The ADL Training Program at Rutgers University: My Takeaways

    Anti-Defamation League: https://www.adl.org/

On October 18, 2018, Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences hosted A Campus of Difference™, a training program created and presented by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).  The program provides participants with “knowledge and skills needed to effectively interact in a culturally diverse campus environment”. The half-day program was held for administrators in the morning and for faculty in the afternoon.

The facilitators were very skilled at setting the tone for a safe space. We had large group, small group and individual discussions with creative activities that allowed us to openly and safely voice our perceptions of ourselves and others. We had a chance to imagine how our lives would be different if we woke up with a new identity – one that would be challenging and vulnerable to bias and stereotyping. The program comes with an excellent resource and activity workbook that will help us sustain the momentum of the in-person program. The sensitive issues that came to light were very relevant to our daily lives and, importantly, as professors who play an important role in modeling respect for differences and valuing inclusion.

I highly recommend that you explore your university’s willingness to host the ADL’s A Campus of Difference™. You can contact the ADL at www.adl.org/education or call 212-885-7964.

Michelle Brill

Moving Away from Power Over to Shared Power

As we work to develop and sustain more inclusive and equitable environments and relationships for all, it is important to understand that we need to move away from a power over approach to a shared power approach in our work together.  In many cases, power over has resulted in groups with the most power setting the cultural norms, institutional policies and procedures, organizational and community agendas and who has access to resources and positive life outcomes.  Additionally, the power over approach can support and maintain dominant cultural values such as defensiveness, only one right way, quantity over quality and fear of complexity and a drive toward efficiencies, among others.  Additionally, another tendency that I have experienced when talking about shared power related to race with White people is the belief that the only outcome for White people who would move to a shared power model would be that White people would give up their power to People of Color and then People of Color would use that newly acquired power to oppress White people. 

The lack of examples of how a shared power approach could assist all can contribute to some of these fears or perceived negative outcomes.  So what would a shared power approach in our relationships across different social identities look like?  Below are a few examples of shared power approaches:

• Including people or communities of color in defining and prioritizing their own issues, challenges and opportunities
   
• Supporting and assisting people and/or communities of color navigate systems of power and authority (as a guide or ally) 

• Tracking and naming power when it is in play and sharing how it is working to influence processes and outcomes
   
• Creating collaborative processes to resolve conflict
   
• Taking the time to build trust, share stories and build relationships whenever possible
   
• Slowing down processes or providing time for reflection to ensure that those with less power understand and are comfortable with moving forward and those with power don’t move too quickly to action
   
• Visibly demonstrating the characteristics of shared power in the makeup of the leadership of your program or initiative 

• Using accessible language(s) and/or taking the time to develop a common language to inform your work/relationship
• Identifying an individual or group of people of color that become your “accountability” partner(s) to check-in with or help guide/inform your work
   
• Share concrete resources (i.e., financial, information, contacts/networks, etc.) that assist with access to opportunities  

• Identifying and supporting systems of reward, recognition and possible payment for people for their wisdom and community connections
   
• Creating and supporting processes that take into consideration the complexity of the lives and issues of people and communities of color and the diverse outcomes that may be needed to address these complexities

 

How many of these characteristics of shared power are currently a part of your individual or organizational approaches to working toward greater inclusion and equity?

 

What other characteristics of shared power would you add to this list?

 

What are some of the barriers and opportunities in your work to include these or other shared power characteristics?

 

In what ways would you or have you seen your work changing if you implement some of these characteristics of shared power?

 

Dionardo Pizaña

Diversity and Personnel Specialist

Michigan State University Extension

Dakota Access Pipeline Controversy

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe along with more than 300 other Indian Tribal Nations have been protesting the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline at Cannonball, ND. The Dakota Access Pipeline is $3.7 billion project involving the routing of crude oil via a pipeline from North Dakota to Patoka, IL. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe purports the pipeline creates a major cultural and environmental threat by destroying sacred burial grounds and potentially contaminating their water supply.

According to the Standing Rock Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II, “The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the law when it green-lighted construction of the oil pipeline without consulting with the tribe.” A letter signed by 19 members of Congress addressed to President Obama stated, “The pipeline poses significant threats to the environment, public health, and tribal and human rights.”

Sources: nbcnews.com; abcnews.go.com; and daplpipelinefacts.com

-Tony Franklin

Strategies for Effectively Communicating through an Interpreter

On November 23, we offered a webinar called Strategies for Effectively Communicating through an Interpreter.  There were some follow-up questions that people asked on our post-survey, and our presenter, Betty, has answered them below.

For additional information, programs can purchase the Authentic Voices Educational Setting, which I believe would be most compatible with Cooperative Extension programming.  Additional information can be found at our website: www.diversity-project.org

 

1.      How to address the community interpreter if s/he is adding in their own content. I have observed sometimes it can enhance the session when cultural info is shared, but it can also take us off track. I'm also concerned, too, by elaborating on the content, the interpreter may not be giving correct information.

 

Anything that an interpreter says should be said in both languages of the meeting/session.  If an interpreter is going to add cultural information aimed at increasing understanding, they should announce their shift from direct interpretation to sharing cultural information.  They would then repeat the information in both the source and target languages.  Finally, they would announce their shift back into the role of interpreter, and the session would continue.  If the educator wanted to expand or clarify any information as a result of the interpreter’s sharing, they would be able to do so.  The interpreter would interpret their response.

 

2.      How to handle interpretation with a mixed audience with multiple primary languages.

 

It depends on whether you are using simultaneous or consecutive interpretation. 

 

With simultaneous interpretation and interpretation equipment, the interpreters would out of the way be in the back and sides of the room.  Participants would be wearing headsets corresponding to their spoken language.  The interpreter speaks at the same time as the speaker, speaking at the same rate with only a few seconds of lag time.  The speakers flow is a sentence or two behind the speaker.  When a participant who speaks one of the target languages has a question or comment, the interpreter for that language will use consecutive interpretation to interpret what they say.

 

When the interpreters are providing consecutive interpretation, the interpreter alternates with the speaker, each person speaking a few sentences at a time.  For a large group presentation, the interpreters would stand at the front of the room along with the presenter.  The presenter would say a few sentences in the source language, and then the interpreter would repeat the information in the target language.  In this instance one source language and one target language is the preferred.  I would not recommend more than two target languages.  With a bilingual meeting, the session will take twice as long, as everything needs to be said twice.  With a trilingual meeting, the session will take three times as long, because everything is being said three times.  It is critical to plan for the extra time.

How to Faciliate Difficult Conversations

In light of the recent events at University of Missouri and Yale, and the protests these events have sparked across University campuses across the country, we thought it would be helpful to repost a webinar we presented earlier this year. The presenters in this webinar answer the question "How can I facilitate a difficult conversation on multicultural issues?"


Webinar: How to Facilitate Difficult Conversations 


Please continue the conversation in the comment section!


What strategies have you or your colleagues used in addressing multicultural issues?
What questions do you have?  Answers?

Volunteering in Under-Resourced Communities: Challenges for Urban Master Gardeners

On April 29, I had the pleasure of sharing research I completed as a graduate student via webinar for this eXtension community of practice. The webinar focused on the results of a study that investigated the challenges of the engagement process associated with volunteering in low-income urban communities of color, as perceived by Master Gardeners. This research used qualitative research methods and was completed between 2011/2012. At the time, I was also serving as a University of Minnesota “Master Gardener intern,” the title given once is granted admission to the program and the period in which educational coursework and volunteer hours are being completed. The purpose of this study was focused on the question, “What challenges or barriers exist within the Master Gardener program in reaching and volunteering in low-income, urban communities of color as perceived by Master Gardeners?”  This study took place in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) metro area.

After the webinar, I was asked to address the following question:

“How do you stress the importance of reaching parity in Extension programming to volunteers?  Many do not seem to understand this no matter how much we explain it's USDA requirements, many also don't seem to care about it as a personal value.”

As the question notes, our own personal values and beliefs play a role in ensuring program volunteers, staff, etc. reach broad audiences. Working in diverse, under-resourced communities has greatly shaped my views on health and has allowed me to better understand how social, political, and economic factors greatly influence behavior and overall health outcomes.  Previous jobs that included providing care through home visits to young Latina and African American mothers in Grand Rapids, MI and then as a refugee nutritionist on Chicago’s diverse north side neighborhoods have served as some of my most valuable education/teachings.  These personal experiences and interactions pushed me to want to learn more.  I wanted to better understand these larger factors – the social determinants of health and how best to ensure health for all people.

A few resources to consider when thinking about the need for diverse, equitable and inclusive work -

• The “Gardener’s Tale,” an allegory for racism adapted from work of Camara Phyllis Jones and theoretical framework.
• The Impact of Racism on Health and Well-Being, a webinar series by the American Public Health Association
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Principles of Community Engagement

 

Sarah Eichberger is a registered dietician who has been working in urban community settings with diverse populations since 2003.  She is currently an extension educator for Michigan State University focusing on chronic disease prevention and programming.

 

Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Youth at Camp

On April 14^th of 2015 I had the opportunity to present a webinar on Working with LGBTQ Clients, a basic sensitivity and 101 training on how to define, talk about, and work with folks who identify as LGBTQ. After the presentation there was a discussion on sleeping arrangements at summer camps and the best ways to protect those that are disenfranchised due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.  At my current place of work, I do not interact with anybody under the age of 16. Our main goal is to provide safe housing services to LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. I have never worked in an overnight summer camp setting, but, regardless – safety is of major concern for us at the Ali Forney Center and many of the same concepts apply. 

I had suggested that because children in general educational settings are often rewarded for following the rules and given consequences for breaking the rules – that this framework could be applied to a camp setting. Every time a camper was heard or seen bullying, being disrespectful, or making fun of a peer because they identify as or are perceived to be part of the LGBTQ community;  they would lose a privilege that is normally given to campers on any given day.  On the flip side, any time a young person was seen being an ally – standing up for their peers, trying to stop bullying behaviors, or being intentionally inclusive to someone who has been considered an outsider; these young people would gain an extra privilege. Similar to a “golden star” system in the classroom, young people would be recognized and rewarded for being role models at camp, while simultaneously assisting staff in maintaining a safe space for all of the campers.

Children have the power to be leaders in their peer groups. Another idea I had was to elect, or appoint, a young person in each cabin to be “Cabin Leader,” or “Safety Monitor.”  This person would be responsible for holding their peers accountable to respectful, kind, and non-violent behaviors.  The leaders of the cabins would be given a basic understanding of what signs to look out for and what the process is when they witness discrimination in their cabin.  Staff would always be included in this process, and young people should always know how to reach their assigned staff person in these cases. This would be especially important in bunks where there are transgender youth.  Transgender youth should always be given power to choose which gender they feel safest bunking with. Not all transgender girls (people whose sex was assigned male at birth but who now identify as female) might want to bunk with cisgender (people who identify with the sex assigned to them at birth) girls, and vice versa.  Staff should always honor their choice or do their best to facilitate the safest and most respectful sleeping arrangements for these young people.   Staff should also be intentional about bunking transgender youth with other young people that demonstrate their ability to accept and honor their peers’ identities. “Cabin Leaders” or “Safety Monitors” would also be rewarded for maintaining the cohesion of their cabins.

If your camp does not already, all staff should be mandated to competency trainings for working with LGBTQ youth.  This should be given as much priority as any other safety training (First Aid, Universal Precautions, CPR, etc.)  The mental health of LGBTQ young people is largely determined by their environments, in their ability to be who they are without being harmed or bullied or told they do not exist or aren’t real. If staff cannot uphold a safe space for their campers, how will they hold campers to this necessary standard?

Link to webinar: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p1uab18szaj/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal

Nicole Giannone is currently Director of Program Evaluation, Training and Advocacy at the Ali Forney Center in New York, NY. 

Tools for Attracting a Diverse and Culturally Competent Applicant Pool (Part 3)

Assessing a Candidate’s Multicultural Skills and Competencies: Sample Interview Questions 

By: Dionardo Pizaña

One way to measure the success of any organization committed to diversifying its employees is to visibly see diversity reflected in its workforce across race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, etc. and at every level of the organization. In many cases, this is a long term process to not only hire diverse employees, but more importantly to retain these employees and support their success.  Another opportunity for organizations committed to inclusion is to expect that all employees, regardless of background or position that they are applying for, to possess multicultural experiences, skills and competencies as part of their professional portfolio. With this consideration in mind, it may be helpful to consider using questions similar to those found below, during the interview process, to delve deeper into the candidate’s skills or competencies related to diversity and inclusion:

 

1.  This position has responsibilities for reaching traditional and new and diverse audiences across race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, etc. within Agricultural and Natural Resources.  Please describe how your past experiences have prepared you to reach this goal effectively.  Provide us with at least one example from your past experiences, what you learned from the experience and how you would apply this learning to this position. 

2.  ________University has, as one of its organizational values, the support of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion.  Please describe how you see these values as relevant to the position for which you are applying.  Specifically, give at least one example of how you see the responsibilities of this position playing a part in promoting these values. 

3.  Describe a multicultural experience you had with an ethnic/racial group other than your own and the outcomes of that experience that lead you to think/believe that you were effective.

4. Describe a time when you initially had trouble understanding the point of view of someone of a different ethnic, racial or cultural background.  What steps did you take in order to better understand this person’s point of view?  How did this influence your own point of view?   

5.  Describe a time when you were supervising a staff and there was a cultural conflict between two members of that staff.  How did you discover the conflict?  How did you handle it?  What did you learn about yourself as a supervisor in the process? 

6. You have been asked to work with your department to launch an initiative to educate and connect a more racially diverse constituency to the mission and resources of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.  How would you go about providing leadership for this request?  How would you determine that this process had been successful? 

7. MSUE works with a diverse representation of the population across the state in all program areas, please share with us your experience working with diverse populations and how you have measured success for the work you have done with these diverse populations.  

8.  You are made aware of a situation in a county that may end up with a Civil Rights claim being filed.  A county on the western side of the state with a growing Latino population has struggled to engage Latino youth and volunteers in 4 H clubs.  Many of the Latino parents feel their children are unwelcomed by established clubs and the focus of these traditional clubs don’t seem to meet their needs.  How would you handle this situation and what would be your immediate, short and long term goals? 

9. You get a call from a staff person who has recently learned about a need to provide programming for a population of adults who are hard of hearing or deaf.  She sees the need and potential for working with this population, but doesn’t know exactly where to start or what resources she might need or have access to.  She has come to you because she is curious about any teaching techniques or strategies that you would recommend.   What advice and support would you provide this staff person?  

10. In what ways have you seen the issues of race, gender, class and other differences inform your work and research and what do you see as areas for growth for yourself in becoming more culturally competent?  

11. Describe a time when you implemented a teaching strategy or used diverse curriculum content to support a learning environment that was inviting and inclusive for all?  How did you know it was successful? 

12. Think back to a professional development opportunity that you attended in the past 5 years that supported your learning about issues of diversity, cultural competency or inclusion?  What stood out for you as important about this learning and how have you integrated what you learned into your personal and professional life? 

13.  Describe a time when you missed an opportunity in a professional setting to address an issue related to diversity, multiculturalism or inclusion? For example, maybe an offensive remark was made, an offensive joke was told or a co-workers diverse perspectives or realities were discounted or minimized. How did that make you feel and what have you done since to be better prepared to address similar opportunities? 

When developing interview questions for potential candidates that explore their understanding or experience related to multiculturalism, diversity or inclusion, it is important ensure that the questions:

1. Are directly related to the work of the position for which the applicant is applying

2. Are designed to elicit the specific information being sought and are not vague

3. Provide an opportunity to demonstrate specific knowledge or skills related to diversity, multiculturalism or inclusion 

4. Are used as one of several processes to determine a candidate’s success for the position that they have applied

 

What other questions have you found useful in determining a candidate’s cultural competency skills?

How has the addition of questions related to diversity, multiculturalism or cultural competency added value to your candidate interview and selection processes?

 

Adapted  in part from “Hiring for Cultural Competence: Practical Methods and Strategies to Get What You Need,” by Chris Cullinan, PhD., June 2004.

Tools for Attracting a Diverse and Culturally Competent Applicant Pool (Part 2)

By: Dionardo Pizaña

There are several other additional intentional strategies, tools and processes an organization can implement when looking to diversify its workforce.  Some of these strategies, tolls and processes may already be reflected in your recruitment and hiring processes, however, they may not have the intentional focus on equity and inclusion needed to yield a more diverse candidate pool.  In addition to intentionally implementing these strategies, tools and processes, organizations also need to have strong and accountable leadership helping to guide the decision making and organizational culture change processes necessary to not only hire a diverse and culturally competent workforce but to also retain these individuals.

Below are a few examples of strategies, tools and processes that can be implemented to support your organizational commitment to diversifying your workforce and supporting an inclusive and equitable organizational culture:

Assemble a diverse search committee – Be intentional and strategic in assembling a search committee that is as diverse as possible across race, gender, position within the organization and other differences especially those pertinent to the position.  If your organization lacks diversity within staff, this may provide you with an opportunity to engage community partners in your search process.  Inviting a diverse individual from a community organization not only helps to diversify your committee, it may also strengthen the relationship you have with this organization and bring a perspective and insight not found within your organization.  This may also provide an opportunity from a diverse partner to learn more about your organization and hiring process so this individual can provide insight to colleagues or community members for future employment opportunities.

Develop and nurture a diverse network – It is no surprise that many vacancies are filled by individuals who know someone within the organization.  It may not only be that an individual is familiar with someone within the organization, it may matter just as much that a current employee can provide support and advocacy for a prospective candidate.  This is why it is imperative that leaders within an organization develop and nurture a diverse network of community, state and national contacts and partners, at all times, not just when a vacancy occurs or is anticipated.   This diverse network can be developed and nurtured by being engaged with local and national organizations like the NAACP, local chapters of historically black fraternities and sororities, local diverse agencies, and diverse faith based organizations, among others.  At a national level, organizational leadership should be engaged with and attend professional conferences and organizations such as the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education, the Society for the Advancement of Hispanic/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), National Association for Multicultural Education, the White Privilege Conference, and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRSS) among others.  Attending these conferences and professional organization gatherings will expose leadership to emerging issues with these diverse constituents, learn about and meet emerging diverse leaders or potential employees and show a visible top level, organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion.  Additionally, many of these professional conferences and organizations have job posting options available through their websites and journals for searches conducted at a national level. 

Develop a diversity informed, intentional hiring process – It is essential that your organization develop a process that intentionally prioritizes inclusion and diversity when recruiting and hiring new staff.  Some ways in which this can achieved might be developing a “candidate evaluation grid” for committee members to evaluate written documentation from candidates related to the job responsibilities.   This option suggests that the job posting has skill/desired qualities or responsibilities that explicitly highlight issues of inclusion, equity and diversity like, 1). Spanish/English language proficiency desired 2). Experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse U.S. communities, 3).  Proven record of building and sustaining culturally and linguistically networks and partnerships, 4). Evidence of ongoing personal and professional development related to issues of inclusion, equity and cultural competence, as a few examples.  Including these explicit desired or preferred candidate qualifications, among other qualifications for the position, will allow committee members to assess a candidate’s written materials through a lens of diversity, inclusion and equity. 

Providing more than one opportunity to interview a prospective pool of candidates by phone or other teleconference medium, can help to build a relationship with candidates while digging deeper into the candidate’s knowledge of the job, interest in the job and knowledge of the organization they have applied to.  Adding this extra step may feel time consuming and unnecessary; however, it may be helpful to slow down the hiring process even in the midst of the urgency to hire someone and may help committee members in their discernment of individuals to keep in the candidate pool.  It may also provide an opportunity to ask additional questions related to issues of diversity, inclusion and equity.

Throughout the interview process it is also recommended that behavioral based, reflective and open ended questions be central to the engagement of the candidate as you assess their skills and competencies for the position.  Part 3 of this blog series will provide examples of these types of questions.  Additionally, if your job description has a desired or preferred language proficiency qualification, you may choose to set up a separate conversation between a prospective candidate and a staff or community member who is proficient in the language you are looking for in a candidate so that they can have a conversation and the results of that conversation, to assess their proficiency, can be shared with committee members as a part of the candidate’s search portfolio. 

Nurture and develop an internal pipeline of diverse employees – One of an organization’s most valuable assets is its current employees.  Prioritizing a vibrant professional development and mentoring program which allows employees to develop new skills and competencies and gain valuable insights into future employment tracks or positions is a must.  This process should be available to everyone across the organization and intentional recruitment of employees who are diverse is needed in order to use these opportunities to prepare the next generation of leaders within your organization.  Nurturing the future potential of diverse employees can also be an important tool to help retain this important pool of employees while supporting a message of inclusion and equity.

• What other intentional processes or policies are you implementing to recruit and retain a diverse employee workforce?
• How have you supported staff in developing diverse networks that can help in recruiting future diverse employees?
• How have you used staff professional development and mentoring to support you desire to employ and retain a diverse workforce?

Part 3 of this blog post in March will explore developing and using behavioral based, open ended questions centered on cultural competence during the candidate interview process to support outcomes centered in equity and inclusion.

Tools for Attracting a Diverse and Culturally Competent Applicant Pool (Part 1)

By Dionardo Pizaña
This is part 1 of a 4 part series. Stay tuned for the next 3 parts to come.

One tool to invite job applicants from diverse backgrounds to consider applying for openings within your organization is to be intentional in the job announcement or posting about your organizational commitment to inclusion, equity or multicultural organizational change.  Using only the standard Affirmative Action statement or compliance language is simply not enough to indicate the importance of these issues at an organizational level or to capture a prospective employee’s attention that may be looking to work for an organization that supports inclusion.

Below are a few samples of language that can be integrated into a job announcement or posting to support your organizational commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity:

1. ________ University is seeking creative, adaptable individuals who enjoy working for an organization that promotes cultural diversity and multicultural education.

2. ________ University is committed to excellence and actively supports cultural diversity.  To support this commitment, we invite individuals who contribute to such diversity to apply including people of color, women, GLBT, persons with disabilities and other differences.

 
3. ________ University is committed to developing in well trained professionals the talents and skills necessary for visionary leadership, organizational change, community empowerment, inclusion and social equity.

4. The successful candidate for this position will have the ability to work effectively and collegially with a broad range of internal and external constituencies, the ability to think creatively and a commitment to or experience in supporting or implementing programs or initiatives that foster and sustain inclusion and equity within their research or programming area.

5.  Candidate must have a demonstrated ability to work with individuals across an organization or in a community who are of a diverse socioeconomic, cultural, sexual orientation, religious, disability and/or ethnic background. 

6. Dedicated to organizational excellence, ________ University supports and encourages the development and implementation of multicultural perspectives across programming areas, the celebration of diversity and the assets that inclusion and equity brings to our organization.

7.  The successful candidate must be able to support our organizational mission as it relates to inclusion, equity, multicultural organizational change and the organizational excellence that diversity fosters.

8.  _______ University is seeking bilingual/bicultural (i.e., English/Spanish or English/Arabic) individuals to meet the needs of our diverse constituency.  Programming focus and outreach will have a successful candidate working effectively to program and build networks and connections with these community members.

These phrases and additional information on a job posting will not, in and of themselves, guarantee a diverse pool of applicants. However, this language can serve to put “front and center” your organizational desire to support such values as inclusion, equity, multiculturalism and leverage diversity as an organizational asset, thereby attracting individuals of diverse backgrounds or individuals who have demonstrated multicultural skills and competencies – both of which can support your organizational commitment to multiculturalism.

What other strategies has your institution utilized when advertising positions to attract a diverse applicant pool?

What other information might be important to highlight in position advertisements when seeking to attract a diverse applicant pool?

If the decision is made to use one of the statements above in your advertisements, what additional steps could be taken in the recruitment and hiring/interview process to explore issues of inclusion and equity more intentionally?

 

Adapted in part from “Hiring for Cultural Competence: Practical Methods and Strategies to Get What You Need,” by Chris Cullinan, PhD., June 2004.

Structural Racism and Food Inequity

By: Chiquita McAllister

We are excited at NC A&T as a part of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems to lead a planning effort to address structural racism in the food system. We are currently a part of national efforts as a member of the Inter-Institutional Network for Food and Agricultural Sustainability (INFAS), a part of the Good Food Network led by the Union of Concerned Scientists along with other institutions and organizations like the Center for Social Inclusion (NYC) and the Rural Coalition and the National Farm to School Network, among others. Our initial efforts, which are funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation, include the development of a cross-campus initiative that engages students, faculty and staff across colleges and departments to address strucutural racism in the food system. We are also compiling resources and research that has taken place around this issue, and reaching out to other universities and institutions of higher learning to learn more about other efforts that are taking place on this topic.

 

This initiative coincides with the release of a report released by the Center for Social Inclusion (CSI) and written by NC A&T Extension Associate and 2013 CSI Food Equity Fellow,, Shorlette Ammons, that examines efforts by women of color around the South to address food systems inequities. Here's info about the report along with a link to the report:

 

 “Shining a Light in Dark Places: A Policy Brief”.

 

CSI Food Equity Fellow Shorlette Ammons describes the realities of current and past food systems from the perspectives of Southern women of color. Shorlette draws from her personal story, U.S. history, and the legacy of women of color food workers and activists, to show we can create racial equity in the food system.

 

Interviewees include former Congresswoman Eva Clayton, who brings a needed perspective based on her global anti-hunger work and passion for rural communities; Tavia Benjamin and Hermelinda Cortes, who both offer millennial insight on the intersectionality of issues that lead to economic and health disparity; finally, Daa’iyah Salaam and Greta Gladney offer a grassroots perspective that provides a direct link between what is happening on the ground and the policies that are needed to impact change.

Some videos on the topic:

Intro to Wayne County: http://youtu.be/3ncA71ivcyQ

History of the Wayne Food Initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ncA71ivcyQ

SWARM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JewHeAeF9A&feature=youtu.be

Wayne County Library Garden: http://youtu.be/nzjtaLVEBpc

There will be a webinar on this topic coming soon!

Utilizing Technology to Reach Diverse Audiences

By Terrence Wolfork

In a recent webinar entitled “Utilizing Technology to Reach Diverse Audiences”, presenters Anne Adrian, Terrence Wolfork, and Yolanda Surrency, promoted the use of smartphones as just one way that Cooperative Extension could extend its reach to reach Hispanic audiences. Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic in America, currently accounting for approximately 17% of all Americans with a future projection to reach 24% by 2025. While their ownership of desktop computers (72 percent Hispanic, 83 percent White), is lower than Whites; their ownership of smartphone, (49 percent Hispanic, 46 percent White) is more than Whites according to a Pew Research Study. The same study also states that Hispanics assess the internet at a higher percentage than Whites (76 percent to 60 percent), and use social media sites at a higher percentage than Whites (68 percent to 66 percent). So if you have a desire to expand Cooperative Extension’s reach, here is just one tip on how to utilize technology to reach the Hispanic audience.

• Enhance your outreach efforts through the use of social media. Social Media is not just another communication technique. The traditional Extension communication technique is one way, resource intensive, and subject matter expert focused. Social Media offers Cooperative Extension the ability to enhance client participation and to disseminate information quickly to a growing Hispanic audience who may not know what Cooperative Extension is. Like any communications technique however, social media is not a one size fit all, but rather the focus of Cooperative Extension should be to utilize the social media application that their clients are using.
   
  As stated, 68 percent of Hispanics use social media sites; however this category differs across language demographics of Hispanics. English is the dominant characteristic in usage of social media sites with 60 percent of Hispanics saying they use English mainly. This leaves an opportunity for Cooperative Extension to reach the additional 40 percent of Hispanics by hiring a bilingual specialist/agent to assist in new communications techniques to not only the Hispanic audiences, but to our existing Cooperative Extension personnel as well. Cooperative Extension has to change focus from the workshop being taught to one of focusing on the learner. This constructivism mode of learning can be replicated to not one particular demographic, but to any demographic allowing new Extension programs to be more flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the clientele.

This is just one tip on how Cooperative Extension can utilize technology, specifically social media, to reach the Hispanic audience. Post some of your thoughts in the comment section below. Our next blog will focus on another technology and communication technique to reach the Hispanic audience.

Cultural Humility as a Tool for Change

by Dionardo Pizana

In an article that appears in the Journal for Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, authors Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-Garcia advocate that the work of individuals, and the support they receive from their institutions around issues of inclusion, equity and social justice, suggest people should support the development of cultural humility rather than cultural competence when working across differences.  The authors define cultural humility as “a lifelong process and commitment to self-evaluation and critique, to redressing the power imbalances in the caretaker-patient dynamic, and to developing mutullay beneficial and non-paternalistic relationships and partnerships with communities on behalf of individuals and underrepresented populations.” Components that support the development and sustainabilty of cultural humility include:

* Prioritizing self-reflection and a lifelong learner model in one’s personal and professional lives – It is imperative that there be a simultaneous process of self-reflection and ongoing self-appraisal as it relates to addressing one’s own culture and how that impacts a person’s ability to work authentically across differences.


* Recognizing and challenging power imbalances for respectful partnerships — while working to establish and maintain respect is essential in all healthy and productive relationships, the root of effective practices is in acknowledging and challenging the power imbalances inherent in our practitioner/client dynamics.

* A movement from the “expert” model to the “student” model – Individuals with power need to be flexible enough and humble enough to “say that they do not know when they truly do not know,” and become students with their clients to better understand when one’s culture is at play and when other issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia, classism or other larger issues are impacting one’s health.

 * Community-based direction and advocacy – Practitioners of cultural humility work toward optimal health in their communities addressing the physical, mental and social well-being of their communities.  They work toward being nonpaternalistic, mutually engaged and mutually respectfull and build on the assests and adaptive strengths of communities - including those who are too often disenfranchised. 

* Institutional accountability — organizations need to model these principles as well (from micro, to mezzo and macro practice)

Although this model and way of being was developed within a medical community and framework, I believe that it can be applied in many of our personal and professional settings.  Questions that may help us to reflect on the concept of cultural humility in our personal and professional lives, include:

 -          How does the notion of cultural humility connect with your work in building authentic and sustained relationships across differences?

-           What is my professional responsibilty to build the skills and approaches connected to operating with cultural humility and what is the cost to me personally or to those that I work with if I don’t operate from a place of cultural humility? 


-          How does/could operating with cultural humility strengthen or support my work with diverse communities? 


Post some of your thoughts in the comment section.

 A video providing further information on cultural humility can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaSHLbS1V4w