1. Training

 

1. Foundations in Equity Training (3 ½ - 4 hours)

 

Course Objective

 

The session is designed to create a common language and framework from which to engage in equity work.  This session is designed to deeply educate all participants on the horrific and insidious racial history and how the ghosts of the past are foundational to, and still exist in, present-day policies, practices and procedures.   This is done from a focus on the institutional and systemic aspects of racism.  It is not done from an approach of “blame” or instilling “guilt” neither of which are specifically beneficial to changing outcomes, and equity is concerned with outcomes, not intent.  The definition, examples, and discussions address the intersectionality of identity, and allow participants to understand how to utilize an equity lens for any marginalized or underrepresented population.  The goal is that participants leave any training knowing how to implement equity, not just “understand” it.   

Every effort is made to tailor the content discussions to the specific group or area of focus of the participants, e.g., political, non-profit, philanthropy, etc. and the wide experience of the facilitators adds value to any discussion.

 

NOTE RE: ON-LINE OR HYBRID SESSIONS

Given the continuing workplace situation with many organizations remaining totally or partly remote, we can and have adjusted our sessions to be presented via ZOOM platform.  Large and small group work is still accomplished, and it is recommended that there be no more than 25 participants per session to ensure optimal interaction. Hybrid can be accomplished with some on Zoom who are then their own small group during break-out sessions.

 

In person sessions can have up to 50 participants.

 

The following is a general flow of the session.

 

Introduction

An introduction and sharing of ground rules and discussion of difficulty of the topic.  A clear statement that a focus on race is not to minimize the fact that most if not all in the room have been discriminated against, certainly as women, but to acknowledge and understand the overwhelming role race has played and continues to play in this country in creating detrimental outcomes for people of color.  

 

Large Group

Short video describing/defining institutional, systemic racism, followed by a discussion of recent examples that may have focused on individual acts of racism vs. the overarching systemic or institutional factors that exist to allow or not address such individual actions.  

 

History Slide Show

 

Large Group

5–6-minute slideshow of some of the legal and legislative decisions in this country based purely on race, beginning in the late 1600’s when the word “white” was first used in legislation.  

 

Small Group

Discussion of what was new or surprising about the slideshow.  

 

Large Group 

Debrief highlighting commonalities across identities and offering other examples for consideration.

 

NOTE:  Most participants (including the thousands who have seen this around the country) have stated that it is one of the most impactful things they have seen.  

 

Equity vs. Equality

 

Large Group

Brief overview and discussion of Equality vs. Equity.  

 

Small Group

Working with a pictorial example, participants find examples of barriers based on identity within their own fields of work, or within the political spectrum that they would like to address.  Participants then discuss how the policy or approach may be based on equality, but still maintain or propagate disparate outcomes.  Discussion follows of how the participants could mitigate or remove the barriers.

 

Large Group Debrief and sharing of examples that recognize and address mitigation or removal of the barriers to reduce disparities.

 

 

 

 

 

Implicit Bias and Privilege

 

Large Group

Short Video calling attention to one’s implicit bias and how easy it is to miss the obvious.  Overview of definition and examples of implicit bias across sectors and their impacts.  Also presented are examples of biases that are institutional and how institutional biases create disparities.  

 

Small Group

Discussion of examples of bias with the everyday work of the organization

 

Large Group

Debrief and short video demonstrating what bias and White Supremacy look like.  Explanation that White Supremacy is not determined by violence or hate, but by Whiteness being the foundation for all things “normal” or “beautiful”, or “intelligent,” etc.  

 

Practical Exercises

 

There will be a practical exercise participants will work through in small groups.  There are various exercises that can be used, e.g., a community engagement exercise, an HR/Recruitment exercise, a specific policy exercise, or scenarios created from conversations with clients about specific issues within their organization.  Participants will have 15-20 minutes to work through exercises using our unique set of “Equity Lens” questions; benefits to whom, detriments to whom, assumptions, etc.  Too often, training participants are left with an understanding of the “why” we need to do something but are not given the “how.”  These questions are designed to empower participants to know where and how to start in any situation to address inequity or disparity.  

 

Large Group

Debrief from each table on their actions to mitigate or address the exercise content.  

 

Wrap-up

 

2. Advanced Equity Training

 

1. Advanced Equity (3 – 3 ½ hours)

This is a more in-depth session on racial equity and is less content driven than the Foundations session.  It utilizes the content knowledge of Foundations to address participants discussing their own equity work, its challenges, and opportunities.  Intersectionality will also be discussed to a greater degree than in Foundations, and a scenario will be used for a deeper understanding and application of the implementation of equity.   This session will also cover microaggressions and macro-microaggressions, understand micro-aggressions and their impact on the climate and culture of the workplace, understand macro-microaggressions and how the organizational culture or climate may be detrimentally impacting staff and customer/stakeholder engagement, understand overall impacts of microaggressions, and understand considerations of how and when to respond to microaggressions.

 

 

2. Power and Privilege (Two Hours)

This session will review the meaning of power, the six types of power, and how they manifest in organizations and in relation to client/community engagement.  It will specifically address how leadership and staff should consider their power and privilege when engaging with other staff, clients, and communities in general.

 

                        3.         Anti-Blackness Training (90 minutes)

This 90 minutes to Two Hour Session (depending on engagement) is designed to help participants understand how anti-Blackness is different from “regular” racism.  It explores how anti-Blackness manifests, not only in White dominant culture, but also in other cultures or races, e.g., Latino, Asian, etc.  It begins with an explanation of why the word black itself should be capitalized when speaking of Black/African American people and engages the participants to share their thoughts on racism vs. anti-Blackness.  Discussions of articles and opinions from authors about how anti-Blackness manifests in their different races or cultures are designed to encourage participants to consider their role, or their cultures role, in anti-Blackness.  Numerous examples within different sectors of society are presented, e.g., medicine, legal, education, cinema, etc. to further drive the point home about the insidiousness of anti-Blackness.   Depending on the size of the group, small group or pair-share exercises may be included. 

 

Equity Lens Review of Documents

A document review will provide an opportunity to see how the concept of equity is currently operationalized within the organization.  TGG will review and make recommendations on internal policy documents such as:

• Employee Handbook
• Hiring data
• Sample job announcements
• Sample interviewing procedures and logistics
• Orientation and on-boarding materials
• Exit interview data/information
• Formal or informal mentoring/professional development processes
• External recruitment documents and approaches
• Resignation/termination/layoff data
• Code of Conduct policy
• Current Training Content
• Sample performance evaluations

• Employee demographic data (Note: It is not uncommon for an organization to have little to no existing employee demographic data.  We will work with ... to determine what data points need to be captured moving forward.  From this new data collection, we can then create a baseline to inform where the organization needs to move and aid in determining its success in outcomes.)

• Demographics of members/public who regularly engage with the organization
• List of grantors and/or grantees (as applicable)
• Grant criteria (as applicable)
• Any information on concerns/complaints received from the public
• Programmatic materials, language, and content

 

B. Tool Development and Implementation

TGG is uniquely qualified to provide guidance and process for the development and implementation of equity tools.  The Co-Founders have created and led city agencies, non-profit organizations, and university and federal agency equity offices.  Additionally, they have provided technical assistance and training to state and city leadership, Boards of Directors, and CEO’s.  TGG has developed tools and policies to institutionalize and implement equity practices. 

Examples of these tools are:

• Budget Equity Tool
• Implicit Bias Tool for Hiring Panels
• Community Engagement Strategies

 

NOTE:  Data - To track progress and improvement, disaggregated data must be collected.  TGG will assist in identifying the important data points for collection and regular requests for data will be made and reviewed.   

 

C.  Organizational Equity Assessment(s) 

internal assessment (staff) 

and/or

external assessment (client/stakeholder/community/etc.)

 

An initial assessment will be done via electronic survey as well as through focus groups to                                                                                                   include staff and clients/stakeholders/community and will be used to gather information on the organization’s current culture and climate surrounding equity and equitable outcomes. 

The assessment will be developed in conjunction with leadership to ensure appropriate and relevant information-gathering.  TGG will work with leadership on the best approach and manner for which to inform staff, and the purpose of the assessment and training to ensure the best possible outcome for real and open engagement with staff.

D. On-Going Institutionalization of Equity

 

1. Continuing Engagement and Document Review  

The Gemini Group would continue to monitor and assess staff, stakeholders, documents as well as provide coaching and technical support.

 

2. Data

In order to track progress and improvement, disaggregated data must be collected.  TGG will assist in identifying the important data points for collection and regular requests for data will be made and reviewed.   

 

3. One-Year or Multi-year Equity Strategic Plan

TGG can facilitate the process of engaging staff in the development of an Equity Strategic Plan.  This would be the living document that can be reviewed and assessed to determine success internally and externally. 

4. Leadership Coaching

TGG can provide and facilitate regular coaching sessions for leadership or staff involved in Equity work.  These sessions can be as regular as desired.  The coaching can be one-on-one or held with multiple staff.  These can be used to consider relevant issues, communications, language, or staff concerns. 

 

              5.  Staff Coaching

We have coaches that can provide one-on-one coaching to non-leadership staff.  This coaching involves assisting staff with tools and strategies to help mitigate workplace challenges related to their identity, assist with communication tools for engaging with their manager/supervisor and other colleagues, and overall assisting individuals with skills to aid them in their development as a professional.

 

              6.  Mediation and Facilitation Services

TGG has a cadre of certified Mediators/Facilitators of color who not only provide mediation and facilitation services but do it with an equity lens in mind.  The industry of mediators and facilitators is currently dominated with White females.  Over the years we have received requests to conduct mediations and facilitations specifically because we have folks of color who come into the space with racial/ethnic diversity.  They have a perspective and lived experience that bring a level of comfort to people of color who require dispute resolution, but desire experts who can identify with some of their challenges that may have nothing to do with the actual dispute at hand.  Our experts are of varying age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.  They understand how intersectionality of identity can play into workplace conflict, and how to address and work with those intersections of identity during mediation and facilitation engagements.  They are neutral as to outcome, but never neutral as to process, ensuring fairness and equity in the engagement. 

 

            7.  CarePods

A CarePod is a group of colleagues that need a safe space to hash out workplace issues that are impactful on a personal and professional level:  local or national tragedies that impact the work or staff member’s work, trauma, e.g., from perceived harassment, racialized trauma, challenges with professional relationships, and other concerns that impact the professional relationships or environment. The CarePods are specifically beneficial for individuals of color and other marginalized communities.

The objective of the workplace CarePod is to create a safe place to develop a healthier workplace environment through discussions of skill-building to address challenging situations. By developing communication skills, active listening to each other's perspective, and conflict management and trust building, employees can feel heard and more confident in their workplace.

Workplace CarePods are always accomplished with an equity lens and are not a support group or therapy.  They are professional development. The facilitator is held to the strictest of confidentiality.  Once the CarePod is fully established and has the ability to run itself, all notes will be destroyed.