Equity in Practice with Jezz Chung & Jennifer Ekeleme: Column #1
JEZZ CHUNG & JENNIFER EKELEME / DE&I PRACTITIONERS
The state of the world—including the state of creative industries— seems to be in chaotic disarray. While we navigate the economic and emotional impacts of the pandemic, many organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement have referred to the institutional inequities embedded in our society as an additional pandemic we’re being called to face. Racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, ableism, and many other beliefs of superiority show up in both macro and micro ways in our everyday lives. Without addressing these systems of inequity, we unknowingly participate in perpetuating the cycles of harm.
As creators of various disciplines in an industry that holds power to reimagine the world around us through visuals, language, and experiences, becoming aware of the ways we’ve been conditioned to maintain these -isms and phobias is critical to our professional and personal evolution.
Equity in Practice is a monthly advice column from two women of color in the creative industries who have become thought leaders in the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion through their heart-centered commitment to education and advocacy. Each month, Jezz Chung and Jenn Ekeleme will answer questions submitted from the Working Not Working community to provide insight and guidance around building an equitable future.
To submit questions and topics for consideration in the next column, email magazine@workingnotworking.com with subject line “Equity in Practice” and tune into the monthly webinar series of the same name to hear live conversations from Jenn and Jezz.
QUESTION #1 (from Will)
Do you have any advice on transitioning careers from Design into the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion field?
JEZZ: This is an encouraging question to see. I’m in deep belief that we’re in need of more creatives in the space of DE&I! I see the work of DE&I as a practice of reimagining the future, providing different possibilities for us to coexist in the ways we work, live, and beyond. As a writer and as a queer-identifying woman of color, I often find guidance in Audre Lorde’s words. There’s a passage I turn to when I’m thinking about building on my practice:
“Certainly there are very real differences between us of race, age, and sex. But it is not those differences between us that are separating us. It is rather our refusal to recognize those differences, and to examine the distortions which result from our misnaming them and their effects upon human behavior and expectation.”
I’m wondering, what is it that fuels you? Who are the designers, artists, creators whose work resonates with you? What do you find invigorating about them, what do you see in their work that you ultimately are seeing in yourself?
Design is a powerful tool for resistance and reimagination. A few places to start in building your practice:
Take stock of your skills. In what ways do these skills intersect with what is needed most in the practice of diversity, equity, inclusion at this moment in time? Is there a way you can amplify the messages of the Black Lives Matter organizers in your professional and personal networks? Is there a way to apply the process of design to rewrite the rules of interaction in your workplace setting?
Find a community of purpose-driven practitioners— people in consistent practice of their craft. For you, it may be designers with a deep desire to help build an equitable future. Vanessa Newman (@fiveboi) created a collective of designers and strategists called Design to Divest meeting weekly to decolonize the practice of design and elevate Black creative thought leaders. Joining their collective or a similar group of accountability partners can become a source of support as you build your craft, expand your perspective, and meet collaborators.
Practice out loud. Know that there is no perfect practitioner in the space of DE&I, as we’re all constantly expanding our knowledge and adjusting our language to remove the defaults of white supremacy and heteropatriarchy. Share as you learn. There is no clear path to becoming a DE&I practitioner and the beauty of this practice is that it’s an open space for you to create based on your unique skills. As you share what you learn, you’ll find that people begin looking to you for counsel and you can point them to the resources you’ve built in your toolkit.
The more you commit, the more you learn, the more you create, the more you share, I think you’ll find the transition happen in a way that aligns with your professional path and personal purpose.
You got this!
With love,
Jezz
QUESTION #2 (from Grace)
How can we combat the use of being “educated” and the idea that the oppressed community is responsible for educating the oppressors? And how can we shift this idea of social responsibility from falling on the very people who are being oppressed to it being the responsibility of the individual to be curious and open enough to educate themselves?
JENNIFER: First…reevaluating, revisiting, and reforming our beliefs about how we should live collectively SHOULD be everyone’s responsibility. While we know that being educated about the issues of white supremacy and race (instead of feigning ignorance) is the best way to live in a society; we know all too well that this sentiment doesn’t reach everyone in the time and the way we want.
The good news: there is change happening in our country and society that is happening whether people willfully come along or not. So I’m not worried about trying to convince those who are still hanging on to the idea that marginalized groups need to be the ones to educate everyone else about their oppression.
We are in the midst of a critical mass of shifting thought about systemic racism, white supremacy, patriarchy, sexism and so many other systems that are built to marginalize people. In the long arc of change…we are just at the beginning…but it is happening.
My suggestion to everyone (and Grace who wrote this thoughtful question):
Is to continue to remain curious for the sake of your own heart; and to constantly work to remain open when you are confronted with others who project their closed heart on to you. The energy of an open heart is much stronger than a closed one…and it operates in ways that we don’t see right away.
I also want to encourage you Grace to continue to use your voice to remind us (and others) of what is at stake; to remind others of the reward of being curious and how it changes the way you see the world and how you live. Thank you for this wonderful question. It is a reminder to us all that no matter what work we find ourselves in…there is space for resistance and revolution in the small daily ways we honor ourselves and other people.
QUESTION #3 (from Sabrina):
When you have a very specific brief that's tailored towards reaching Black people, LGBTQIA+, or a specific demographic, how do you properly ask people in your agency who are better equipped to tackle the ask in a way that's not burdening them or throwing more tasks onto them?
JEZZ: The first step is embedded in your question— intention is key. And intention requires awareness so before engaging, it’s helpful to have clarity on a few questions. What is it the client is asking for? Is this fair to ask this of the people I work with? How can I reach out to people in a way that respects and honors their identities? How can I approach in a way that leaves room for them to pass on the ask if they don’t have an interest in it or they don’t have the bandwidth for it?
When reaching out to people: Am I reaching out to this person simply because they’re Black, Latinx, Asian, queer, disabled, etc., or have they expressed interest in working on briefs that tie into their lived experiences? Can I talk to the project managers and gauge the possibility of taking something off their plate to make room for this project if this is something they’re excited to work on? What is the power dynamic between me and the people I’m reaching out to? If there’s an imbalance of power or influence because of our assigned positions, how can I recalibrate this balance in my reach out?
It may sound like a lot to think about but so often, people in positions of authority at an agency—whether it’s a resource manager or a creative director—put people in uncomfortable situations by running on defaults. This level of awareness is necessary to help shift the patterns of burnout in the workplace.
A few additional ways to think about how to ask people without burdening or overwhelming:
Make it an open brief. Send a note out to the entire agency with a topline of the brief, the deadlines, and deliverables. Make it clear why it’s an open brief. Infuse humility and honesty in the ask. This can look like: “We want to respect the audience we’re speaking to, and we know we can’t do this without support from people who have insight in these lived experiences. Anyone with interest in participating in this project, reply with how you’d like to contribute.”
Offer additional compensation. This might feel like a radical move because it feels unconventional from the current structures of how we work, but if we think about it, it makes sense. Offer a concrete incentive (instead of “an opportunity for increased visibility” which, let’s be real, is a practice of exploiting labor from young and hungry creatives) for concrete expertise. If we’re asking people of non-dominant identities to mine their personal experiences to contribute ideas that benefit dominant identities, we should be mindful of what’s being exchanged.
Combine 1 and 2 (open brief + concrete incentive) and create a small team to oversee the creative work. Again, this is where innovative thinking comes into play. Maybe no one on this team has an official creative title at the agency. Maybe this team is made of people who are more “junior” at the company (I put in quotes because I think we need a new word for junior / senior talent...anyone reading this, let us know if you have any ideas). This flips the script, literally. It distributes decision making power to people of non-dominant identities at the agency and creates an avenue for two-way learning. Giving feedback is a valuable skill in our industry. Maybe this team has a weekly review with the creative team and provides insight and direction. In this case, it would be important to credit this team so we don’t contribute to the history of erasure of Black and Brown creative contributions.
Overall, this is a process that requires humility, openness, and flexibility. There’s no solution that will work for everyone, but I hope these can help as thought starters for a more compassionate, mindful, and inclusive way to approach staffing projects.
And for people reading this who identify as BIPOC, queer, or disabled, I understand that it can be difficult to find the words to reply to someone when you don’t have the capacity to engage. Know that your truth is enough. If you feel like you’re juggling a lot, you don’t have to keep juggling to prove your value. You don’t have to be the hero if it means compromising your sanity, your integrity, or your peace. Your value is inherent in your existence. Remembering this will help in setting the boundaries we need to keep us sustained.
With love,
Jezz
QUESTION #4 (from Anonymous)
Any suggestions for how younger or more junior employees can influence senior leadership to redefine the workplace, or apply pressure on them to think differently about workplace culture?
JENNIFER: This is a really good question because I think a lot of people are feeling the urgency and need to improve workplace culture. In the spirit of making things actionable, here’s what I would love to offer anyone who wants to bring up the important issue of workplace culture with leadership:
MAKE A PLAN FIRST
The best thing to do is give yourself the time and focus to create a list of things that you have observed that you want to change. Create a document with the behaviors that you would like to shift and write a few notes about WHY it’s important for behaviors to change and how these positive changes will impact morale and the business.
SEEK OUT ALLIES AT WORK
Once you’ve created the plan, look for people who also want to support this change that you want to see in the workplace. Have you identified who leadership listens to the most? Who they spend the most time with? What are their business concerns? Can you find out the potential obstacles by getting advice from other senior leaders?
SEND A NOTE TO HR
This is meant to be a friendly notice…not an alarm or demand. The tone is meant to be informative and create a record of accountability for you and HR. The goal is to let them know that you are invested in also making your workplace better and more equitable for everyone; and that you have a plan to present to leadership. That note should be enough and hopefully your HR colleague should be in full support of you doing this. If not, send an email to us so that we can support you through the obstacle you are facing.
PREPARE A SHORT, IMPACTFUL PRESENTATION
It’s good to be mindful of the personality of your leader/manager that you are making a proposition to; this will make your time with them more productive and hopefully build some rapport between you and the leader. Be prepared with your notes, keep it short and succinct and ask them how you can help evangelize the effort among your colleagues.
BE PREPARED TO FOLLOW UP
After having the meeting, set some follow up times and get them on both of your calendars. This holds both parties accountable to making change and keeps the efforts top of mind for everyone.
I hope this step-by-step is helpful. Of course, be open and flexible with your expectations but also don’t let up on the task of making things better. It may take some time and relationship management, but it is worth it in the end.
WNW community, please keep us informed of how you all are changing your workplace cultures. Hearing your stories helps the community and keeps us all encouraged to make things better.
Thank you for your thoughtful questions.
Continue to remain heart-centered and creative!
Much gratitude,
Jennifer Ekeleme
Equity in Practice is a monthly advice column from Jezz Chung (she/her) and Jenn Ekeleme (she/her), two diversity, equity, inclusion thought leaders committed to building equitable futures through wellness and creative strategies.
To submit questions related to transforming workplace culture, maintaining accountability, and learning how to advocate for self and others, submit questions to magazine@workingnotworking.com with subject line “Equity in Practice.”
Tune into the Equity in Practice monthly webinar series by staying tuned on Instagram @wnotw.
Header Illustration by Sabrena Khadija