
It’s been just over 2 weeks since the mass shooting at PULSE nightclub in Orlando, Florida where 49 people were killed. As a member of the LGBTQ communities, and as a Diversity and Inclusion speaker, facilitator, and consultant (specializing in LGBT Inclusion) it has given me pause on many fronts. H
Last week, as you know, Larry Wilmore’s used the ‘N word’ at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. It’s been on my mind. Personally, I think the use of the ‘N word’ should not be used by anyone who isn’t Black. And then, its use needs to be carefully weighed before proceeding: what’s the context,
There is so much room for the insidiously undermining power of assumptions and bias to “take us out” of connection with people – in intimate relationships, in any relationship. Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Kelly Blaser about this, as part of her Conscious Communication Summit. The i
Last week at the Cities of Migration conference in Toronto, one of the panelists was Rachel Peric – the Deputy Director of Welcoming America. She and the organization were introduced as having helped to turn hostile communities into welcoming ones, which of course caught my attention right away. Whe
Cities of Migration – the 3rd annual – is put on by Ratna Omidvar and Diversity Global Exchange and is happening in Toronto until Friday March 4. The tag line is “Diversity Drives Prosperity” so of course I was intrigued, and looking forward to participating in and listening to some broader conversa
The Ontario Government has created an Anti-Racism Directorate. Here is what the website http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/en/news/35889 says: “The Directorate will work with key partners such as business, community organizations, educational institutions and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The Direc
It’s 2016 and we finally have a more realistic? representative? diverse? Barbie. I don’t know if I should applaud or cry…. After 58 years (37 if you count the African American and Hispanic Barbie that appeared in 1980), Barbie is finally being released in a few body type options: Regular (still!?),
I recently attended the Regional Diversity Roundtable’s event “It’s 2015: Which Women have Arrived?” It was an interesting and thought-provoking evening. One of the speakers was Sandeep Tatla – Chief Diversity Officer from the Ontario College of Trades. Here were a few statistics Sandeep shared: Wom
I have been listening to and reading the news about the guilty verdict (attempted murder) of Constable Forcillo here in Toronto, in the shooting death of Sammy Yatim. I’m probably the last person to have seen the video, and it struck me how many shots were fired as Sammy lay there on the streetcar f
Last year was the first year I remember there being a wide unrest about the “colour” of the Oscars. Hashtags abounded. This year, there has been a stir as well – including an amazing video by Jada Pinkett Smith where she talks about it maybe being time to stop asking to be included, because it
It’s not new concepts that prejudice (pre-judging) is learned (sometimes taught) and that unconscious bias is insidious. Here is a stellar example of both (and the impact on my 3 year old) that made me particularly furious. Recently I was watching an episode of My Little Pony with my daughter. It’s
Questions about identity-specific groups often come up when we talk about inclusion. These could be based on race, sexual orientation, age etc. Identity-based groups are often viewed with caution and the accusation of exclusion. Afterall, we don’t want to go “backwards”. I’d like to suggest they are
If you’re a parent, you are familiar with the act of registering your child’s birth. Probably not something you associate with discrimination or inequity. Your child is born. You register yourself or yourselves as parents. Voila! For some people, birth registration is a painful reminder of unequal r
Yesterday I was in a downtown Toronto office. As soon as the elevator doors opened onto the 7th floor I could already see the Christmas decorations. The person I was meeting with is Jewish. So I asked him as we looked at the Christmas tree, where the Menorah was. He looked a bit uncomfortable for
In the aftermath of Paris (and Beirut) – any tragic event – many of us ask ourselves what we can do. These situations are so big and so overwhelming that we often also think big – and get overwhelmed. But change can happen in small and meaningful ways. Here are a few things we can
An update on the story about the lesbian couple in Utah who were to have their foster child taken away because they are gay: The ruling has been rescinded. Hooray! I’m happy that public pressure and criticism caused a change of ruling. The judge crossed out “belief” that children in same-sex (same g
If you google “violence around the world on Friday November 13” you will see pages and pages of links on the attacks in Paris. I stopped at 9. But Paris wasn’t the only place people were killed on Friday – Beirut, for example, also had a deadly attack. Why didn’t we hear as much about
There are many things I could write about under this title, but today, I’m going to highlight a decision by a judge in Utah to remove a foster child from a home just because the couple caring for her are lesbians. This is a perfect example of bias – one person’s perspective, based on how
New Canadian Federal cabinet aside (more on that later) I have to comment on Prince Ea’s video () that is making the rounds on social media. It’s a lovely sentiment. I hate labels too. And if you are White, chances are you love this video. We have been taught that being “colour blind” is a
Yesterday I was in the Atlanta airport. As usual, I found the bookstore and spent some time perusing the shelves. New Releases, Inspirational, Popular, Non Fiction, Classics, and…African American?! I stopped. It was the same size as all of the other sections and had everything from The Snowy Day (a
A few things have given me cause to be hopeful about the direction of our country, following this week’s election (congratulations Justin!) Firstly, I feel like I can use his first name. It’s nice to have a young PM that actually seems to be engaged with the Canadian public – shaking hands in a Metr
Not being included, not having a feeling of belonging, or of being welcome can be uncomfortable, lonely, angry, sad (to name a few) – all of which add up to a feeling of separateness. Depending on who we are, this feeling of not being included (of exclusion) can be familiar or unfamiliar. If it’s un
The Girl Guides of Canada – one of the oldest organizations serving girls in this country – are now officially welcoming transgender girls and women to the fold. Hooray! You can read more about it in the Huffington Post article, but a few things bear special mention here. The organization has been w
Last night I was at a dinner at the University of Toronto’s Hart House, hosted by the Centre for International Experience and First Nations House. It was a lovely meal. Here is some food for thought. The Great Hall has portraits all around the room of Hart House wardens, and university chancellors a
I’m working on a project for Egale about raising awareness about the need for LGBTQ safer spaces in seniors’ long term care facilities. It’s easy to think that because LGBTQ laws have changed, that all people who identify as LGBTQ are living an open, out and discrimination-free life. In general, thi
Congratulations Viola! I shake my head that this is the FIRST time a woman of colour has received this award. I want to ask, what year is this? But Viola’s speech says it all – the only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. And those opportunities, sadly, have been (s
Happy Holidays to those who are celebrating today! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year. This year, Rosh Hashanah began last night (September 14) at sundown, and continues until tomorrow evening when Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – begins, ending W
Today on CBC’s Metro Morning I heard the fourth segment of the series The Nirmalendran Brothers. It’s the only one I have heard, and the podcast isn’t up yet – but check back to listen at http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/). The focus today was on Christopher Husbands who has been found guilty of two c
Macy’s has one of the most diverse Board of Directors in America. Probably North America. While much attention is being paid to the gender disparity in boards (most Directors are male), we should also be looking at other areas of diversity – like race, culture, age, etc. All of these identities (and
On my run yesterday, I had to cross a busy street. This isn’t unusual. But yesterday I noticed a new button at the crosswalk. It’s likely not new, but it’s the first time I noticed it. And I noticed it, because it beeped when I pressed it. The beep caused me to pause. If I
We’ve all had the experience of making a comment that was intended to be funny, but that didn’t land that way. Even among friends who we routinely joke with, sometimes we cross a line we didn’t intend to. Sometimes because we didn’t know it was there, or because we weren’t paying attention, or we sh
The Parapan Am Games started this past weekend in Toronto. And I find myself wondering, again, why the “para” games are separated and later than the “non para” games. The Pan Am Games came and went in Toronto amid much fanfare. Traffic was bad, but we heard about the medal count daily and there was
I’m creating a new website and will be launching shortly. I’m really excited about it. And I’m also aware that it will be woefully inadequate for some. Given the work I do, that’s painful for me. If you use a keyboard, if you use a mouse, if you can see, if you can read what’s
In the last couple of weeks I have had several meetings downtown in large high rise buildings, and I have noticed something new. It seems the latest technology in elevators is to pick the floor you want to go to first, which then directs you to the correct elevator. I imagine this is to provide
It’s easy to jump to conclusions. Last night when I heard that our mayor John Tory didn’t realize Kanye West wasn’t Canadian the first thought I had was: “It’s because he is Black”. And then I checked myself. Because I mixed up Kanye West with K’naan (also Black but born in Somalia and raised in
If you haven’t been following the news, after Shauna Hunt – a CityNews reporter – was heckled by TFC fans, one of them was identified as a Hydro One employee and subsequently fired. Apparently this heckling of female reporters is a new trend that began last year. It’s sexual harassment. And the fact
This week I heard a story that sparked my D&I interest. It’s about insects, but bear with me, it’s a great allegory for D&I! If you put bees and flies into a glass jar and put the bottom of the open jar against the window (so the open end is away from the window) on a
Thanks to my toddler I’ve had some interesting conversations with her Daycare teachers recently about being inclusive of all types of families. They are a great daycare and a super team, and don’t mean to be exclusive – in fact, they regularly remind the kids if they are fighting over who gets to be
So we have a Black Police Chief in Toronto. I want to cheer. But my inner voice is saying “not so fast…”. Here’s why: Let’s consider the assumptions I am (and many people likely are likely) making based on skin colour and the expectations that these create. We might assume that since Mark Saunders i
Marc Benioff is the CEO of Salesforce, and he is mad about Indiana’s Religious Freedoms Law that recently passed – which would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people. What happened, however, was that he is DOING something about it that speaks not just about his protest, but about his
For as long as I can remember, we have used the word “mosaic” to describe the way people can keep their cultural beliefs and traditions when they come to Canada to live. This is in contrast to our neighbours to the south, who have been referred to as the “melting pot” – a place where
On Friday, a judge in Quebec refused to hear a case because the woman in her courtroom was wearing a hijab. She likened it to someone wearing a hat or sunglasses – which are not permitted. Furthermore, she is reported to have said that the woman was not “suitably dressed”. When I heard it on
On the weekend I was reminded of a great quote by Mark Twain: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Although I would argue that what we don’t know can get us into trouble, the second half is particularly insightful when
In the wake of the events in Paris, I’m thinking about freedom of speech. I’m not a cartoonist or a journalist. But what I do know is that it is a lot easier to make fun of, criticize, demean, or negatively highlight something or someone when they are “not like me”. It’s easier to point
Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York: – As long as the unconscious bias is that Black males are a threat, police officers (and others) will keep feeling that they have to use extreme force to protect themselves – even in situations where it seems clear that there is no threat. – Case in po
I was shown this Huffington Post article on the weekend and had such a visceral reaction to it, I couldn’t finish it: I taught my black kids that their elite upbringing would protect them from discrimination. I was wrong. My first reaction was to shake my head in disbelief. “Really?! How could you?
Thanks to Jian Ghomeshi, there has been a lot of talk over the past two weeks about sexual violence and sexual harassment. It’s good that we are talking about it. Yesterday I caught the tail end of an interview on CBC radio about sexual harassment in the workplace, and why women don’t come forward.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, just publicly announced that he is gay. While he hasn’t been closeted, per se, he felt it important to publicly acknowledge his sexual orientation. For those of you who wonder why this is a big deal, consider that he is the ONLY CEO in a Fortune 500 company to be
Ah stereotypes… Have you noticed that the negative ones are usually more about certain people than others? And that those “certain” people are usually not in the dominant group? Think about it. Who are the bad drivers, the late-comers, the lazy ones…the list goes on. Of course there are positive ste
The Women’s World Cup is being held across Canada next year. Apparently the decision was made to use Astroturf fields instead of grass. The reason? FIFA wanted to “test it out”. Hmmm…I wonder why they didn’t see fit to test it out THIS year during the World Cup? It’s a decision (and a defense) that
Last week I introduced you to social mindbugs. This week, I’m going to make the case a little more, because I know that it’s challenging to take in that what our unconscious mind believes can lead us in a direction/to a behaviour or conclusion that our conscious mind would abhor. In case you missed
Welcome to my series about Blind Spots – based on the book by Dr. Banaji and Dr. Greenwald. This week, I’d like to introduce you to one of their concepts: Mindbugs. Mindbugs are defined as follows: “Ingrained habits of thought that lead to errors in how we perceive, remember, reason and make decisio
I have recently read Blind Spot – Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald and it blew my mind. I have always focused on bias when developing and delivering workshops on diversity and inclusion, because I firmly believe that it’s an important starting point for awa
It intrigues and saddens me to notice how often celebrations of diversity result in xenophobia. One of this year’s Superbowl ads is a shining example of this. Coke ran an ad featuring the song America the Beautiful, sung in seven different languages and featuring a diversity of cultures and people.
There are many things I could write about this week: How the sign language fiasco at Nelson Mandela’s memorial is an example of how bias keeps us from recognizing or acknowledging issues that for some people are so very vital. How the stigma of mental illness keeps it in the shadows, and prevents pe
Last weekend my partner and I went to see The Delivery Man (don’t judge me – new parent movie criteria includes close to home, not too late and a few good laughs. check, check, check). In the movie, Vince Vaughn discovers he is the biological father to 533 kids because the sperm bank he donated
I’m working on a contract with a colleague for Special Olympics Canada. SOC is an amazing organization doing amazing things, and this week I really want to share what I’m reading on their Language Guidelines page. The language we use (i.e. our choice of words) is an integral component of creating sa
I was going to write about safe spaces at work, but this poster stopped me in my tracks yesterday. It, and a few others just like it, are posted on streetlight poles in my neighbourhood. It’s literally a little inspiration – I’m guessing the author is about 6. It’s powerful and it speaks for itself
Last week my partner and our daughter were at a Royal Ontario Museum program exploring the Mesopotamia exhibit. The guide was explaining the ins and outs of Mesopotamian civilization, which included the “Free Pass” for slaves that had been freed by their owner. This is when one of the moms in the gr
The eleven year old daughter of a friend of mine stormed into her principal’s office recently to demand why they weren’t being allowed to wear their Halloween costumes to school this Thursday. The reason given was that not everyone celebrates Halloween, so this makes it more fair. I would guess the
Yesterday morning I was listening to The Current on CBC radio. The topic Anna Maria Tremonti and her guests were discussing was whether or not the Canadian Government’s treatment of our First Nations people should be considered genocide. In addition to annihilation, genocide can also be about destro
On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. made his now famous “I have a dream” speech. I was driving when I heard the newscaster mention it was the 50th anniversary. It made me pause and contemplate how different the world is that my toddler is growing up in. How different is it? Obviously things
I recently had the opportunity to work with MBA students again this past month.It’s a team building program my colleague runs at the beginning of the term, and it wisely includes a diversity session.We use that session as an opportunity to challenge assumptions and recognize our lenses, which is par
If you live in the Toronto area, Happy Pride Week! The rainbow flag is everywhere – a great opening to talk about LGBTQ issues. Even sweeter this week is the US Supreme Court’s ruling on same sex marriage – making it legal in 13 US states and DC. There are 30+ states in which it
Having blogged about the Biracial Cheerios ad, I thought it would be fitting to share the parody video. I think it speaks for itself. See more. Copyright 2013 Annemarie Shrouderwww.beeing.caAuthor, Speaker and Facilitator on issues of Diversity and Inclusion.
About a week ago I read part of an article in the newspaper (which I can no longer find, sadly) about a restaurant owner who had made the decision to serve Halal meat in his establishment. He is not Muslim. But there are members of the Islamic community who live in the area of his
If you’re not a TV watcher, you may have missed the new Cheerios ad that is causing quite a stir. It features a biracial kid and her white mom and black dad – gasp! I would have loved to see ads like this when I was a kid – ads that showed a family that
Last week I did a D&I workshop for TAVA (Toronto Association for Volunteer Administrators). The focus was on managing a diverse group of volunteers with an eye to inclusion. It was a great group. One of the participants brought up a point that I hear often – that she focuses on the similarities rath
The recent census data is out. I’m sitting on my living room floor with the newspaper spread out all around me. There is so much I want to write about, I think I will have to dedicate a few posts to this topic. For today, two first impressions to provide some food for thought: –
Of course this week I have to write about Jason Collins. If you missed it, he is the first gay athlete to come out while playing. He is in the NBA and is now a free agent. His article in Sports Illustrated made me smile. It’s nice to hear someone talk about wanting to be
One of the things that I hear about a lot working with organizations is how difficult religious accommodation feels. Passover begins next week and in the spirit of things, I thought I’d share a success story that I just heard about. B&H is a photo, video and audio company in the USA. They have a
Ah Black History Month…. I have just returned from a vacation in Barbados with my family. There is an election going on and one of the newspaper articles while we were there was about why there were no White people running this time. In contrast, on our first day back I was listening to G98
It’s been a long time since I handed out Halloween candy, and even longer since I went out trick or treating. But my re-entry into the sugary costumed world last night has me thinking. Of the many children who showed up at the door, I would say only about 50% were costumed. I remember teenagers
You have undoubtedly, by now, read or heard about MP Rob Anders petition against bill C279 and why he is opposed. *sigh* Let’s all take a moment to review: – Transgender individuals currently don’t have human rights in Canada. This is a disgrace. – Bill C279 is about rectifying this so that Trans Ca
I just saw the news about the Blue Jays player Yunel Escobar who had a homophobic slur written in his eye-black during a game this weekend. It reminded me of the challenges of recognizing discrimination in a multicultural society. If Escobar played the whole game with these words on his face, a few
I’ve just had a baby, and so we have sent and received many cards over the past weeks. We sent “thank you for the shower gift” cards, and have received “congratulations on the birth of your child” cards. Interestingly, none of the cards that include photos or pictures have brown or black babies on t
You may have heard/read about/seen the kafuffel about the transfather who breastfeeds his child and who wanted to be a La Leche League Canada Leader – and who was told “no”. La Leche League Canada (LLLC) is an organization that advocates breastfeeding. The “no” was because Trevor McDonald does not i
Earlier this week I had a conversation with a friend – about a conversation he had with someone who is new to Canada. It went something like this: “What is this “people of colour” business?” “Well, that’s what we call people who are not white” (note: my friend is white, his friend, who is new
Monday on CBC radio’s Metro Morning, one of the topics was people with disabilities in the Canadian workforce – or rather the lack thereof (listen here). People with disabilities make up about 17% of the Canadian population, and experience higher unemployment rates (4x the national average), and hig
The holy month of Ramadan starts at the end of this week. Depending on where you are in the world (because the start date depends on the sighting of the moon) the first day could be on the 20th or the 21st (North America). But observance begins the night before at sunset. Ramadan is a
Yesterday I was at the bank, and as I was tired, I noticed that the tellers have to stand all day. (I’m sure I’ve seen branches with stools, but I digress.) When I asked the teller about this, she replied that “It wasn’t considered professional” for them to sit. Hmm…. As I turned around and
First of all, “Happy Pride” if you live in Toronto! One of the most common questions I get as a pregnant woman is “do you know the gender of your baby?” This is a problematic question for a couple of reasons (at least): 1. The term is not correct: Sex and gender are not the
I’ve been thinking a lot about the two recent shootings in Toronto and the role of race in how media gets reported. Turns out I’m not the only one – earlier this week the morning DJs (Mark and Jem) on G 98.7FM brought it up and a few people called in. True, the Eaton Centre shooting
This week in Ontario, Bill 13 (the Accepting Schools Act) passed. This Bill addresses bullying and includes clear reference to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia as types of bullying. Hooray! Naming is powerful in fighting oppression. One of the aspects of the Bill that has received much attention
I think we’ve all been there…you’re part of a group, participating in a conversation, when someone says something that makes you cringe. It could be a joke, a word or even an expression. Expressions are particularly tricky because often we have heard them for so long that we don’t stop to think of w
Every once in a while I’m touched by the commitment and compassion of an organization to make the world a better place and create spaces where people are and feel valued for who they are. TD has been on my list of exemplary companies around LGBTQ issues, and the launch of their new “It Gets
Tomorrow is the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. If you’re in the Toronto area, and want to get involved, here are a few things to consider: Egale Canada is hosting a FREE breakfast at the Sutton Place Hotel (8:00 – 9:30am). Come and start your day with some food and awareness-r
I’m in Newfoundland, working with Egale Canada delivering training to Principals, Vice Principals and Guidance Counselors on creating LGBTQ Safe Spaces (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning) in the province’s Junior and Senior High Schools. It’s groundbreaking and history makin
I have to weigh in on last week’s goal by Joel Ward in Stanley Cup Playoff overtime, and the racism on Twitter that ensued. What I want to talk about was the last line of an article I read in the Metro News – a quote by one of the individuals who tweeted racist comments:
What’s it like to not have human rights protection in Canada? Yes, you read correctly. You may be thinking if someone is old enough, and depending on their identities, that they may remember. Think again. If you are transgender* in Canada, you are not protected under the Canadian Human Rights Act or
Congratulations to the Bluewater District School Board (in Ontario) for reconsidering the handing out of free Gideon Bibles to Grade 5 students. The article is very good and says a lot of what I would write here – so here it is for you to read. The part of the article that stood out for
I’m mulling over an experience I had last week. Maybe it’s because I’m a workshop facilitator, and a teacher before that. Maybe it’s because I was facilitating a workshop when it happened. Maybe it’s because the workshop was on creating LGBTQ safe space. Whatever the reason, when one workshop partic
Systemic ‘isms’ are often hard to detect. Sometimes because we have grown up with these policies, laws, and ways of doing things – and so don’t critique them (like the fact that until 1990 only Canadian women were able to take time off when their children were born). Sometimes because they don’t imp
A little departure from the ordinary, but it all ties in, I promise. I went to see the movie The Lorax this past Friday. It’s a heartwarming cartoon about the environment – based on the book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. Great story, great message, great animation. Whether or not you have kids
This week Michael Bach (Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at KPMG) spoke with Matt Galloway on Metro Morning. In 7:19 minutes he covered a lot, but the thing that struck me most was in the first minute. Hats off to you Michael, for astutely pointing out that workplaces accommodate everyone.
Ugh. Black History Month. For the next 22 days, venues across the city will pack as many Black, Black-focused, Black-directed events as they can on stages, and behind podiums and microphones. For this month I can easily jam my social calendar with plays, movies, interviews, readings, musicians, etc.
A couple of weeks ago I received an email suggesting that CBC had opened the debate about keeping “God” in the Canadian National Anthem, and most of those polled were in favour. My reaction: “Really?!” (But a weary one.) Whether or not this is actually true (and I wasn’t able to find it when I
No, I’m not 23 days late. Today is Chinese New Year – celebrated by about 1 in 7 people worldwide. So while 2012 began 23 days ago, it’s wasn’t the new year for everyone. Although the Gregorian calendar is used and recognized by people, businesses and schools around the world, and New Year’s Eve par
It’s that time of the year. There are a few celebrations converging, even though in Toronto we are only really bombarded with one. Everywhere. From the music in the shopping malls, to the beer ads in the bus shelters, you can’t get away from Christmas. And if you step into a dollar store, you might
I first heard Immigration Minister Jason Kenney on the radio on Monday night, talking about his decision that women wearing a niqab must show their faces during the citizenship ceremony in order. I couldn’t believe my ears when he used the fact that women are required to be unveiled when they partic
Sometimes at a conference, we are challenged by the people in the seats, as well as by those on the stage. The Diversity@Work conference put on by Skills for Change on November 9th was no exception. The panel discussion (When is a hat not just a hat?) was interesting; we heard from a Minister, a
Language is an important part of creating and sustaining safe and inclusive space. It’s also relatively easy to change, so can start to make a difference quickly (unlike some changes that require policies, or that can get stuck in organizational red tape). Checking your language requires awareness a
One of the workshops I attended at the Nov. 9th Diversity@Work conference put on by Skills for Change was by Nadir Shirazi. He spoke about dedicated spaces in offices for quiet time, prayer, meditation etc. Nadir’s presentation was very interesting; he shared the challenge for companies to name thes
This week’s article in the Toronto Star about the changes in Canadian workplaces for LGBT employees is encouraging. It is good to hear from large corporations who are making a difference in the daily lives of their LGBT employees. In our quest to further inclusion, invisible diversity is often much
Last week Wednesday I was at the Diversity@Work conference put on by Skills for Change about faith in the workplace. It was a thought-provoking day. The next few posts will share some of the things that stood out for me. What struck me most about the panel discussion was the theme of getting to know
Tomorrow I’m going to the day-long conference http://www.diversityatwork.org/ put on by Skills for Change. The topic is faith in the workplace – an issue that is on the radar more often these days in the world of diversity and inclusion. I’m looking forward to the panel discussion on the difference
This afternoon on the TTC I happened to be reading the news screen. At one point it featured the profile of a suspect Toronto police are seeking for a shooting. Among his characteristics was his skin colour, which isn’t unusual in and of itself (especially if the suspect isn’t White). What struck me
On Monday I delivered a Respect in the Workplace training. The objectives were to raise awareness about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, and what to do if you, or someone else, is being harassed or bullied at work. What I have noticed in these sessions is that there are glaring examples of i
A little levity on a Friday afternoon….with a message, of course. I walked into the pet store earlier this week and was confronted with a large cardboard marketing campaign for Family Stickers – the new thing in advertising who we are through our vehicles. You may have seen them – they are stick fig
Seems like the Tim Hortons in Blenheim, Ontario will get more attention than they bargained for this coming Thursday…but not the right kind. Last week a lesbian couple were asked to leave the premises because their public display of affection was upsetting the customers. The first thing that came to
Invariably when I do workshops on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), one of the themes that comes up is holidays. With the cold weather and Halloween approaching, it makes me think of the many weeks of Christmas carols we will experience when shopping. I love Christmas, and I love to sing – but the caro
Yesterday I came across a poster entitled How to Build Community (created by the Syracuse Cultural Workers 1999). The last 2 lines made me stop and pause, so I’d like to share one of them today. “No one is silent, but many are not heard – work to change this.” Powerful, isn’t it? Think about
Last month Australia made a significant change on their passport application forms; there are now three options for “gender” – M, F and X. When your passport doesn’t reflect what you look like – when your listed gender doesn’t match who you are – it can be, in the words of Senator Louise Pratt, “ver
Stephen R. Covey has come out with a new book. It’s called The 3rd Alternative. I read about it in the Globe and Mail last week and it’s on my list of books to acquire. I think it would make a great read for any organization committed to diversity and inclusion. Here’s why: One of
I’m in New Brunswick today! This afternoon my colleague and I will deliver Diversity and Inclusion workshops. I love to facilitate, and D&I is “my thing”. What makes this experience a little different, however, is that this part of New Brunswick is very French. Which makes me wonder…do I tell them I
I have recently been reading about Google and their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Some of the things I’ve been reading make my heart sing, so I thought I’d share. Google has Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for different communities (Asian, Black, LGBT, Latin American, employees with disabil
This week I was forwarded the list of Canada’s 50 Best Corporate Citizens (2011). It’s a list that Corporate Knights (“the Magazine for Clean Capitalism”) started about 10 years ago. Who knew there was such a list? I was amazed! I discovered through Madelaine Drohan’s article in the report (entitled
One aspect of diversity we are not talking much about in Canada is Supplier Diversity. Growing in popularity in the USA and UK, Supplier Diversity is another way for a company to exercise their diversity and inclusion commitments. Supplier Diversity is simple: it requires companies to take a look at
We’re lucky in Canada to have a Human Rights Code that recognizes the inherent right to fair and equitable treatment, regardless of who we are…well, almost. Gender Identity is still not specified as a prohibited ground for discrimination under the Code. Most of us probably haven’t given this much th
Mentorship has been around for a long time, but there is a new “ship” on the block! Sponsorship. In light of my recent posts, I thought this would be a good topic for today. Mentorship is about development. Sponsorship is about advancement. While development can lead to advancement, given the (often
Thanks to the politicians, the debate rages – is it a hand-out or is it increasing access? (and don’t get me started on the difference between “foreign workers” a la Tim Hudak and immigrants looking for work). Listening to Q this morning on CBC, I heard an interesting interview with 2 successful bus
I have spent the past 4 days with hundreds of Schulich MBA students. A colleague of mine was running the team building program for them, and I was in charge of the diversity session. It was a great experience, and I couldn’t help but notice the diversity (or in some cases, lack thereof) within the
Since the foundation of the work I do is helping people to become aware of the assumptions, stereotypes, and perceptions they carry – and how these (often unconsciously) create barriers for others and between themselves and others – I have to comment on Tim Hudak’s use of the term “foreign workers.”
On the heels of last week’s interview with Anne Golden (CEO of the Conference Board of Canada) on CBC, here are 5 things Anne suggested companies need to do, to make a conscious effort to increase the number of women in senior management. Anne made reference to these as steps CP Rail has taken in
We haven’t come as far as we think. Although there are many more women in the workforce than in 1987 when the Conference Board of Canada started their study, the number of women in middle and senior management has flat-lined. Men are still twice as likely to be in management positions as women. This
On Saturday afternoon I joined what seemed like thousands of people outside Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto for Jack Layton’s funeral. It was so good to be there, surrounded by an energy of hope and togetherness. This feeling, I thought, is what inclusion is all about: working together, sharing, moving
Last week I saw a short article in the Metro News about a new at-home gender prediction test that pregnant women (and pregnant trans men) can take at 7 weeks. It is called (no surprise) “Pink or Blue”. *sigh* But this post is not about colours. It’s about gender versus sex. It’s a distinction that
In today’s Toronto Star, Ashante Infantry writes about the longest running human rights case in Canadian history (23 years). It has finally been settled, but the plaintiff has not won. Despite the fact that the Ontario Human Rights Commission ruled in his favour 3 times over the past 23 years, the d
This past weekend I caught a brief story on CBC news about how UK Prime Minster David Cameron is considering assistance from New York Police Commissioner and Los Angeles police chief Bill Bratton to help address the violence that has shaken cities in England this month. Whether this partnership proc
Last week I read Toronto Star columnist Rick Salutin’s column (The Ramadan kids go to the cottage). What struck me most about what he writes is how words alone fail us. He writes about having 2 Muslim children spend a few days at the cottage with his son and himself, and the experience of fasting
We continue to make strides in understanding the needs of, and increasing access for people with disabilities. In Ontario, we have the Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). But what does accessibility really mean? While it may be easy to consider aspects of physical accessibility like r
Two weeks ago, I assisted at a workshop called The Mastery of Self Expression. One of the main themes of the workshop is connecting with others. At one point, Larry Gilman (the facilitator) spoke about how quickly we look away when we pass people on the street. The fact that few people say hello whe
Religion or Faith may be the last thing you expect to hear about at work. Faith is still seen as something private and something which has nothing to do with your work life. But think again. Religion or Faith can inform someone’s values and how they move through the world. This, in turn can impact
If you are Muslim, or know someone who is, you likely know that Ramadan started on Sunday night (July 31st) and that it will run for a month. While it isn’t a religious observance that requires absence from work, it can impact the workplace. For those of you who don’t think religion has a place
Yesterday I overheard a fascinating conversation on the streetcar. It was about a restaurant and the part where my ears perked up went something like this: “It’s a cool restaurant. You can get white food and Asian food.” White food? I didn’t see who was speaking, and since the streetcar was nearly e
We’re back at WordPress! So the Conservatives invited multicultural groups to come to a photo op in Ethnic Costumes!Wow. I’m speechless…but not really. Besides the flap about being used for political gain, the question on my mind is “Ethnic costumes? Really people? Are we still using words like this
If you’re wondering where we’ve gone – we’ve moved to a permanent home on the Beeing.ca website. Check us out there! www.beeing.ca Thanks!
Last year a university student studying to be a guidance counsellor filed a lawsuit against Eastern Michigan University when she was dismissed because she refused to affirm homosexual behaviour of clients on religious grounds. Yesterday, the Judge dismissed the lawsuit. Thank God ! (pun intended) As
Ah yes, Jason Akermanis…. I’m a little behind the news, I admit, but I have to comment on Jason Akermanis’ column. Having just read the column in the Herald, a few things stand out. Firstly, he is right in suggesting that coming out as an athlete presents some different challenges. We’ve seen the ev
Last week, a colleague of mine said that she felt like she was in a third world or paramilitary country when she visited the skydome. Those may not have been her exact words, but that is the gist of it. In preparation for the G20 here in Toronto, her baseball experience was marred by the
It’s getting hot in here…. The recent unrest about happenings at Pride Toronto leave me questioning how far we have come from our roots. Pride parades began because of discrimination and injustice. They marked a turning point in visibility and demanding equal rights. We are fortunate to live in a ci
Today marks the international day for the elimination of homophobia. Fittingly, Egale Canada launched their new website today that is a national resource for setting up/supporting Gay-Straight Alliances in high schools. www.MyGSA.ca. Very exciting! A few notables for the morning’s proceedings: The n
The Pros and Cons of Automated Attendants. My partner has lost her luggage on the way from Chicago to Toronto. In the course of tracing the elusive bags, we have had the pleasure of the popular automated attendant. On a whim, my partner decided to speak with an accent. To be fair, her accent wasn’t
Over the last few weeks we have heard about the proposed (and now passed) law in Arizona about illegal immigration. Reading over the summary my first thought is: this sounds like war time in Nazi Germany. In Arizona, the new law states that: – “it is a misdemeanor crime of willful failure to complet
I recently saw the movie Babies. It’s a beautiful movie that follows the first year in the life of 4 babies from 4 different parts of the world: Namibia, Tokyo, Mongolia and San Francisco. There is no narration, the clips show similar experiences, and we are left to make our own conclusions about an
So I’m sitting in Lettieri at Queen and Spadina with Social Media Wingman. He has just helped me to set up this, my first blog. And although I have been thinking about doing this for a while now, I have to say that suddenly, I have a bit of stage fright. What if I write