Success In Black And White ® - The Podcast April Lovett and Darryl Lovett

Lately, "DEI" can feel like a performative term that varies in connotation and political implication depending on the situation and the state of the organization.  This week, with special guests Dr. Shaunna Payne Gold and Dr. Lisa Ingarfield, we move beyond thinking solely in terms of DEI to thinking of equitable strategies that will mobilize organizational change.  
 
As a returning guest to the Success in Black and White Podcast, Dr. Shaunna Payne Gold (catch her first episode and full bio here), brings us her wisdom once again. Serving as the Assistant Provost for Diversity & Inclusion at Towson University, Dr. SPG is passionate about speaking truth while serving those around her, about mentoring others, and about sport and triathlon.  Dr. SPG and her counterpart, Dr. Lisa Ingarfield, host the [un]phased podcast, a podcast designed to help you grapple with the reality of racism, sexism, ableism, and many other hard-to-discuss issues affecting triathlon, endurance sport, and our lives.   Dr. Lisa Ingarfield received her Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication from the University of Denver.  Her research focuses on how inclusion and exclusion manifests in communication.  Prior to becoming a research, evaluation, and DEI consultant, she worked for 15 years in the public sector (education and state government).  Lisa is a systems thinker and is able to advise organizations looking to make meaningful change and ensure its infrastructure centers inclusion.  She is originally from London, U.K. and currently resides in Colorado.  She races triathlon, owns Tri to Defi Coaching and Consulting, and is a certified RRCA and USAT coach.  She also co-founded the Outspoken: Women in Triathlon Summit with Dr. Sara Gross. 
 
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"I went through multiple stages of a job search process and was told that I 'did very well,' so waited for an offer.  After my peers had long received job offers, I had to reach back out to the institution I wanted to work at, then finally got an email that stated: 'your references are great, your interview was great, and you have skill sets we could use, but we decided to go a different direction with someone who 'fits' better with our office.'  I had the natural tendency to feel hurt at the rejection, but a different feeling also came up:  one of confusion.  I emailed back 'what didn't go well, can you share what I could have done better?'  A few emails later, the employer told me they couldn't legally give me feedback, but that I did very well and didn't have much else to tell me. So, if I did so well and my skills were useful, why didn't I get the job?"
 
After this experience, DaShawn Dilworth really honed in on the term "fit" as part of the hiring process and job experience overall. In his research (see his article Elephants in the Room: Examining and Understanding the Black Assembly Line, p. 20), he found that this term is meant to hide in plain site the various prejudice and biases found in the workplace.  His research dives into equity and justice throughout the hiring process and at work. This episode was incredible; not only does he talk through his research findings but also gives very real tips to move away from thinking about the term "fit" during hiring processes. 
 
About DaShawn:  Writer. Researcher. SA Pro. Hustler. All these identities and more define DaShawn. As a recent graduate of the Higher Education program at Florida State University, DaShawn currently conducts qualitative research as part of his day job. In his own time, he enjoys writing and creating innovative ways to tell stories we often don't hear. DaShawn's research joys range from studying higher education environment's impact on Black professionals to understanding the intersection of hip hop and academia.
 
Follow DaShawn (and his new podcast: Mask Off) here:
IG: @dasani_dill
Twitter: @DaShawnDilworth
Facebook: DaShawn Dilworth
 
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From the projects in Harlem to film school; from film school dropout to Doctor; from the U.S. to Africa and back again...Dr. Dorsey Spencer (pictured above with son, Chase) has experienced it all.  His newest journey includes acting as Dean of Students for Colgate University and children's book author for his own publishing company, See Us Fly, LLC. In this episode, he drops so much wisdom about the necessity of taking risks, how important finding a diverse array of mentors is, and how you CAN be both an entrepreneur while still working a full-time job. 
 
Dr. Dorsey Spencer Jr. is a Student Affairs professional, educator, scholar, author, and entrepreneur. He resides with his wife and children in New York and is currently the Dean of Students at Colgate University. He oversees a robust portfolio and has direct responsibility for several key functional areas related to student engagement. He has an array of experiences within higher education in the United States and abroad. Dr. Spencer has a bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation Management from Temple University, a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a doctorate in Higher Education from Florida State University. Additionally, Dr. Spencer is the author of Worms Are A Yummy Snack, a children's picture book, and the owner of See Us Fly LLC, an independent publishing company. For more information or to purchase books, visit seeusfly.com
 
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Dr. Kellie Gerbers and Dr. Alicia Cunningham-Bryant deliver a powerful message in today's episode.  The ability to absorb and learn from history, to approach individuals and experiences different from yours with empathy, and to be vulnerable in the face of things unknown to you are the best ways to be advocates for change.  These amazing women share their own journeys of learning, growth, and justice. They teach a college course together that explores graffiti as a form of expression, healing, and understanding (yes, you read that right...graffiti), and how this topic opens up conversations related to bias and misinformation.  We also talk about the outdoors as a recreational and social justice space.  Honestly, the conversation went in multiple directions and is worth every second to listen to!
 
Dr. Kellie Gerbers is an Assistant Professor of Outdoor Education and Leadership at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Prior to that role, she managed outdoor programs at The University of Georgia and Florida State University.  Personally and professionally, Kellie is working on identifying the spheres of influence where she can create positive change as it pertains to building more inclusive communities.  When she's not teaching, she's learning to do stuff and i seven considering writing a book called "Learning to Do Stuff in Your Thirties." She also really loves Arby's (give the girl a meat suit already).
 
Dr. Alicia Cunningham-Bryant holds the Kim T. Adamson Chair in the Honors College at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.  She has extensive experience as an archivist and curator at museums in Philadelphia and New Haven, Connecticut where she curated exhibits on Afhghan war rugs, Black comic book heroes, and Egyptomania.  She has also done archeological field work in Egypt, Jordan, and Mallorca.  Her research interests include public history, museum curation, digital humanities, East Africa, and decolonizing Egyptology and art  history, among other topics, Alicia earned a BA at University of California, San Diego (in both history and archeology), and her PhD in Near Eastern language and civilizations at Yale University. She was a US State Department Education and Cultural Affairs fellow at Cairo Museum and Nubia Museum and has worked at museums around the world gathering together collections that have been separated through time. She also does a lot of other things to serve her community and we honestly don't understand how she manages all the things while staying engaged and in-the-moment.
 
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A special episode this week!  We turn the tables and let you listen in to a featured interview we did for the Journey to Joy podcast.  We discuss it all, from how we met to what it's like working together, to how being an interracial family impacts us and our children.  You don't want to miss this special feature!
 
You can listen to all the amazing episodes from the Journey to Joy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at www.journeytojoypodcast.com
 
Follow us on your favorite podcast app or Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You'll get our latest podcast episode and discover everything we've been reading, listening to, and watching that week! Find out more about us at successinblackandwhite.com