Diversity Ever After

What is ableism? In Episode four, we define ableism, discuss how ableism can impact everyone, including those not living with a disability, and identify ways leaders, managers and individuals can tackle ableism in the workplace.  Understanding ableism requires education and addressing it in the workplace requires intentional and inclusive action. Catarina Rivera, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant specializing in disability diversity, joins us to unpack ableism, which is hardly discussed.  Catarina also offers steps we can follow to address ableism in the workplace.  

Our Hosts this Week:
Juan Hernandez, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/juan-hernandez

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Rebecca Kent, Legal Secretary

Special Guest Host:
Catarina Rivera, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant
https://www.catarinarivera.com/

Resource Guide:

For Phyllis M. May-Machunda's Paper, Exploring the Invisible Knapsack of Able-Bodied Privilege
https://vetvoicenational.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/exploringinvisibleknapsack.pdf

For Catarina Rivera's Article, Addressing Ableism in the Workplace
https://inclusively.com/news-and-resources/catarina-rivera-addressing-ableism-in-the-workplace

Are you a trailblazer, an illuminator, or an advocate? Find out in Episode 3 as we define tokenism, share personal experiences of feeling tokenized, discuss the detrimental impact tokenism can have on individuals and organizations, and identify how we each can tackle tokenism as a trailblazer, Illuminator, and/or advocate. 

Combating tokenism requires intentional and inclusive action by everyone. Alycia Sutor of GrowthPlay joins us to help unpack some best practices. Listen to this episode to learn more about what you can do, whether you are a minority feeling/have felt tokenized or you are a leader with the power to eliminate tokenism.

Look for our next episode on Ableism and Privilege, which releases on Friday, January 7, 2022.

Our Hosts this Week:
Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Tenia L. Clayton, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tenia-clayton

Special Guest Host:
Alycia Sutor, Managing Director of GrowthPlay
https://growthplay.com/teams/alycia-sutor

Resource Guide:

• https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2021/12/15/rushing-to-meet-client-demands-law-firms-risk-alienating-diverse-lawyers
• Tokenism: What It Is & How It Affects Our Workplaces: https://www.inhersight.com/blog/diversity/tokenism

Are you an insider, an outsider, or both? In Episode two, we discuss how insiders set the norms and rules in the workplace and describe how outsiders are burdened with navigating and flawlessly executing those norms and rules in order to thrive – and in some instances survive. Being an insider in an organization comes with a level of unearned privilege. So, in this episode, Peggy Nagae, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant, talks with our hosts about not only how to recognize your privilege as an insider, but how to leverage that privilege to uplift, encourage, and amplify the voices of your outsider colleagues through allyship.

We release a new episode every other week. Look for our next episode on Friday, December 17, 2021.

Our Hosts this Week:

Reba Letsa, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Reba-Letsa

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Special Guest Host:

Peggy Nagae, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant, Peggy Nagae Consulting
https://diversitycollaborative.com/peggy-nagae

Resource Guide:

For more information about Kimberlé Crenshaw and the concept of intersectionality:
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/20/18542843/intersectionality-conservatism-law-race-gender-discrimination

To watch “That Little Voice” and learn to #SpeakUpForInclusion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll56imVATLk

For more information about privilege, watch “Why Does Privilege Make People So Angry?” By Franchesca Leigh Ramsey, an American comedian, activist, television and YouTube personality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeYpvV3eRhY  

After watching Episode 2, test your knowledge and walk through the privilege and insider/outsider scenarios we covered in this episode with your colleagues:

• Scenario 1: I am an individual who is traditionally perceived as an “insider,” but my company has many different diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and I want to get involved, but I don’t want to feel like I’m overstepping or speaking for others.  How should I respond?
   
• Scenario 2:  An insider made a joke at work in front of a colleague with a disability. I talked to my colleague with a disability afterward, and they said they weren’t offended by the joke, but I took the joke as offensive and want to take action. How should I respond?
   
• Scenario 3:  During a meeting, one of my outsider colleagues made a point and it was dismissed. Shortly thereafter, one of my majority or insider colleagues made the same exact point and it was embraced by the group and acknowledged as a great idea. I am an insider. How should I respond?

Reach Us:

Learn more about Diversity & Inclusion at Baker Donelson at https://www.bakerdonelson.com/diversity

Send your feedback and topic ideas to D&[email protected]

Welcome to Season Two of Diversity Ever After: A Baker Donelson D&I Podcast.  In this season, we will discuss “Privilege.”  The initial response of many when someone says privilege might be white privilege, but during this season we will explore various kinds of privileges.  We will uncover how many of us are likely benefitting from privilege by discussing how to recognize our own privilege.  We will also discuss how we can use our privilege to help those who do not benefit from the same privilege we might benefit from. 

In this first episode of season two, Brenda Gadd, Founder and President of Rethink Public Strategies, joins our hosts to define privilege, highlight various kinds of privilege, and discuss the history of privilege including the need to risk losing our privilege for the benefit of others. We invite you to stay in touch and in tuned with this season as we explore privilege throughout our episodes this season.

We release a new episode every other Friday. Look for our next episode on Friday, December 3.

Our Hosts this Week:

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer)

Mary Wu Tullis, Shareholder
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/mary-wu-tullis)

Brian Fernandez, Associate 
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/brian-w-fernandez)

Special Guest Host:

Brenda Gadd, Founder and President of Rethink Public Strategies
(https://rethinkpublicstrategies.com/)

Resource Guide:

For a handout with definitions of privilege: 
https://uca.edu/training/files/2017/11/Privilege-What-Does-It-Mean-Handout.pdf

For Peggy McIntosh’s Paper, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack:
https://psychology.umbc.edu/files/2016/10/White-Privilege_McIntosh-1989.pdf

This week, Terrence Reed, Managing Director of Employment Litigation for Federal Express Corporation and President of the Center for Excellence in Decision Making, joins us to continue our topic on code switching. The Center for Excellence in Decision Making is a non-profit organization that partners with the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and the Memphis Bar Association to educate and train community stakeholders in addressing factors that inhibit equitable decision-making in the delivery of services.  Baker Donelson is a proud sponsor of the Center.

During this episode, we discuss what is implicit bias, whether there is a correlation between implicit bias and code switching, the fine line between code switching and “corporate hygiene,” and much more.

Hosts:

Jerrick Murrell, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/jerrick-murrell

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Special Guest:

Terrence Reed, Managing Director of Employment Litigation for Federal Express Corporation

Terrence O. Reed has been litigating since 2000.  He manages a team of employment litigation attorneys who represent FedEx in state and federal courts and administrative tribunals throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Terrence has tried numerous jury trials in various jurisdictions including Memphis, Nashville, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Rafael, Manhattan, Long Island, Newport News, and Norfolk. He has also litigated appeals in all the Circuit Courts of Appeal. In addition to employment litigation, Terrence specializes in class action litigation.

Prior to joining FedEx’s legal team, Terrence was in private practice at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis in Nashville, Tennessee where he specialized in complex commercial civil litigation. Terrence was a faculty member of the 2019 International Association of Defense Counsel’s Trial Academy, conducted on Stanford Law School’s campus, and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis law school teaching Fair Employment Practices.

Terrence has also served as President for the Memphis chapter of the American Inns of Court, President for the Center for Excellence in Decision-Making, and a Board member of the Memphis Bar Association and Memphis Bar Foundation.  Terrence also serves on the University of Memphis Law Alumni Board and the law school dean’s advisory council. For four years, Terrence also served as the Chairman of the Nashville Bar Association’s Minority Opportunities Committee. He is a frequent presenter on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.  He earned his juris doctorate from the University of Memphis law school, where he served as the Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board and an articles editor on the Law Review Board.

Terrence earned his undergraduate degree from Tennessee State University, graduating summa cum laude.

Reach Us:

Learn more about Diversity & Inclusion at Baker Donelson at https://www.bakerdonelson.com/diversity

Send your feedback and topic ideas to D&[email protected]

Is it worth it? This week, Cornell University Professor Dr. Courtney McCluney joins us for a real talk discussion about black fatigue and the upsides and downsides of code-switching. We unpack whether, codeswitching in spaces where negative stereotypes of black professionals run counter to what is considered suitable and normal behavior for a particular environment worth the large implications to their well-being and economic advancement. Additionally, Dr. McCluney recommends tangible action items that provide everyone in their respective workplaces a way forward in beginning to tackle this behavior.

We release a new episode every other week. Look for our next episode on Friday, August 20, 2021.

Hosts:

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Tanisha Pinkins, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tanisha-pinkins

Special Guest:

Dr. Courtney McCluney
Dr. McCluney co-authored the "Cost of Code-Switching," an article published in the Harvard Business Review, which you can read here: https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-costs-of-codeswitching

Learn more about Dr. McCluney here: http://courtneylmccluney.com/research

Reach Us:

Learn more about Diversity & Inclusion at Baker Donelson at https://www.bakerdonelson.com/diversity

Send your feedback and topic ideas to D&[email protected]

Imagine how taxing it can be feeling like you have to code switch when deciding simple things such as what name to put on your resume. In this episode, we talk about the mental health effects of code switching. We are joined by two mental health professionals, Andrew Breland and Jessica Davis, who share their own experiences with code switching, practical coping strategies, and ways that leadership can help people feel comfortable removing their masks and showing their true selves.

We release a new episode every other week. Look for our next episode on Friday, August 6, 2021.

Hosts:

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Tenia Clayton, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tenia-clayton

Guest Speakers:

Andrew Breland MS, LPC, BC-TMH, NCC 
Andrew is a TeleMental Health Therapist, and you can find more information about him at his website: www.CounselingByBreland.com

You can also email at [email protected] or call at 662-883-0331.

Jessica Davis, Ed. S, LPC 
Jessica is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist and Psychometrist who believes in the power of change and individuality. You can find more information and contact information here: https://essentialtouchstones.com/davis/

Reach Us:

Learn more about Diversity & Inclusion at Baker Donelson at https://www.bakerdonelson.com/diversity

Send your feedback and topic ideas to D&[email protected]

Executive leaders are often seen as unavailable or otherwise veiled from day-to-day workplace interactions.  In fact, many believe that while executive leaders define the rules of success, those rules are not transparently communicated from the C-suite or do not account for the needs of the general workforce.  As a result, employees continuously code-switch to follow what they perceive (or guess) are the rules, spoken and unspoken, to succeed within the organization.  In today’s episode, we have a transparent conversation with Baker Donelson’s Chairman and CEO, Tim Lupinacci, and President and COO, Jennifer Keller, about their own code-switching experiences, commitment to cultivating authentic relationships, and tools that leaders can use to foster community, diversity, and inclusion in their respective workplaces.

We release a new episode every other week. Look for our next episode on Friday, July 23.

Our Hosts this Week:

Victoria Young, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/victoria-e-young)

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer)

Special Guest Hosts:

Timothy M. Lupinacci, Chairman and CEO
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Timothy-Lupinacci)

Jennifer P. Keller, President and COO
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Jennifer-P-Keller)

Reach Us:

Learn more about Diversity & Inclusion at Baker Donelson at https://www.bakerdonelson.com/diversity

Send your feedback and topic ideas to D&[email protected]

Welcome to episode two of Diversity Ever After: A Baker Donelson D&I Podcast.  In season one, we are focusing on the topic of Code Switching, and how it is an ever-present reality for many of us in the workplace, in school, and in so many aspects of our lives. Yet, one thing is for certain when discussing Code Switching: the past informs the present.

In episode two, our hosts and special guest host explore the historical roots of code switching and how the concept gained traction throughout history, beginning in 1903, with the concept of Double Consciousness coined by W.E.B. DuBois, which describes the sense of hyper awareness of how we are perceived by others and the desire to adjust and adapt our speech and the way we present seamlessly to tackle those perceptions.

In this episode, our guest host, Brianna Gaddy, discusses her recently-published essay, What's Hair Got to Do with It?: How School Hair Policies Violate the United States Constitution, which takes a deep dive into issues surrounding Black hair, how personal grooming policies in school can have a disproportionate impact on students who style their hair in a way that is natural and authentic to them, and legislative efforts to address this issue.  We also discuss how these concepts spill over into workplace settings and can disproportionately impact Black women in the workplace and other professional settings based on their hair texture. Join us for a walk through the history of Code Switching in episode two!

We release a new episode every other week. Look for our next episode on Friday, July 9.

Our Hosts this Week:

Reba Letsa, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Reba-Letsa)

Torrey Feldman, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/torrey-m-feldman)

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer)

Author and Special Guest Host:

Brianna Gaddy, Esq., Law Clerk, Circuit Court For Baltimore City
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannagaddy/)

Resource Guide:

Check out Brianna Gaddy’s essay here:
http://www.administrativelawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ALR-Accord-6.3_Gaddy-FINAL-FORMATTED-w.-Blank-Page.pdf

For more information on the CROWN Act, visit: 
https://www.thecrownact.com/

For more information on the concept of Double Consciousness, visit:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/double-consciousness/
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1897/08/strivings-of-the-negro-people/305446/

Reach Us:

Learn more about Diversity & Inclusion at Baker Donelson at https://www.bakerdonelson.com/diversity

Send your feedback and topic ideas to D&[email protected]

First impressions matter. The hosts of the first season of Diversity Ever After provide insight into how they are perceived when they walk into a room.

Hosts:

Jerrick Murrell, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/jerrick-murrell) 

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer)

Reba Letsa, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Reba-Letsa)

Tanisha Pinkins, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tanisha-pinkins)

Tenia Clayton, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tenia-clayton)

Torrey Feldman, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/torrey-m-feldman)

Victoria Young, Associate
(https://www.bakerdonelson.com/victoria-e-young)