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Stay Ellavated | February 2022 | Issue 14

Dr. Ella Speaks

Hello All and Happy Black History Month! 

     This month is an annual opportunity for us to celebrate the experiences, stories, and contributions of Black people. This year, I reached out to my community of friends and asked them to reflect and share with me what they love about being Black. I’d love for you to check out my Instagram to see what they had to say! 

     As a DEI practitioner and a Black woman, it is important that I am aware of how bias shows up in my own industry and the consequential impacts of those biases. To do so, I want to share some relevant DEI findings of how this is illustrated within DEI firms:

     The underlying intention of DEI work is to challenge and dismantle inequities that show up in our daily lives. This can be by focusing on reducing the barriers that exist within a particular industry, creating an inclusive office culture, or improving systems and processes that are inequitable. To do all of this hard work successfully, even as a DEI practitioner, there is a level of intentionality and criticality that must always be applied. 

     A recent Forbes article highlighted the inequities that exist in the DEI space noting the trend that white-led DEI firms tend to receive greater funding, interest, and support compared to firms led by black DEI practitioners. This should signal to us that DEI truly is a journey that requires vigilance and constant re-evaluation. I will leave you with this quote from the article: 

“The true focus of revolutionary change is never merely the oppressive situations that we seek to escape, but that piece of the oppressor which is planted deep within each of us.”                                                                                                      - Audre Lorde 

     Even as DEI practitioners, we must be cognizant of the ways in which our own organizations are complicit in systems of inequality and make the effort to live the DEI values we impart to clients every day. 


With DEI in Mind,

Dr. Ella

The Necessary Journey

     Before you create your DEI goals, you'll have to figure out where you have gaps and what you should prioritize. Think about existing organizational policies and practices, as well as the current diversity representation of your existing team. Remember, if your goal is to make real progress on equity and inclusion...you'll need to plan for the long haul.
     Effective DEI programs are built with accountability at their core. If you want your initiatives to stick, start the conversation by pre-ordering my new book, The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion

Ellavated Learning

Ellavated Learning: Black Representation in the Film Industry
By: Hildana Haileyesus 

     Movies and television are a major cultural connection point. At the core, movies and films are designed to tell compelling stories. Stories of the past, stories of pure imagination and stories of a better future. Within the context of Black History Month, it is important to discuss the ways in which the stories that are most widely told often don’t include Black people and when they do- it is in a very limited context.

     At the start of February, almost every streaming platform introduces a package of movies and shows that are recommended as “must watches” for celebrating and telling Black stories. One theme that is consistent in these movies is the telling and retelling of the traumas of the Black experience. In our cultural canon, stories of Black joy, love and whimsy are harder to find than stories of Black pain and suffering. One reason for this gap in representation is the lack of diversity in high-impact roles for the off-screen positions, such as writers, directors, and producers. 

     A Mckinsey study of the film industry between 2015 and 2019 found that only 6% of released films had a Black director, only 6% had a Black producer and only 4% had a Black writer. The same study found that the presence of at least one Black off-screen talent (producer, writer, director) significantly increases the likelihood of Black talent being part of the creative project. For example, if a film has at least one Black producer, there is a 73% chance that there is at least one Black writer on the project whereas films with no Black producers have a less than 1% chance of having a Black writer. As a result, Black off-screen talent end up being responsible for increasing diversity in the industry.

     This is an incredible burden for Black creatives who already have significant barriers to entry. Film and movies are notorious for their unpaid internships and entry-level positions that often have very poor compensation. This requires creatives to pursue their dream without many financial prospects in the early stages- an issue for those without well-resourced families. This along with other barriers such as biased behaviors from guilds, unions, and agencies and the referral networks that many Black creatives don’t have access to results in significant challenges. With fewer black voices in these creative rooms, the stereotypical perspectives of film executives take precedence over the lived experiences of Black people and the same stories get retold. 

     Films and T.V shows impact culture significantly and often become the blueprint for our perception of society. Media has the power to spread misinformation, exacerbate stereotypes or present a diversity of perspectives and experiences. When we are not intentional about telling the holistic story of a group of people, we erase narratives and choose ease and comfort over quality and depth. DEI touches every facet of the world we live in and as members of this society, we have the power to indicate what matters to us by cultivating our institutions to reflect our values. This Black History Month…and every other month, take the opportunity to watch a film or show that celebrates Black joy, Black love and the diverse experiences of Black people.

Best Practice: Tracking Qualitative Data

As a follow-up to last month’s issue, we are providing you with some additional DEI metric tools to utilize in tracking your goals. This month our focus is on qualitative measures of success and the various ways they can be utilized for greater strategy development.

  1. Focus Groups: Focus groups are small group facilitated discussions that allow you to collect in-depth information on the perspectives and experiences of a demographic. The small group format allows participants to unpack their perspectives on shared and divergent experiences. When conducting a focus group, it is important to prepare a guide with questions, assign roles for note-takers and facilitators, and limit the duration of the conversation to 60-90 minutes.
  2. Stakeholder Interviews: Stakeholder interviews are opportunities to connect with leadership, managers, or other decision-makers in a 1 on 1 format to gain greater insight into the perceived impact and challenges at an organization. In fact, it can also be used as a tool to garner buy-in from those leaders. Stakeholder interviews are a two-way communication tool. They help leaders and decision-makers to better understand the business case for DEI and connect their business function to targeted DEI goals. On the other hand, stakeholder interviews aid to ensure that leaders and managers have a voice and can safely express their concerns or challenges so that they can be given the tools and support to be able to implement a DEI strategy. 

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DEI in Action

Women’s History Month is coming up in March and here are some ways that organizations are taking the time to celebrate, acknowledge and honor the impact and experiences of women in their respective communities.

  • Nextdoor will be hosting several events to celebrate Women’s History Month including a panel featuring a variety of women leaders across different departments. They will be sharing insights, learnings, and touch on impactful experiences through fireside chats. Ending the month will be an invigorating cardio-kickboxing class. 

  • Nylas is celebrating International Women’s Day with a few activities in partnership with the newly minted marginalized genders ERG named GEM. They will be sharing a Google map where employees can drop pins in locations of women who have impacted their lives and give background on their story, in addition to tying their daily watercooler moments to it. 

  • ThomasArts is headquartered in Utah, where women’s equality is ranked last by Wallethub. TA created “Rise Up the Charts”, a year-long campaign focused on improving the state of Utah women’s equality. Through four inclusive events, ranging from career-development workshops to education about abusive vs. healthy relationships, TA is working at the community level to uplift women all across the state.

We’d love to hear what your organization is planning to do to celebrate Women’s History Month this year! Please share these experiences with us by completing this quick form!

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Cultural Competence Podcast

Check out Dr. Ella F. Washington’s episode entitled  Allyship: It’s more of a Journey than a Declaration 
What does it mean to be an ally -- and how do you know if you’re even helping anyone? Is there such a thing as performative allyship? Dr. Adam Grant -- an organizational psychologist, TED speaker and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business -- joins the podcast to unpack the concept of allyship and the shortcomings of those who seek to be good allies.

Subscribe to the Cultural Competence Podcast for even more relevant and timely DEI discussions! 

Service Spotlight: Keynote

     Dr. Washington is a dynamic and engaging speaker and facilitator. As a culture and DEI thought leader, she brings insights and practical tools to inspire and motivate audiences of all sizes. Dr. Washington has spoken at large and small-scale leadership conferences and retreats. She has spoken for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and government agencies. The Keynote format provides a shared audience experience for teams or organizations on a range of topics and themes.

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