State of Inclusion

In this episode, we take a moment to reflect on the State of Inclusion Podcast for 2023 and look ahead to 2024. While DEI may be under assault on many fronts, I'll share why I remain optimistic about this work of equity and inclusion. We'll also listen to and reflect on a few pearls of wisdom from our 2023 interviews.

See full transcript HERE.

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Our guest, Nick Cotter, has dedicated his life to educating others on the causes and reality of persistent racial and economic segregation and working to address its consequences in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While Nick's work is clearly focused on Pittsburgh, the insights and lessons reach much farther. In our discussion with Nick, we'll come to understand that many of the keys to building a more inclusive and equitable community can be found in our neighborhoods.

Access the full transcript and show notes HERE

Sign up for our newsletter and join us at The Inclusive Community to discover conversations, insights, and practices to encourage and support each of us working to build a more inclusive and equitable community.

If you want to discover how to become a better listener and learn techniques to help you listen with greater respect and love, this episode is for you. In this episode, Victoria Chance and Mary Anne Inglis of My Neighbor's Voice offer an approach to strengthen our listening skills and, at the same time, build community with our neighbors. 

Access the full transcript and show notes HERE

Sign up for our newsletter and join us at The Inclusive Community, to discover conversations, insights, and practices to encourage and support each of us working to build a more inclusive and equitable community.

Newsletter GIVEAWAY ALERT!!  

Anyone who is signed up for our newsletter on or before November 30, 2023, will be entered for a chance to win a free book.  A winner will be randomly selected from all subscribers and will win one book of their choice from our State of Inclusion bookshop.

Current subscribers are already entered. 

As part of this work of equity and inclusion, we are each on our own journey of growth. Sometimes, a moment of growth is structured and intentional, but sometimes, it catches us completely unaware. After it happens, we’re never the same. In today’s episode, I asked three more of my previous guests to share about a moment they grew in their own journey of equity and inclusion. We hear from Paul McCormack, Director of the South Carolina State Parks System, Janeen Bryant, Executive Director of the Community Building Initiative, and Chris Sparrow, adaptive athlete, disability advocate, and Program Director with the Barbara Stone Foundation. Listening to their responses can inspire a moment of growth and learning for us all. I really want you to be able to hear each guest as they speak from their heart. As a result, you'll hear me refer to this as "our unplugged series." Their responses are only lightly edited. You’ll hear more pauses and ums, and the sound may not be quite as polished. These episodes will be shorter as well to give you a little more room to sit with and reflect on each of the stories you hear.

Link to Full Transcript and Show Notes

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As part of this work of equity and inclusion, we are each on our own journey of growth. Sometimes, a moment of growth is structured and intentional, but sometimes, it catches us completely unaware. After it happens, we’re never the same.

In today’s episode, I asked three of my previous guests to share about a moment they grew in their own journey of equity and inclusion. We hear from Rose Lane of Conserving Carolina, Jerry Hawkins from Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, and Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Listening to their responses can inspire a moment of growth and learning for us all.

I really want you to be able to hear each guest as they speak from their heart. As a result, you'll hear me refer to this as "our unplugged series." Their responses are only lightly edited. You’ll hear more pauses and ums, and the sound may not be quite as polished. These episodes will be shorter as well to give you a little more room to sit with and reflect on each of the stories you hear. 

Link to Full Transcript and Show Notes

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In this episode we learn about using the power of community truth-telling as a springboard for systemic change and equity in Cincinnati, Ohio. We talk with Kim Rodgers from the Center for Community Resilience at George Washington University and learn how they provide on-the-ground support to communities, like Cincinnati, to advance progress toward resilience and equity.

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In this episode, we hear from an organization that has come to realize equity and inclusion are integral to its mission. As we talk with Rose Lane of Conserving Carolina, she shares how her organization adapted its strategic plan and value statements and how they formally ensure social justice, equity, and inclusion are part of their everyday work. As Rose tells us, "Conservation is part of social justice, and social justice is a part of preservation." 

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Join us as Jerry Hawkins shares what it means to imagine a radically inclusive Dallas and Fort Worth. Along the way, Jerry also talks about how his organization delivers on its mission of truth, racial healing, and transformation for the communities it serves.

Book Giveaway Alert

We love books on community, equity, and inclusion. We think you might too! 

We're running a book giveaway promotion this week. Anyone who is signed up for our newsletter, The Inclusive Community, on or before September 4, 2023, will be entered for a chance to win.  A winner will be randomly selected from all subscribers and will win one book of their choice from the State of Inclusion bookshop.

Please sign up and join us at The Inclusive Community.

Find show notes and full transcript HERE.

Hear from Paul McCormack, the South Carolina State Parks Director, as we talk about the actions he and his team are taking to make South Carolina's parks more accessible and inclusive. Along the way, Paul shares a little about what drives his commitment to inclusion and how he came to love the outdoors. This interview with Paul grew out of our 10-week Inclusive Community Outdoor Challenge. Head over to theinclusivecommunity.com to learn more about the challenge and join in.

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Join me as we hear from adaptive athlete and disability activist, Chris Sparrow. Chris will share what it has meant for him to get outdoors and re-engage with the sports he loves following a spinal cord injury. Along the way, he'll challenge us all to open our minds to what is possible and step up to help build a more inclusive outdoors. This episode was also part of our 10-week Inclusive Community Outdoor Challenge.

Find detailed show notes and the full transcript for this episode HERE.

Real and lasting community change is about broad community engagement, commitment, and change. That doesn’t just happen. It has to be cultivated. Join us in this episode as your co-hosts, Emma Winiski and Ame Sanders, talk about the practice we call GroundWork. It’s about reaching across the community and preparing the community soil for the seeds of equity and inclusion to germinate, take root, and grow. This is the third episode in the series: The Practice of Building a More Inclusive Community.

Find detailed show notes and full transcript HERE.

Sign up for our newsletter, The Inclusive Community, and join us for the 10-week Inclusive Community Outdoor Challenge. The outdoors has a diversity problem. It is time we noticed and did something about it. Journey along with me, Ame Sanders, as I complete each week's challenge in my own life and community. Together, we'll get outside more, have some fun, experience our public spaces, and do a little Self Work together.

The challenge is now complete, but you can explore all ten weeks and related shownotes HERE.

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Many communities undertake a coordinated program of actions and initiatives to strengthen inclusion and reduce disparities. If you want to see that type of results-focused action in your community or are already part of such a program, this episode is for you. This episode is part of our series of discussions where my colleague, Emma Winiski, and I discuss the Practice of Building a More Inclusive Community. We've identified six practice areas. In this episode, we focus on the practice of Program Work.

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If you have ever wondered what nature has to teach us about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, this episode is for you. In our discussion with Dan Kriesberg and Camille Simone Edwards, we'll explore how learning about and getting in touch with the diversity in the outer world will help us better embrace diversity in our inner world and in our community. This episode is an interview by host Tania Marien, originally aired on her podcast, Talaterra. 

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Vicki Meath, and her team at Just Economics, are working to build an economy in Western North Carolina that works better for everyone. In this episode, we learn about the creative and practical steps they are taking toward economic justice.  If you are working on economic justice, equity, or inclusion in a smaller city or rural community, this episode is for you. If you're part of a community where state and local policies aren't friendly to economic justice, inclusion, or equity, this episode is also for you. Join us as we learn how Just Economics is leading and empowering change in the communities they serve.

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At the State of Inclusion Podcast, we are on a journey to discover what it takes to build more inclusive communities. There are few communities working harder at this than Charlotte, NC. In this episode, we talk with Janeen Bryant, Executive Director of Charlotte's Community Building Initiative. Join us as we learn how they are building community in Charlotte, NC.

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Inclusion starts with each of us.

This episode is part of the series: The Practice of Building a More Inclusive Community. In this episode, we explore the practice area we call Self Work. Along the way, Emma Winiski and I will discuss and share ideas for how each of us can progress on our personal journey toward inclusion and equity and why our practice of Self Work is essential to building a more inclusive community. 

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If you are working in city or county government or trying to find a way to engage your broader community in resilience, immigration, or equity work, this episode is for you. If you’re trying to understand how work at the intersection of resilience and equity can come together, this episode is also for you. Join me as we talk with Krystal Reyes to learn more about Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the hard work and progress taking place in her city.

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In this episode, we'll learn more about a city's journey toward racial conciliation. We talk with a team from Charleston, South Carolina, working to advance equity and inclusion in their city.  Our guests share their hopes and vision for this work, but also candidly share some of their challenges. Join us as we learn more about a 350-year-old city’s struggle with race, one that started centuries ago with a legacy of slavery, traveled through the crucible that was the tragedy of the Mother Emanuel shooting, which led the city to formally apologize for slavery. We'll hear how that journey now leads them into the very real and challenging task of defining and achieving racial conciliation. 

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Our guest for this episode, Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton, is focused on transforming public organizations and rebuilding trust in government through operationalizing racial equity. We'll hear about her diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work with communities across Illinois through her partnership with the Great Cities Institute. 

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