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Seattle Works
1
Seattle Works
TRAINING
August 9, 2018
CULTURAL
INSTITUTIONAL
STRUCTURAL
What Is White Culture?
The dominant unquestioned standards of behavior and ways of functioning by the vast majority of institutions in the United States.
White Dominate Culture
Some Characteristics
These characteristics are damaging because they are used as norms without being proactively
named or chosen by the group.
Perfectionism
Organization fails to appreciate staff's own good work, instead focus on pointing out her/his/their faults or "failures".
Competition
Taking unearned credit for wins. Co-opting local organizing efforts, or the work of other staff. Treating core campaign issues as more important than issues that other people are working on.
Defensiveness
White staff spend energy defending against charges of racism instead of examining how racism might actually be happening.
Quantity
Over
Quality
All resources of the organization are directed toward producing measurable goals and things that can be measurable are more highly valued.
Worship of the Written Word
If it's not in a memo,
It doesn't exist.
Only One
Right Way
The belief there is only one right way to do things and not open to new ideas of change.
Power
Hoarding
Those who have power assume they have the best interests of the organization at heart and those wanting changes are emotional, inexperienced and ill-informed.
Some Organizational Norms:
- Standards of Appearance
- Standards of Behavior
- Communication Styles
- Professionalism
- Time Management
- Work Performance
Organizational Norms
What are some of Seattle Works' cultural norms?
Seattle Works Norms
Racial Equity Lens
Racial Equity Lens
INDIVIDUAL
CULTURAL
INSTITUTIONAL
STRUCTURAL
What is a Racial Equity Lens:
- Set of principles that will guide the work.
- Reflective questions and processes that can:
- Improve and support planning & implementation processes.
- Equitable decision-making process
- Resource allocation.
- Developing more equitable policies, practices, and services.
Racial
Equity
Lens Components
Racial
Equity
Lens Components
1. Deepen one's knowledge and understanding on race and racism.
Educate yourself how racism impact our society, work place, community, and your lives.
Source: Getty,image
"Nothing Protects Black Women From Dying in Pregnancy and Childbirth"
ProPublica
by Nina Martin, ProPublica, and Renee Montagne, NPR Dec. 7, 2017
2. Understand how racism operates within an institution/organization
1. Hiring process and internal promotions
2. Program development
3. Client service
4. Management & supervision
5. Resource allocations
6. Performance evaluation
7. Community engagement
8 Gate-keeping institutional power and resources
3. Separates Symptoms from Causes
Individual attitudes and behavior are often easier to describe and understand than structures and systems, yet attitudes and behavior are usually symptoms, not causes, of racial inequity.
4. As a Intersectional Lens -
"Intersectionality was a lived reality before it became a term."
Using the Racial Equity Lens to understand how "Intersectionality”— of race, class, gender, orientation — is key to identifying the dynamics at play in a particular situation and how they combine and converge.
Kimberlé Crenshaw
5. Creating new languages, narratives, and strategies to dismantle white dominate norms.
Some Job Description Languages
VS.
- Qualifications
- Education
- Team Player
- Professional
- Motivated
- Articulated
- Considerations
- Life/Community Experience
- Collective Participation
- Engaging
- Committed
- Reflected
Example:
New Narratives
1. "Proven ability to provide excellent and professional customer service."
New narrative: "Ability to understand cultural, racial, and ethnic differences in providing customer service."
2. "Ability to speak, comprehend, and read English."
New narrative: "Encourage bi-lingual abilities to commuicate and serve our customers."
3. "Ability to work independently and as part of a team."
New narrative: "Proven commitment to work collectively and independently."
One Strategy
Job Description
Commitment To Our Employees:
a. We seek to provide meaningful and welcoming place to work.
b. We honor and respect your lived experiences.
c. We seek to built a racially and socially just working environment for all.
Second Strategy: Membership Dues - $90.00
Second Strategy
Alternative Narratives:
Vision & Values:
Seattle Works' vision is a thriving community of actively engaged individuals in Seattle.
Seattle Works' core values are:
- We are building a diverse, welcoming community.
- We make decisions that are objective and mindful.
- We believe that every contribution counts.
- We see the best in people.
- We have fun.
6. Decolonize one's thinking process to dismantle embedded practices and patterns.
1. Re-frame your mindsets strategically.
2. Challenge the accepted "normalcy" of conduct & judgement.
3. Explore the "intentions" vs. "impact" when developing, reviewing, or revising policies and practices.
4. Require critical and vigorous examination of existing policies and practices.
5. Is about empower oneself to be transformative.
6. Amplify Seattle Works' values and a willingness to make radical changes.
Job Description
What are the new norms for your job description through a racial equity lens.
in pairs - 2 minutes
Applying A Racial Equity Lens
Institutional Racism
Institutional Racism
A form of racism expressed in the practice of social and political institutions. These institutions include (but are not limited to) government organizations, schools, non-profits, financial institutions, and courts of law. When racial discrimination becomes established as normal behavior within a society or organization, racial inequity is the result.
- How do institutional policies and practices (e.g. leadership development, hiring practices, volunteer programs or community engagement) support Seattle Works to become an anti-racist organization?
Cultural Racism
Cultural Racism
A form of racism defined by societal beliefs and customs that promote the assumption that the products of a given culture, including the language, norms, and traditions of that culture, are superior to those of other cultures. The cultural differences can be real, imagined, or constructed.
- How do white cultural norms impact staff of color and organizations of color you work with?
Individual Racism
Individual Racism & Reflection
Refers to an individual’s racist assumptions, beliefs, or behaviors and is a form of racism that stems from conscious or unconscious personal prejudice. Individual racism is connected to, and learned from the larger environment of structural racism.
Question for Individual Reflection: 2 minutes for self-reflections:
- What are some of the invisible cultural norms that you see at Seattle Works through the Racial Equity Lens?
- And how will you hold yourself accountable to the Seattle Works' racial equity work and support others to advance the mission?