I am a white cisgender person who believes all white people have personal work to do to address long-taught prejudices, to unlearn biases, open our eyes to inequities, and take action to address them. I believe:
I work to do this by first educating myself through reading and participating in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training. Books addressing social injustice are a regular part of my reading. Thankfully through my full-time government position I have access to a wealth of DEI training through LinkedIn learning. There are many online educators in social spaces that provide DEI perspectives, and I believe we are obligated to financially support their work.
Through my business, I try to fight inequity through the following actions:
While I work hard to keep my eyes open to inequity, I want all of my clients to know that should I say something inappropriate or misguided, I would like to be called out on the spot so that I can continue to improve. Thank you.
- Diversity in thought, race, experience, gender identity, neurodivergence, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs is essential to our collective wellbeing.
- That we need to address inequities for black and brown families and the LGBTQ+ community in every part of our lives, both personal and professional
- To learn, we must become uncomfortable
- We must work towards equity, not just equality
- We must listen to those affected by inequality to understand where it exists, in what ways, and then address it
I work to do this by first educating myself through reading and participating in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training. Books addressing social injustice are a regular part of my reading. Thankfully through my full-time government position I have access to a wealth of DEI training through LinkedIn learning. There are many online educators in social spaces that provide DEI perspectives, and I believe we are obligated to financially support their work.
Through my business, I try to fight inequity through the following actions:
- Ensuring that black, brown, and LGBTQ+ families are equally showcased in my work, depicting them in loving families and experiencing joy, both normalizing the family experience and depicting the unique aspects of all families
- Ensuring that I can properly edit skin tones for black and brown skin tones that are uniquely different
- Seeking out collaboration with black and minority owned businesses when possible.
- Donating a portion of each session to the local DC-non profit Critical Exposure
While I work hard to keep my eyes open to inequity, I want all of my clients to know that should I say something inappropriate or misguided, I would like to be called out on the spot so that I can continue to improve. Thank you.