Q&A: Accountability for Personal Work
You asked, we answered. Our next response in our Question & Answer series is about accountability for personal work. Our letter writer asks,
"We believe that for an organization to be anti-racist, everyone needs to be doing their own 'personal work' to heal from internalized racial inferiority and superiority. What is needed to enable, support and motivate staff (at all levels) to do their 'personal' work? How can individuals know if they are being accountable about this? What can an organization look at, to assess our success in this area?"
Our Racial Equity Consultant, Dr. J.P. Anderson responds to this question on our blog. Head on over to the link below to read his thoughts!
We are still working on responding to all of your questions. To see past Q&As, visit the archive on our blog.
Advanced Microaggressions for Leaders Workshop
Our Advanced Microaggressions for Leaders: How to Facilitate Difficult Conversations workshop facilitated by Dr. Caprice Hollins is coming up next month on January 23-24!
This strategy-based workshop is designed for supervisors, managers, and leaders who want to improve their ability to lead their staff through difficult conversations.
This workshop includes our e-course on microaggressions, which we encourage participants to take prior to attending. If you've already registered, you should have received a link to the course. If not, contact judy.lee@culturesconnecting.com.
End of Year Reflections for 2024
2024 is coming to a close which makes it a great time to reflect on the past year before the new one begins. We asked our team to select from the following questions and share their thoughts:
What are some things that brought you joy?
What was the most valuable lesson you learned?
In what ways did you grow as a person?
What was something you did that had you step out of your comfort zone?
What are you most proud of?
Below are excerpts of some of our responses:
Ilsa Govan
"At our company retreat last summer, we had a rich conversation about the different ways we have or have not felt a sense of belonging in our lives. Recognizing this as a core human need, I’m reexamining the ways my ancestors gave up some of our ethnic and cultural practices to get the false promise of belonging and privileges of whiteness. I’m thinking about all the ways I’ve tried to cultivate and be a part of different communities, understanding what connection means when it is not rooted in getting something at the expense of others."
Richard Kim
"If I am honest, things have gotten hard this past year. In the midst of backlash to DEI, many people's spirits are down. They are tired and so am I. More than ever community has become a necessity to keep me on my call. I am still here not just by my own strength but because I am in community with people that see me, know me, encourage me, and are always a phone call away."
Caprice Hollins
"Early this year a client reached out with this same request I had been avoiding for years. Only this time, nothing I said could convince them that I wasn’t the right person to lead them. So, I gave in and said I’d do it. Of course, not without one last opportunity to convey that if things don’t go well, don’t say I didn’t tell you, this isn’t the work I do. I’m so grateful to my client who trusted in me, in ways I didn’t trust in myself."
J.P. Anderson
"I have often assumed that success leads one toward their purpose, but this isn’t always the case. I (re)learned that I have to evaluate my life not by the approval of others, but rather the extent to which my everyday activity reflects my core values and inspirations. It is a privilege to be able consider such an evaluation, and thus my solemn responsibility to take what action I can to align my values with how I live. "
Judy Lee
"I am grateful that I had the privilege to do this but also have to remind myself that it’s okay to step back from things that are important to me like my artwork and community advocacy and trust that this time will help re-energize me for next year. This year was a real lesson in embracing the complexity of life―messy, bumpy, with lots of contradicting dualities―and learning to make peace with all it.
To read our complete responses, visit our blog. We invite you to reflect on these questions and if you would like to share your answers with us, we would love to share them on our social media and/or future newsletters. Email them to Judy at judy.lee@culturesconnecting.com.
Most Popular Blog Posts of 2024
To wrap up the year, we've provided a roundup of our top five most popular blog posts below, as well as all of the interviews we did in 2024. Be sure to check out anything you may have missed.
Our 2024 Interviews
Honoring the Past and Building the Future with Cultur X with Ché and Brea Davis
An Interview with Hank Olguin on Combatting Latine Stereotypes in the Media
Reading to Belong with Alyson Lamont, Pamela Washington & Emilie Hard
Native American Heritage Month Spotlight: Bead Artist Cynthia Masterson
Native American Heritage Month Spotlight: Artist Sondra Segunda
We will be operating on limited hours the last two weeks of the year. Each team member will have their own vacation schedule so please check in with them if you need assistance. We will be closed from December 23rd through January 3rd.
Upcoming DEIB/Social Justice Events
For details on these and other events, workshops and conferences happening in the social justice space, visit our Events Calendar. If you have an event you would like us to share, please reach out to us!
12/17: NAMI BIPOC Support Group
12/18: SURJ: Gear Up Training for White People to Fight Back Under Trump
12/19: Race Forward: Decision-Making for Racial Equity
12/19: SURJ Abolition Action Hour
12/19: NAMI LGBTQ+ Support Group
12/20: Community Connections
12/21: Columbia City Night Market
12/23: NAMI LGBTQ+ Support Group
12/28: Aware LA Fourth Saturday Dialogue
...and so much more! Visit our Events Calendar to see the most up-to-date full schedule.