Megan Vixie, MPA, CVA, PHR, SHRM-CP on LinkedIn: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes: Challenging Benevolent Discrimination (2024)

Well said! 👌🏽👏🏽🙌🏽Speak truth to power! 💪🏽A problem *cannot* be solved if it isn’t named 🗣️My three steps of Anti-Racism are to:💋 Say it! - get comfortable with the uncomfortable conversation of systemic racism. 👁️🗨️ See it! - analyse qualitative and quantitative data to see how systemic racism manifests. 💡Sort it! - move to action in a collaborative fashion to organise and strategise to address systemic racism.#SayItSeeItSortIt#SystemicRacism#BeAntiRacist

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Being left-handed in a right-handed world can be challenging. In this article, we will explore how left-handed people can turn the disadvantages they face into sources of motivation and inspirationLeft-handed people make up only about 10% of the world's population, but they have faced many forms of discrimination, prejudice, and stigma throughout history and in the present day.From#Lefthandedadvantage #Lefthandeddiscrimination

Being left-handed in a right-handed world can be challenging. In this article, we will explore how left-handed people can turn the disadvantages they face into sources of motivation and inspirationLeft-handed people make up only about 10% of the world's population, but they have faced many forms of discrimination, prejudice, and stigma throughout history and in the present day.From#Lefthandedadvantage #Lefthandeddiscrimination

We dont have #bullying in our school? If I hear this, I know there is much work to do. It is the same, when we hear an employer say 'We dont have #racism in our work place, its time to begin the journey. If you are an employer and you do not recognise racism does exist and it is having an impact on your staff and your business then lets start the work together. Do you have an Anti- racism strategy?Do you have a policy, a working document?Are you aware of the #mentalhealth impact 120,000 people from the global majority and other ethnic backgrounds leave work due to confidence following racist comments. It costs averages £7,245 per employee per year in loss of outputRiseStrong can support you Contact on risestrongtoday@gmail.comor book a consultation https://lnkd.in/e32gsQxE

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Discrimination steals precious time from individuals by forcing them to navigate prejudice and confront biases. Marginalized individuals spend valuable energy defending their dignity, diverting their focus from personal goals and well-being. Discrimination also creates barriers, limits opportunities and access to resources, and requires extra time and effort to overcome obstacles. The cumulative effect perpetuates social inequalities and hinders upward mobility. Addressing discrimination requires systemic change to reclaim stolen time and create a more equitable society where everyone can thrive without the burden of prejudice. #StolenTime #ReclaimingOurTime #FightInequality #SystemicChange

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A white-identifying person in power may portray themselves as a victim when confronted with their own racist or harmful actions. They might emphasize the personal toll the criticism or accountability has taken on them, portraying themselves as misunderstood or unfairly targeted. This tactic deflects attention from the harm caused and places the burden of empathy and support onto the BIPOC, effectively perpetuating the cycle of oppression.In the pursuit of dismantling systemic racism and promoting inclusivity, uncomfortable conversations and confrontations are inevitable. It is crucial to recognize the concept of right to comfort and how white-identifying individuals can sometimes weaponize it in response to being called out on their racist, harmful, and oppressive actions by BIPOC. JFM aims to shed light on this phenomenon with examples, explore its damaging effects, and provide insights on how to address and overcome it. #JusticeForMedlock

In our equity and inclusion work, we hear and see time and time again about how racism is one of the swiftest ways to erode belonging. And how it damages the health and well-being of people, workplaces and communities. I'm curious what are your anti-racism policies and practices? How do you support the voice, dignity and leadership of the people most impacted to lead the change?#antiracism #antiracist #belongingmatters #equityandinclusion

😥 I still vividly recall the moment it happened to me. 😥 Seared into my memory, I am still grappling to find the right words. In those dark days, I found myself trapped under the authority of my boss, the very person responsible for subjecting me to such torment. Fear consumed me, and the weight of intimidation crushed my spirit, leaving me utterly lost. 😥 Every day, I would come home, tears streaming down my face as I poured my heart out to my husband. 😥 The toll it took on my mental health was undeniable. However, the need to make ends meet forced me to persist, even though my heart was heavy. It comes as no surprise that I eventually made the agonizing decision to walk away from that organization, solely because of that individual. 😥 It's disheartening to see that such behavior continues to persist, often behind closed doors or whispered around the office water cooler, so to speak. Nobody can truly grasp the depths of my struggles I've faced and the reasons behind my body size. My experiences are known only to me. 😢 It's truly shameful that some individuals feel justified in belittling others based on their weight and other factors. Regardless of our physical appearance, we all possess emotions, and it's essential to treat one another with kindness and respect. After all, we never truly know what burdens each person is carrying. Why worsen their pain? 😥 Every individual is unique and beautiful, 🦋 regardless of their skin color, weight, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics. With heartfelt love and unwavering compassion, let us stand united against discrimination and embrace the beauty of our shared humanity. Just my two cents! ❤️Sending much love and warm hugs! 💗 ❤️ 🤗 Let these words resonate: It's time for CHANGE. 👏 THANK YOU, New York! I hope that other states will enact these same laws! Mayor Eric Adams of New York has added both weight and height to list of protected forms of discrimination., along with race, gender, age, religion, and sexual orientation, and these laws will apply to employment, housing, and access to public accommodations. #Leadership #Workforce #Diversity #Discrimination #mentalhealthawareness #leaningtowardschange

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For those that have experienced ongoing discrimination, and just didn't feelcomfortable or confident to speak up against it, I wanted to share an inspirational story from someone who found themselves in a similar situation.This person had been dealing with discrimination at their workplace for many years, and like so many people, she decided just to ignore it...and as they say, “go along to get along.” This approach continued, until she reached her emotional/mental breaking point—prompting her to do something to help stop the abuse. Among the things she did was attend a Crucial Conversations Workshop series, with the intent to find the skills, confidence and courage to confront those in the organization that perpetuated her situation.Everything seemed to go as planned, until one day she got a call from a family member’s doctor who shared that she needed to tell one of her parents the other one was going to die from an ongoing medical condition. Understandably overwhelmed and distraught, she followed the Crucial Conversations steps she had learned, and went over to her parents’ home to have that conversation.She didn’t share exactly what she said, or how she said it, but she did stress it was the hardest conversation she had ever had in her life. She also shared an epiphany she had after some reflection and time had passed. The epiphany was that if she could muster up the confidence and courage to tell a parent she loved that another parent they both loved was dying, why was it so hard to address the discrimination she had been experiencing?Acting on this thought, she did go on to have multiple crucial conversationswith people in her organization about her experiences; what she felt; and why she needed things to change. Even though things got much better afterthat, just having that conversation gave her the confidence to find anotheremployer that valued employees with the experience, skills, education andcommitment she had given to her previous one.To put everything into perspective, her story reminded me that even thoughwe can sometimes struggle to address circ*mstances in our lives we perceive to be extremely difficult and overwhelming, I cannot imagine how much worse a conversation could possibly be than the one this person needed to have with one of her parents. Although perspective and perceptions may vary from person to person, little doubt remains that silence only benefits the contributors of discrimination, not the victims of it.

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True advocates are hard to come by. Lots of people probably think they’re doing it, but really they’re stopping short - pulling back at the point they realise they could become collateral damage. It’s important to note as well that advocacy and allyship are different things, and to help us understand how, Amber Cabral offers a neat explanation in an article for Fastcompany.com:“Allyship is focused on the individual and their unique experiences and perspectives. Advocacy is focused on the systems. In order to be an advocate, you have to protect people from harm, you have to publicly support people having access and being heard, and you have to be willing to dismantle systems that may serve you but are not equitable for others.”And that last bit is the real chestnut 🌰- “dismantle the systems that may serve you”. Think about that.The first choice an advocate has to make is that of doing nothing or doing something. And the second is a willingness to accept a potential negative change in their personal circ*mstances, for the greater good. Both are hard, but the second one is harder, and that’s why true advocates are sadly as rare as rocking horse sh*t. They do exist though, and I’ve had the privilege of coming across a few true gems in my time:The amazing male peer who tried to lobby the organisation (without my knowledge) to do better when I experienced several incidents of casual racism at work. The incredible woman who put her own career and livelihood on the line to act as a support person for me when I made a formal discrimination complaint. When you come across a true advocate, you feel it in your core. They give you a sense of absolute solidarity and inner steel. They inspire you to continue your quest for a better world and they roll up their sleeves to help you create it. The courage and integrity they show is extraordinary, so if you know an advocate or two, thank them. Because they have shown you strength and selflessness you sadly won’t see often. View post on instagram: https://lnkd.in/dQCMM4Sy#advocacy #selfsacrifice #integrity #bethechange #changemakers #supportatwork #solidarity #changetheworld #racism #discrimination #bullying #harassment #workplaceculture #leadership

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