Our beliefs and biases are rooted in narratives - the tales we tell ourselves and the stories we hear from others help us make sense of a complex, changing world. At Step Up, we're not idealists; we're realists. The world we live in is by design. We can hope for diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our daily lives. But, without making progressive steps forward every day, equity for all is just a story we tell ourselves.
It's essential to recognize the narratives that govern our society when advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. We must understand their impact, examine how we may be perpetuating inequitable narratives, and work to transform the story to tell a more holistic, authentic, and equitable tale grounded in the voices of those most impacted by inequities.
But how are narratives created, why do they persist, and how can they affect lives? To answer these questions, we designed a virtual training course to teach you to recognize the impact of familiar dominant narratives, apply a nondominant-centered approach to build buy-in for DEI efforts, and practice developing your own story.
Trace the Line Conversations - Voices for Inspiration
In July we gathered with members of the Wisconsin arts community to discuss how they use their work to create different stories and the impact of transforming narratives and participating in dignity-centered dialogues. The talk featured Zach Brandon, president of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, and Mark Fraire, director of Dane Arts, with Alejandro Miranda Cruz and Greg Hatton of the film Trace the Line. If you missed the live stream, you can listen to the discussion here. Or watch below:
"Uprooting Bias Online Challenge" Relaunch Continues to Close the Gap Between Employee Commitment and Ability in D&I Initiatives
There has never been a more critical time to commit to building inclusive spaces. But to truly make meaningful change, we must move beyond the typical annual diversity training options.
Over the past year, we have developed and delivered solutions to address DEI training needs for individuals and organizations. The Uprooting Bias Online Challenge (UBOC) is an online on-demand tool that measures readiness while also providing basic DEI training that gives a common language to explore an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in working towards a more equitable world.
For organizations, UBOC provides results that help inform strategies for building the capacity to advance DEI; they also successfully set employees to engage in their own DEI growth journey. Employees can complete the challenge individually at a time that works in their schedule over four to five hours.
Whether as an individual or an organization, The Uprooting Bias Online Challenge teaches how to recognize how individual and organizational biases create inequities, how to own biases emotionally and intellectually, and disrupt individual and organizational biases with commitment.
We’re growing!
We are so thrilled to welcome Step Up’s new Advisor and Lead Facilitator, Aissa Olivarez!
Aissa Olivarez is an immigration attorney and a powerful advocate for eliminating bias in the courtroom and in the classroom. She offers invaluable perspectives for leaders and policymakers seeking to make systemic change, drawn from her experiences working as a bilingual teacher in her native Texas and representing children detained at the U.S.–Mexico border. She most recently served as managing attorney for the Community Immigration Law Center (CILC) in Madison, Wisconsin, providing deportation defense. As an advisor and facilitator for Step Up: Equity Matters, she is focused on raising equity in our country’s most important institutions. As a guest speaker, she shares key insights with bar associations and other professional legal groups on how to effectively build a more diverse workforce and about the experiences of BIPOC attorneys navigating the profession. As a former educator, she is passionate about closing the school-to-prison pipeline and ensuring that more kids have teachers who look like them.
To work with Aissa, please send an inquiry to hello@stepupequitymatters.com
Hispanic Heritage Month begins this week!
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re sharing last year’s “Yo Soy” event where Korn Ferry’s Andrés T. Tapia shares a heartwarming and inspiring presentation on what it means to truly be "Auténtico" and the importance of embracing inclusive leadership in our organizations. As a Peruvian Latinx, he draws on the wisdom and insight of his rich bilingual/bicultural experiences and how it has strengthened his personal and professional life. Madison’s Latino Professionals Association board members Norma Gallego Valles, Rodrigo Valdivia, Mathias Lemos Castillo, and Tania Ibarra share their unique perspectives on education and careers. They offer an honest discourse that provides depth and support to findings published in the report "Investing in Latinx Talent."