Forge Forward. To make progress with something, be it quickly or slowly and steadily. I’ve never understood why the human responses of potential negative connotation receive so much more attention. You know what I’m referring to . . . the instinct to fight, flight, or freeze. What about forging forward? To better understand the option …
Confidence. To be sure of oneself; having no uncertainty about one’s abilities, correctness, successfulness. Often synonymous with being bold. Knowing who we are helps us to be better people. Do you believe it? Do you live it? Having confidence also helps us not only stand for those who are marginalized but learn and grow in …
vulnerability. The quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. Panicked is an understatement, I could feel my face reddening as I wished myself invincible. From head to toe my body filled with adrenaline. My mind, my mind was spiraling in a wave of embarrassment. …
change. To make someone or something different; alter or modify. It also means to replace something with something else, especially something of the same or better; substitute one thing for another. The act or instance of making or becoming different. Scrolling through the news these days is not for the faint at heart. Endless articles …
You (Yes You) are a Steward Steward. The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. “You are a steward,” I spoke boldly into the auditorium of undergraduate students. Something about my tone, direct eye contact and disposition made me more authoritative, and to be honest made my eyes widen to my own …
normalization. A tactic used to desensitize an individual to inappropriate behaviors. A manipulation of another human being to get them to agree to, or accept something that is in conflict with the law, social norms or their own basic code of behavior. Have you ever noticed how we throw words around and everyone alters the initial …
diversity erasure. This approach focuses on de-emphasizing differences (Wolso et al., 2000; Apfelbaum et al., 2012). Often seen as denial of differences by emphasizing sameness. After speaking at a conference for higher education professionals, a conference attendee reached out to me to thank me for what I had said. Specifically, for mentioning that there is a …
rationalization. Some ideas about diversity emphasize the uniqueness and potential in each individual and posit that all differences across individuals count the same as long as they are “true to themselves.” The disconnect is that people often adjust their beliefs and desires to match concocted ones. It’s about how we transfer information between the different kinds …
deficit view. A view that individuals from some cultural groups lack the ability to achieve just because of their cultural background. There’s an underlying belief that the other culture is deficient in important ways from the dominant group. We are all called to contribute to the world around us. Read on for this reminder that we …
Imagine yourself 12 months from now, sitting having a coffee with a friend. What would you tell them about your equity consciousness over the year? What will you be most proud of? This can be the year to stop drifting through our thoughts and instead become aware of how our unique journeys can help us …
