Happy Women’s History Month
Note: Other national celebrations for women's history occur in other months, including South Africa's commemoration, which is August
Did you know?
Commemoration months have grown to be a component of many societies and organizations. Around the world, we see the celebration of Black History (and other racially marginalized communities including Latino, Jewish American, and Asian American), Women’s History, and Queer or LGBTQ history month. Some countries also have months for Disability Awareness, Safety month, Environment month, Diabetes Awareness, Mental Health Awareness, and more. Many organizations ensure their schedules have some programming or communique to celebrate at least 1 or 2 of these months.
Regardless of where you are located or how long your organization has been producing programming for these commemoration months, there are a few questions you should be asking yourselves ...
Are you at the intersections?
Did you engage your employees?
Are you hiring marginalized folk?
How are you impacting these communities?
Have you checked your blind spots?
Are you at the intersections?
Intersectionality stomps folks every time!
Watch Kimberle Crenshaw’s TED Talk or read this interview with Time -- one of the countless times she discusses the intention and direction of intersectionality.
Consider that although women are paid 82.3 cents on the global dollar to men, Black women are paid 62 cents on that same dollar, and Black trans women are undocumented or unrepresented in many of the largest global industries. Further, Black trans women are not only under- and unemployed; they are fighting for their lives worldwide. Even in countries that offer constitutional protections to transfolk, access to fundamental human rights remains limited and cultural homophobia further marginalizes folk.
Are your commemoration ceremonies at these intersections? Does your programming highlight the contributions of indigenous or immigrant trans women? Are you memorializing folks that are differently-abled and black or woman, or black, differently-abled, and woman?
This month we highlighted Claudia Johnson, the first Black deaf, or hearing-impaired, woman to earn a J.D. and serve as an attorney in the U.S.
Did you engage your employees?
Well, firstly, do you have a diverse representation of employees? Are there women (and not only white women) in positions to influence decisions and are encouraged to name harm, mis- or underrepresentation?
So, did you ask these employees what they wanted to see?
Engaging your employees does not mean holding your Black, Brown, Queer, differently-abled, and women employees responsible for planning, leading, or facilitating your celebration plans. Throughout the year, engage all of your employees in focused conversations or surveys that access the company’s culture and their perception of how you’ve historically celebrated the world’s diversity and, ideally, the employees. Additionally, ask employees the type of programming they’d like to see and potential guests they want to feature.
How are you impacting marginalised communities?
Do your commemoration events feature (a) components that directly impact the lives of the communities spotlighted. Community-based projects, partnering with local non-profits, and raising awareness about marginalized communities’ issues have to be essential to commemoration programming.
It’s inefficient to honour Native women, such as Wilma Mankiller, who are trailblazers and the first in their respective fields or achievements, but not ensure there is continued support and funds for the communities from which they hail.
Even in 2021, we continue to see many first in representation, especially when considering folks at the intersections of multiple marginalized communities. This reality will continue if organizations aren’t using budgets for diversity to support the marginalised communities that create diversity at your institution.
Consider partnering with a local, grassroots, organization that supports youth in marginalised communities and building in a monthly or bi-monthly volunteering session that your teams can be a part of. Allow these organisations to designate what this partnership can look like so that the engagement is healthy for the communities and youth involved. Build in training and accountability for your team members. Also, support local organizations fiscally and not only during commemoration months.
Are you hiring marginalized folk?
If you have a budget for programming, prioritize hiring speakers, event coordinators, and other service providers that are members of the communities that the month commemorates. Hire folks and pay them equitably. Don’t ask these folks to offer a discount or offer a service pro-bono or in exchange for “exposure” -- this is exploitative! Offer folks an honorific when they don’t request payment or donate the funds to an organization of their choice on their behalves.
Also, be thoughtful and intentional when contracting. Do your research and find and support service providers in your local community!
Have you checked your blind spots?
The first step of equity-centered design’s design thinking model is reflection. In the model used by the 228Accelerator, their director Caroline Hill calls on designers to first consider themselves in the design process. Who are you? What is your proximity to power and your proximity to the problem? How do your privileges shape your perception? Throughout the ExD process, reflection is built in. With each step completed, you return to reflection; you check your blind spots.
Are you considering your team members and the diversity your strategic goals speak of at each step? The nuts and bolts that put an event, training, or focus group together are integral pieces. Who’s the speaker, and what are their values? What food are you serving, and will everyone be able to eat? What type of seating is offered, and can everyone be present with the appropriate accommodations?
We encourage leaders to have advisors that hold them accountable to the diversity and inclusion goals outlined for their organizations and have advisors holding you responsible to an ethic of inclusion, equity, and what’s fundamentally right. (Hint: these aren’t your team members that represent marginalized communities)