Deep “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin

Picture with multiple images hidden inside it - a young girl, an old woman/witch, a bird, and a mouse or cat. Context: This is a slide that is used to ask participants to consider what they see as they prepare to engage in equity based work. It also supports people in realizing that we must hold multiple perspectives at one time. That you can be both excited about promoting your culture while supporting and uplifting other cultures as well. Dispels the myth of the alibi. Dispels the idea of a good/bad binary. We are both the hero and the villain in equity work. This image requires holding multiple images (the older woman and the young girl).  The way in which people see different images in the picture is similar to the ways in which people view cultural relevance differently.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. image with quote "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for other?'" Darnisa’s Reframe - Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What do you have to do for yourself so that you can do for others?”

The House that Equity Built Empathy EQUITY Difficult Conversations Active Listening Humility We just moved to Equity Street - There’s a house. There are some preconditions to establish a house. What is the work we need to do to remove racism? The house that Equity Built - Active Listening, Conversations, Empathy - this is supported by our ETHOS. Ethos are the tools. We’re not telling you how to decorate your house, but there are some pre-conditions to how the house needs to be built. Humility is the Foundation - Means saying “I don’t know”. Be transparent, and question what I know. Active Listening and Difficult Conversations - The walls. Without each, the house would fall. Empathy is the roof - Equity is a process/culture shift versus an end product Enacting the processes will be different in each organization Lack of equity stems from problem of culture; equity has conditions and pre-conditions in order for equity to be sustainable

The cycle of becoming more equitable. Diversity is the representation. Diversity can be measured through numbers and is usually tracked by race, gender, sexual identity, age, education, economic background. Belonging is the ongoing culture created to have all people feel welcome across difference. Manifested in the relationships, in conversations, physical space and written word. Inclusion is the participation. Inclusion is usually achieved when diverse populations are involved in decision-making that impacts the policies and practices of the organization. Equity requires changing structures of power & privilege so disparities of historically under- represented groups are eliminated and therefore outcomes cannot be predicted by that grouping. You feel welcomed and comfortable going to the party. You’ve been asked to help plan the party. Redefines what the party entails and who has the power to plan the party. You’ve been asked to the party. Set up for the slide: Priming: WE are normalized and conditions to getting false messages and narratives. We are creating the pause and allowing people to see the spectrum in a more nuanced way so that we are not acting in the condition way in thinking about DEI work. We have been conditioned to believe that you achieve equity just by diversifying the workforce, or bringing in black and brown people. Depending on the body that you are living in these words are going to hit your differently. When ppl of color hear diversity it often suggests tokenism, or some superficial work that is happening because of a mandate. If you are a white person the word when you hear the word diversity it mean “good person,” “you are doing the right thing,” “You are colorblind” “you’re an ally.” Context: Equity is key to understanding the importance of cultural proficiency. Equity helps us to understand that because of different peoples cultural experiences that they may need more. This highlight that race is an important factor to consider as well as gender, ableism and sexuality. When considering equitable practice as a teacher, teachers should considers that all of these different groups experience marginalization and curriculum should be consider their cultures and experiences as well. Facilitator Application: This slide supports leaders in understanding that there three very different things that are happening when we ask people to be culturally relevant. It is not only equity but it also about building off of diversity, belonging and inclusion. Diversity here means acknowledging that there are different levels of cultural experiences for students; and staff and all should be appreciated equally. Belonging - Bridge to Inclusion. Belonging is creating a space for differing cultures and beliefs to be represented. Inclusion- is centering marginalized groups. It’s about center ppl/communities of colors. Without belonging, this feels like tokenism. Equity- is understanding that because of marginalization  different people need more; it considers which groups (in a classroom) may be marginalized and may need to see more examples of their identity and cultures in curriculum (ex: students of color, disabled students). Equity requires also understanding the structures and systems that are currently in place or not in place that prevent certain voices/students/parents etc from being present during the design and planning of curriculum and teaching practices.

Systemic Racism- The 4 I’s Internalized Interpersonal Institutional Ideological Context: Participants must understand that the biases that they hold are not individual or reflect that they are bad people. Instead it is important for them to understand that a system has informed all of our biases and that everyone is being messaged similar Things (from this system) that informs all of our biases. Facilitator Application: This slide supports participants in understanding that we have been messaged many things that impact the way in which we value and see different cultures. We offer again the norms here to suggest that the goal is not to blame or shame but to identify which cultures are often placed as normative and why? The story to use for this prompt: The Fish and the Fox Everyday a fox goes down to a pond and speaks to 2 fish. He asks them every day a question. “How is the water?” Fine the fish say! “How are the rocks?” Wonderful the fish say! Finally, the fox decides to ask the fish a question; hey fish how is the water… and the fish respond... “What is water?” This is what ideological racism is... Is the very thing that sustains us, and feeds us, and shapes our beliefs and we don't even know that it is there. Internalized racism is the water that you have swallowed. Interpersonal racism is the way in which that water shows up with other people. Institutional Racism is the way that water turns into policy and practice… If you are talking about your own racial and ethnic identity and how they have been categorized and minoritized. Systemically ppl of color have been marginalized by the institutions. We are not minorities, we are ppl of the global s

Systemic Racism- The 4 I’s Internalized Interpersonal Institutional Ideological Ideology- White Privilege, White Supremacy, Whiteness, Systemic Oppression, Structural Racism. Internalized- Implicit Bias, Unconscious Bias. Interpersonal- Macroaggression, Microaggression, Stereotype threat. Institutional- Policies/Practices, Race. Context: Following the Jay Smooth video and the conversation about the “water” is it helpful to define for people the common terms that live in each of these Is. Internalized: White Privilege: White privilege is often a trigger for many people. It is not stated here as blame or shame but rather as a deep understanding that White communities have the ability to opt out of conversations about race. The privilege here has nothing to do with money and is about the way in which this system centers and lifts up white communities and culture as normative. This norming often others different groups and their culture. Due to the fact that white communities are often centered as “normal” white people are often not asked to consider their race or their culture. People of color are not given this option and are acknowledged and called out for their cultural differences very early in life. White supremacy : this is a global myth on the pervasiveness of white groups and culture. In fact only 12% of the entire global population is white and 88% are people of color. In considering this, think of the fact that most curriculum centers and focuses on white groups and cultures as well as examples of success in schools and businesses. Whiteness: once again this is not about blame and shame but rather the fact that many groups, including people of color are often encouraged to inhabit, take on and to promote aspects of “white culture.” Some examples of whiteness here include: language (code switching- asking different people to change the way that they speak in order to be deemed successful), professionalism (how are we often defining professional, and what does it look like? Dress like? Etc), productivity (lifting and valuing doing technical things as opposed to conversation) Facilitator Application: Present context. Robin Diangelo Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzLT54QjclA

Ideology- White Upper Middle Class Values Professionalism Individualism Time Efficiency Defensiveness Orderly Volume Comfort Christian based Perfectionism Either or Thinking Myth of meritocracy Power Hoarding Hierarchy Gender Is a binary Elitism Elements of Dominant White Culture: https://www.stevebozzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Elements-of-White- Middle-Class-Dominant-Culture.pdf Context: Participants must understand that the biases that they hold are not individual or reflect that they are bad people. Instead it is important for them to understand that a system has informed all of our biases and that everyone is being messaged similar Things (from this system) that informs all of our biases. Facilitator Application: This slide supports participants in understanding that we have been messaged many things that impact the way in which we value and see different cultures. We offer again the norms here to suggest that the goal is not to blame or shame but to identify which cultures are often placed as normative and why? The story to use for this prompt: The Fish and the Fox Everyday a fox goes down to a pond and speaks to 2 fish. He asks them every day a question. “How is the water?” Fine the fish say! “How are the rocks?” Wonderful the fish say! Finally, the fox decides to ask the fish a question; hey fish how is the water… and the fish respond... “What is water?” This is what ideological racism is... Is the very thing that sustains us, and feeds us, and shapes our beliefs and we don't even know that it is there. Internalized racism is the water that you have swallowed. Interpersonal racism is the way in which that water shows up with other people. Institutional Racism is the way that water turns into policy and practice... In order to do this work well, we have to collaborate, have non-closure, be imperfect, etc and these things are anagtonistic to upper white middle class values

Reflection Questions What water have you swallowed? How might that water/internalized bias prevent you from supporting students, families, staff, and yourself? What are you understanding differently about your own practice following this conversation? What is one thing you are committed to doing differently? the same?