Dimensions of Diversity

Women of color are often seen as the backbone of their communities. They are perceived, fairly or not, as the foundation of their families, responsible for taking care of children, home, themselves and more. The weight can be immense.

Joining Lloyd Freeman to dive into this topic is Dr. Lisette Sanchez, a bilingual licensed psychologist and daughter of Latino immigrants. On this episode Dr. Sanchez delivers a firsthand perspective on the pressures and anxieties that families of color, specifically women of color, deal with daily in today’s world.   

On this episode of Dimensions of Diversity host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Pamela McElvane, CEO of DiversityMBA. Diversity MBA (DMBA) is a national brand that provides talent management and diversity & inclusion strategies to Fortune 1000 companies. McElvane leads a team that provides clients like, Kaiser Permanente, Wal-Mart Stores, AT&T, JLL, Carolinas HealthCare Systems, Nielsen, The Clorox Company, Colgate-Palmolive and more with access to leadership development programs, research on current trends for diversity strategy, and talent management.

On this episode of the Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman sits down with Yolanda Ingram, Director of Access to Law School Education Programs at the University of Pennsylvania. The conversation begins with a discussion on why white law school graduates were significantly more likely to pass the bar exam than test takers from other racial and ethnic groups.

On this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman speaks with Jayson Johnson, Head of D&I Business Partnering and Learning & Development. The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the life sciences industry and we learned that advancing D&I in life sciences could advance life saving solutions.  Lloyd and Jayson explore Genentech's commitment to advancing D&I. 
 
 As a biotechnology leader, Jayson Johnson drives strategies  and bold actions that embed diversity, equity and inclusion throughout  Genentech. At Genentech, D&I means fostering belonging  within our own walls, advancing inclusive research and health equity in  our industry, and transforming society through partnerships across  healthcare, education, and within all communities.
 
 Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, the podcast features frank conversations with leaders all across the world of workplace diversity.

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Courtney A. Munnings. Munnings is autistic with sociability, learning, attention, and mood differences and is committed to neurodiversity and advocating for the rights, participation, and inclusion of people with disabilities. She has created a name for herself as a speaker certified in Disability Inclusion and Advocacy and as a certified life coach.
 
 The pair discuss living and working with autism and understanding neurodiversity. Munnings explains the challenges she faced growing up and how she has continued to push through them. She then discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted her social interactions. The episode ends by talking about how workplaces can be enhance inclusivity practices from a neurodiversity standpoint.

Host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney colleagues Nyasha Pendleton and Kearil Abraham, as well as author and life coach Lola B. Morgan and award-winning author and storyteller Dr. Elizabeth Nuñez, in a roundtable exploring the dimensions of diversity within the Black diaspora. The group begins the conversation by diving into how specifically they identify as Black people in America.

Continuing the conversation on identity, the guests discuss their ancestry and the identities of other Black people in their lives. Then they explore the political and social implications of what they identify as, the struggle of those implications, and the discourse surrounding this. In America, if you identify as Black, you must also identify as African American on official documents. This episode explores the conundrum this situation sets up for Black immigrants and topics surrounding this issue, ending with advice for Black Caribbeans in America that are challenged when it comes to solidifying their identity.

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Rasheda Douglas of Rutgers Minority Student Program and Danielle Boardley of Kline Law’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Life. The three professionals discuss the nuances of navigating law school acceptances and the first few months as a law student, especially as a minority.

Rasheda Douglas begins the discussion by introducing the Rutgers Minority Student Program, which came as a result of the 1967 race rebellions in Newark, NJ. It was then followed by Boardley’s introduction of the Drexel Law inclusion programs. Both programs and the importance of initiatives like these to promote diversity in the legal profession are discussed, especially as it impacts the East Coast. The episode ends by addressing the challenges faced by inclusion programs and how they can be overcome to help students in need.

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Dr. Ashley Stewart, MSW Program Director and Professor at Temple University in the School of Social Work. The two discuss how dominant social norms can oppress people’s identities in the workplace. They share the consequences that arise when organizations ignore these problems, both for people and business efficiency. The episode concludes with tips on the ongoing journey of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

As we gear up for a new fall semester for college students, host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Dr. Steve Mobley to discuss the importance of intersectionality and race when choosing an HBCU school. Dr. Mobley is well-versed in the world of communication, higher education, and culture through his many degrees, and is a graduate of both Howard University and the University of Pennsylvania.

On the episode, Dr. Mobley goes on to discuss his research on intersectionality in college environments, specifically as it relates to people of color (POC), mainly Black students. Lloyd and Dr. Mobley discuss what POC face when having to navigate through college while still trying to understand and affirm who they are when it comes to race, sexuality, and identity. They also discuss the shift in HBCU choices after the 2016 election and end the episode by discussing more of Dr. Mobley’s research and experiences with intersectional identities.

On this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman invites his Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney colleagues Will Le, Advisor, Government Relations, and Joe Centeno, Shareholder, to discuss their heritage. With Will being born in Vietnam and Joe’s family coming from the Philippines, they offer different perspectives and challenges their families faced migrating to America.

Will and Joe share their parents’ origin stories and how they continue to carry on their cultures to this day. They discuss issues of representation in the workplace and tips to network within their community. Finally, they offer advice to younger people who might find themselves in similar positions as minorities.
 
 To learn more about Lloyd Freeman, click here: https://www.bipc.com/lloyd-freeman.

To learn more about Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, visit, www.BIPC.com.
 
 To learn more about Will Le - https://www.bipc.com/will-le
 
 To learn more about Joe Centeno - https://www.bipc.com/joseph-j.-centeno