Systemic Dan Kimbrough/Park Multimedia

Headlines scream the "decline" of DEI, but here's the truth: most efforts have been performative. We're talking black squares on social media, not dismantling systemic bias.
On this episode of Systemic, our host Dan Kimbrough talks with Farah Bala, a Leadership EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Oppression) expert. We unpack why surface-level DEI fails and what true inclusion looks like.
Farah Bala's story reminds us that belonging starts with feeling welcome, regardless of background. We'll also hear from others who navigated identity, immigration, and career changes.
Is DEI dead? No, but the performative efforts are gasping for breath. 
We explore:
Why superficial DEI efforts fail.
How to move beyond outdated practices and have uncomfortable conversations.
Leadership's role in creating lasting change.
Tune in to find out what real anti-bias work looks like. 
email - farah@gofarsight.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefarsightagency/
Website - https://www.gofarsight.com/
#DEI #workplaceculture #antiracism

hen we think of prison, we often focus on the criminal aspect of the institution. These individuals broke the law and are being punished for doing so. But the punishment, as intended, was to be removed from society for a predefined amount of time, and then, as part of your agreement, you are released back into society. But, while in prison, many prisoners are dehumanized and receive treatment that far exceeds their actual sentence. Much of this is due, primarily, to the physical and psychological designs of the prisons themselves. Humane and dignified treatment was never part of the equation, and when you throw in a worldwide pandemic, how does a facility meant to confine and control people, in small dehumanizing spaces, properly care for those in its charge? On this episode of Systemic our host, Dan Kimbrough, speaks with Professor Brittany Friedman, a sociologist from the University of Southern California about the effects of COVID-19 within our prison system. Professor Friedman discusses the design flaws of the US prison system and how they were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Friedman shares how prisons were never meant to be healthcare facilities and how their punitive culture made containing the virus nearly impossible. She argues the roots of mass incarceration lie in slavery and calls for a complete reimagining of how we address harm in society. This episode of Systemic is sponsored by The Black Equity Coalition. The Black Equity Coalition is a group of experts from diverse fields working tirelessly to address institutional racism and structural impediments that continue to plague Black, undervalued, and underserved communities. Initially focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coalition has committed to working towards racial and health equity beyond the pandemic's eventual end by engaging the disparities in the five social determinants of health for the underserved (Our necessary means of health and survival). Through the collective efforts of physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health and health care practitioners, social scientists, community funders, and government officials, the Black Equity Coalition is dedicated to ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to health, well-being, and economic stability. For more information, visit blackequitypgh.org For more information about Brittany and her work - https://www.brittanyfriedman.com/

In this episode of Systemic, we hear from food activist Clancy Harrison and discuss the issues of food insecurity and The Food Dignity® Movement. 
Clancy shares stories from her 14 years of experience from a nutritionist to fighting hunger, and explains The Food Dignity® Movement's approach of centering their work around other's lived experiences. We learn about the different levels of food security and insecurity and the internal and external stigmas associated with food assistance.
Clancy also discusses some of the systemic roots of inequities in the food system and offers insights from those she's spoken to and worked with on dismantling biases to better empower communities. 
As a food equity advocate, registered dietitian, and TEDx speaker, Clancy Harrison challenges the way food insecurity is approached and discussed. She is the founder of the Food Dignity® Movement, a strategic program for leaders who want to shift how they approach nutrition outreach by making healthy food access a priority with dignity. Currently, Clancy is an advisory board member for the Pennsylvania American Academy of Pediatrics Food Insecurity EPIC program, Ambassador of the National Dairy Council, and a past President of the Al Beech West Side Food Pantry where she has served over 4 million meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can tune in weekly with Clancy at The Food Dignity® Podcast.
 
Food Dignity Podcast  -
Structural Racism Exists Within the System Supporting Food Access - 
https://fooddignitymovement.org/podcast/episode-150-structural-racism-exists-within-the-system-supporting-food-access/
A Case for a Food Bill of Rights - 
https://fooddignitymovement.org/podcast/episode-124-a-case-for-a-food-bill-of-rights/
Culturally-Focused Nutrition, a Today’s Dietitian Spring Symposium Feature - 
https://fooddignitymovement.org/podcast/episode-109-culturally-focused-nutrition-a-todays-dietitian-spring-symposium-feature/
This episode of Systemic is sponsored by The Black Equity Coalition. The Black Equity Coalition is a group of experts from diverse fields working tirelessly to address institutional racism and structural impediments that continue to plague Black, undervalued, and underserved communities. Initially focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coalition has committed to working towards racial and health equity beyond the pandemic's eventual end by engaging the disparities in the five social determinants of health for the underserved (Our necessary means of health and survival).
Through the collective efforts of physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health and health care practitioners, social scientists, community funders, and government officials, the Black Equity Coalition is dedicated to ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to health, well-being, and economic stability.
For more information, visit blackequitypgh.org

In this episode of Systemic our host Dan Kimbrough sits down with Cleveland Way of the Poise Foundation and the Black Equity Coalition.
We discuss how the Black Equity Coalition is working to address health disparities and inequities facing Black communities in Pennsylvania. In this episode, Cleveland Way, the Community Engagement Manager with the coalition, discusses their work focusing on COVID-19 vaccinations and beyond. They are partnering with over 150 community organizations and "ambassadors" already serving Black communities to enhance their efforts and provide resources.
Cleveland explains how their equity-focused approach aims to give communities what they need rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. Hear how data collection and a focus on social determinants of health will help continue improving health outcomes in Black communities in Pennsylvania.
To learn more about the Poise Foundation - https://www.poisefoundation.org/
To learn more about the Black Equity Coalition - https://www.blackequitypgh.org/
To follow up with Cleveland - cway@poisefdn.org
This episode of Systemic is sponsored by The Black Equity Coalition. The Black Equity Coalition is a group of experts from diverse fields working tirelessly to address institutional racism and structural impediments that continue to plague Black, undervalued, and underserved communities. Initially focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coalition has committed to working towards racial and health equity beyond the pandemic's eventual end by engaging the disparities in the five social determinants of health for the underserved (Our necessary means of health and survival).
Through the collective efforts of physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health and health care practitioners, social scientists, community funders, and government officials, the Black Equity Coalition is dedicated to ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to health, well-being, and economic stability.
For more information, visit blackequitypgh.org

Hollywood’s representation of underserved and marginalized populations has been under scrutiny since the first film flickered. Authentic storytelling that fully embraces the complexity and vibrancy of any people must be rooted in, and informed by, those people. Early in the 20th Century, film provided a window to the lives, stories, and narratives of those far and wide. And, as we learned from the comic book industry, with great power, comes great responsibility! Unfortunately, many early filmmakers used this power to further spread inaccuracies and hatred. One of these most famous films is “Birth of a Nation,” D. W. Griffith's 1915 adaptation of the 1905 novel, “The Clansmen.” It tells the story of two families dealing with the fallout of the civil war with a very slanted view. To contrast, early Black filmmaker and novelist Oscar Micheaux wrote and directed the 1919 film “The Homesteader,” which chronicled life for Black Americans during post-civil War, but from an authentic perspective, offering a counter-argument to Griffith and the work of other filmmakers at the time. In this episode of Systemic, our host Dan Kimbrough sits down with Dr. Charlene Regester from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Regester teaches in the Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies, and her work focuses on early black film history, including black filmmakers, actresses, actors, and performers.Our discussion looks at the life and works of Oscar Micheaux and how we almost lost them; the film-going and artistic experience for Black people in the early 20th century; and the lessons filmmakers and society as a whole should learn from these early efforts.

On the episode of Systemic our host, Dan Kimbrough, sits down with Dr. Angela Odoms-Young, an Associate Professor, and  Director of the Food and Nutrition Education in Communities Program, in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University
Her research explores social and structural determinants of dietary behaviors and diet-related diseases in low-income and Black/Latinx populations and centers on identifying culturally appropriate programs and policies that promote health equity, food justice, and community resilience. Dr. Odoms-Young has over 20 years’ experience partnering with communities to improve nutrition and health and 200+ academic publications, book chapters, and presentations.
We discuss food insecurity from a historical and holistic standpoint, examining how many social determinants of health tie into systemic insecurities and barriers for many communities, not just those of color.  
To reach Dr. Odoms-Young - odoms-young@cornell.edu
This episode of Systemic is sponsored by The Black Equity Coalition. The Black Equity Coalition is a group of experts from diverse fields working tirelessly to address institutional racism and structural impediments that continue to plague Black, undervalued, and underserved communities. Initially focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coalition has committed to working towards racial and health equity beyond the pandemic's eventual end by engaging the disparities in the five social determinants of health for the underserved (Our necessary means of health and survival).
Through the collective efforts of physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health and health care practitioners, social scientists, community funders, and government officials, the Black Equity Coalition is dedicated to ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to health, well-being, and economic stability.
For more information, visit blackequitypgh.org
 
Asst. Editor - Brandon Carpenella