The Equity Gap Shahzia Noorally

I first came across Chris Hooten on LinkedIn about a month ago when I had so many thoughts swirling in my head around the silence of so many equity and inclusion professionals in my circles of influence with the ongoing genocide in Gaza. A deliberate choice to uphold a sense of comfort in a job that requires you to be truth tellers and deeply uncomfortable to uphold a sense of integrity. Chris’s perspective that they were openly and unapologetically sharing online felt like the truth that so desperately needed to be said, and so I invited them to join me in dialogue in exploring the dire need for integrity in the work of equity and inclusion, especially for white practitioners who hold a deep amount of privilege and access.

Meet Chris:

Chris Hooten (they/them) is a leading speaker, advisor, and advocate for LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and BIPOC affirming cultures and with over ten years in leadership, advocacy, and professional development, Chris has worked alongside incredible organizations like the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Levy Restaurants, POCIS Seattle, and Bastyr University to build equitable and and accessible organizations. They inspire clients to embrace intersectional neurodiversity to remove barriers and promote success for all. They offer a range of services, including workshops, professional development, speaking engagements, and coaching that solves equity challenges. To learn more about their impact, visit chrishootenconsulting.com.

LinkedIn post from Chris that inspired this episode here.

References from the episode:

Norman Finkelstein - https://www.normanfinkelstein.com/
Maintenance Phase podcast: https://www.maintenancephase.com/
The Myth of Normal by Dr. Gabor Mate: https://drgabormate.com/book/the-myth-of-normal/
Israeli government admits to sterilizing Ethiopian Jewish women: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gave-birth-control-to-ethiopian-jews-without-their-consent-8468800.html




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Today you're in for a real treat, a conversation with someone who has a beautiful capacity to help us all rethink the way we work and the way we resign ourselves to urgency culture, to upholding the systems of white supremacy and capitalism - that keep us exhausted.

I first came across the work of Lydia Philip (she/her) through a series of blog posts she authored for Evenings and Weekends Consulting on rest and urgency culture.  I really want to encourage you to take a few minutes to read those posts that are linked below before you jump into the dialogue today to provide a richness of context and insight that Lydia so thoughtfully captures through her words. She's incredibly generous with her approach to work, to liberation, to a world built on possibilities that are rooted in honouring our sense of collective humanity.

Blog series on urgency culture:

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/rest-is-a-social-currency-who-is-banking-it

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/a-state-of-unrest-are-we-perpetuating-urgency-culture

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/how-to-embed-rest-in-your-organization-s-policies-and-practices

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/urgency-culture-how-did-we-get-here-and-where-are-we-going

https://ions.ca/resisting-a-rest-how-urgency-culture-polices-our-work/

More about Lydia:

Lydia is passionate about engaging in and contributing to work that is a catalyst for transformative change. She's a gifted storyteller and published writer and researcher, and she's intentional about using her voice to inspire new ways of being together to create thought provoking work and to help shape a more just equitable future.

As the content strategist at Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia, Lydia is energized by her role in meaningful communication, advancing people centered practices, and sharing organizational learnings. Most recently, her writing on resisting urgency culture and prioritizing rest has sparked conversations throughout the country.

She was featured in the Globe and Mail, All Nova Scotia, and she was one of five individuals in Canada selected for a writing fellowship on work and working with the Philanthropist Journal. At heart, Lydia is a creative and caring disruptor, an advocate for centering people in the work always, and a big believer in the power of re-imagining she has the privilege of living near the ocean and many lakes in Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia), the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaw People.

Connect with Lydia through LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-phillip/
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I’ve been away from this platform for so long navigating through several big changes in life and on the brink of burnout but with everything going on in Gaza, I am so called to build on what I’ve already publicly said because without a shadow of a doubt, Gaza and Palestine have changed me to my core -  there is no going back to the ways things used to be and there is no option to stay silent.

I also can’t stay quiet as there is an urgency within me to talk about what’s happening and add a perspective that is deeply personal to me as a Muslim woman, an equity practitioner who centers justice in her work, who seeks to always center the most marginalized and someone who is called to use my platforms to denounce systems of oppression.

So, here is my impassioned, raw and personal call to ask you to come out of your apathy, your silence and to fight for a #FreePalestine.

I'm including here some information that has helped me understand the depth of what is in front of us with the centering of primarily Palestinian voices and stories:

Can Israelis and Palestinians See Eye to Eye? || Creators for Change | Middle Ground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jj8vne0ca0

What It’s Like to Grow Up in an Israeli Settlement | Op-Docs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eac1l1ozfLc

Palestinians Film War in Gaza: ‘So They Know We Existed’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_L_088Diw

They Called Me a Lioness - A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom by Ahed Tamimi
and Dena Takruri

Marc Lamont Hill Speaks On Israel-Hamas War, International Law, History + More https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPRua0u7hYY

People and references in the episode:

Ahlam Yassin, American-Muslim educator
Zohra M. Khorashi, American lawyer 
Drawn2Intellect
Zara Choudhary
Ra'fat Al-Dajani

Aparna Rae LinkedIn post:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7140362168260046848/

United Nations Global Compact Network Canada toolkit on advancing advocacy and solidarity:

https://unglobalcompact.ca/knowledge-hub/page.php?id=34

https://defenceforchildren.org/israels-detention-of-palestinian-children-is-an-outrage-to-humanity/
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/

https://www.un.org/unispal/nakba75/

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/15/1176097958/un-nakba-day-explained-anniversary-palestine-israel


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Sit back with a notebook, pen and a cup of tea and listen to the thoughtprovoking, dynamic and awe-inspiring Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi (she/her) talk about workplace saviorism and how we can inspire a paradigm shift in traditional workplace cultures to move beyond trying to fix Black, Indigenous and racialized people to amplifying our talents and standing in solidarity with us.

Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi is a changemaker, speaker and author. She is founder of Accelerate Her Future, a leading career accelerator in Canada providing tailored programs by and for Indigenous, Black and racialized women pursuing careers in business and tech while developing networks of solidarity and action. She is also the founder of Divity Group, a facilitation and learning design practice focused on equity and inclusion and leadership development. A TEDx and Walrus Talks speaker, Golnaz has been named as a top 50 Changemaker by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business and a New Entrepreneur to Watch by Future of Good.

Connect with Golnaz and her team at Accelerate her Future here:
 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggolnaraghi/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelerate-her-future
https://www.instagram.com/accelerateherfuture/
What was mentioned in the episode:
Sponsor Effect: Canada  - https://bhasinconsulting.com/private/61f85232b82fcThe Wake Up by Michelle MiJung Kim - https://www.michellemijungkim.com/wakeupBrown Table Talk podcast with Dee C. Marshall and Mita Mallick - https://www.browntabletalkpodcast.com/Secure the Seat podcast and writing retreat with Minda Harts - https://www.mindaharts.com/podcast + https://secure-the-seat-writers-retreat.teachable.com/p/secure-your-seatDon’t Just Mentor Women and People of Color. Sponsor Them by Rosalind Chow - https://hbr.org/2021/06/dont-just-mentor-women-and-people-of-color-sponsor-themThe Colour Gap podcast - Stop calling us resilient - a conversation on burnout, wellness and self-care with  Chivon John The Colour Gap podcast - Redefining success for women of colour with Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi, Founder Accelerate Her Future and Divity GroupIf you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you - follow me on Instagram 
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Come on an honest exploration with me about the ugly and real truth about working in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. A space often overrun by performative, comfort upholding initiatives, where real solutions based on equity are often overlooked in favour of risk aversion and maintaining the status quo. As with anything you can come to expect with the Equity Gap podcast, we go there and we talk the truth, because without it, we get nowhere.

My intention with this episode is to balance out the realities, to help you take off any rose-coloured glasses and see the work for what it really is and then to find a way to stay the course should you decide to move ahead. I hope it makes you a bit uncomfortable, but ultimately helps you think about the good, bad, ugly and the possible.

DEI practitioners who you should know and follow:

Dr. Janice Gassam Asare - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janicegassamphd/
Elizabeth Leiba - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethleiba/
Sharon Hurley Hall -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonhh/
Karlyn Percil-Mercieca - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlynpercil/
Jodi-Ann Burey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaburey/
Michelle MiJung Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjmichellekim/
Lily Zheng - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilyzheng308/
Ruchika Tulshyan -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtulshyan/
Dr. Elisa Glick - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-glick433/
Trisha Hersey - https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/
Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggolnaraghi/
 
If you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you (follow me on Instagram @theequitygap, e-mail at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahzianoorally/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-equity-gap-podcast/).
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To those that proclaim to not see colour, to claim reverse racism, who use the word woke as a weapon and who believe in the idea of a meritocracy, this episode is dedicated to you. Let's unpack all the problematic things people say about race.

References from the episode:

BC Human Rights Commissioner: https://bchumanrights.ca/be-anti-racist-colour/

The Myth of Reverse Racism: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/08/myth-of-reverse-racism/535689/

Dear White People, Please Stop Pretending Reverse Racism Is Real:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/kwzjvz/dear-white-people-please-stop-pretending-reverse-racism-is-real

DeSantis criticized for mandating Asian American history while banning courses on 'systemic racism':
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/desantis-criticized-mandating-asian-american-history-banning-courses-s-rcna84972

Here’s Why Reverse Racism Isn’t Real:
https://everydayfeminism.com/2017/04/reverse-racism-isnt-real/

HOW WOKE WENT FROM "BLACK" TO "BAD"
https://www.naacpldf.org/woke-black-bad/

McKinsey - Women in the Workplace 2022
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace

If you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you (follow me on Instagram @theequitygap, e-mail at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahzianoorally/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-equity-gap-podcast/).





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