I used to be a prison chaplain. I got very familiar with the phrase “snitches get stiches.” Among people doing time, blowing the whistle on someone was the vilest symbol of disloyalty. We see this “keep it in the family” culture in other settings particularly among male athletes. The notion that what happens in theRead… Read more »
On March 10, 2015, University of Oklahoma President, David Boren expelled two students who were responsible for leading a racial chant that was secretly filmed on video. He defended the decision based on the school’s policy of zero tolerance for racism. This decision comes from a school that from 1940-1970 had an Indian mascot calledRead… Read more »
One way white people like to exert their privilege in the inclusion debate is to create this myth of what I like to call cheap inclusion. It goes something like this. Can we coexist? Can we tolerate each other? I think I can put up with this person in the workplace. They want to doRead… Read more »
Is it just me but has the world gone a little bit crazy here lately. I almost have to pinch myself in order not to feel like I have been transported back to the mid-20th century of Jim Crow. Take a glimpse at some of the offensive statements and incidents in the news that suggestRead… Read more »
This notion of the best places to work is getting plenty of attention these days in the human capital space. NASA was hailed as the best place to work in the federal government for the last 3 years by the Partnership for Public Service based on its Best Places to Work in the Federal GovernmentRead… Read more »
Most people do not wake up every day and decide not to be inclusive of each other in the workplace. If this is so then why are so many private and public sector employees disengaged. Why does every demographic group in the workplace report that they cover by not bringing their full selves to work?Read… Read more »
Equal employment opportunity (EEO) has always been a cornerstone of the federal civil service. The government prides itself on striving to be a model employer and setting an example for the private sector. Many government agencies have a positive record of achievement on EEO issues and fostering work environments which are diverse, fair, inclusive andRead… Read more »
In 1963, Erving Goffman, an American sociologist, coined the term “covering.” He described it as the efforts people make to keep their stigmatized identities hidden. He indicated that one of the most visible acts of covering was when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would be seated early at the table prior to a Cabinet Meeting inRead… Read more »
Interdependence American Indian organizations are interdependent. They understand that the success of the organization depends on everyone regardless of their title, role, paycheck or ego. Obligation to Others American Indian organizations realize they are obligated to the success of their members and those they serve. They do not give up on each other no matterRead… Read more »
Can’t Break it To My Heart was a hit song co-written and sung by country music star Tracy Lawrence in 1993. It tells the painful story that most of us have experienced when we fall in love with someone who does not love us back. It is difficult to accept the reality that the relationshipRead… Read more »