Part 1: The Forgotten Voices in Gender and Racial Equity

To genuinely do the right thing for people and the environment, in this context, is to ask uncomfortable questions about how our business practices, the way we conduct ourselves as individuals, entities and institutions has contributed to harm.Can we do differently just be tweaking round the edges?What opportunities can we seize if deconstruct the ways we do business and rewrite some of the rules about who we work with to affect change on a bigger and quicker scale?What other metrics can we use to measure how far we have done differently?

Being an ally can be a massively rewarding experience and there is a ton of information out there about what it actually takes.Sometimes though, it’s the practical day to day examples that can most help put allyship into context and this is what I’ve done for the penultimate episode of this season’s Advancing Racial Equity 4.0If you’re an advocate for racial equity but aren’t in a position of influence and power within your workplace, there is still lots you can do.

If we don’t tackle the structural barriers that affect entrepreneurs and business owners, we are forever leaving money and opportunity on the table. In this conversation with Alpesh Patel, we cover everything from TikTok (Business Insider called him a TikTok sensation), structural racism, entrepreneurship, trading and social mobility.We talk about how the economic argument to address structural barriers can be useful to convince certain types of people but also the importance of recognising it’s an issue of justice.Entertaining, humble and very giving in his time and expertise.You’ll enjoy this one!Alpesh Patel OBE has represented the United Kingdom since 1999 when the Prime Minister appointed Alpesh as Dealmaker to The Department for International Trade to bring outstanding tech companies to the UK, which solve the world’s biggest problems.Alpesh left being a Barrister to educate people on financial literacy for social mobility and co-founded the UK chapter of the world's largest entrepreneur mentoring organisation (Tie.org). Private Equity / Hedge Fund Founder with a focus on cleantech, sustainability, social impact.He has his own dedicated shows on Bloomberg & Sky; CNBC co-host; 5 years Financial Times columnist. Co-Chair Loomba Trust for widows and orphans.OBE in 2020 for services to the Economy and International Trade.(22) Alpesh Patel OBE | LinkedInAlpesh B. Patel (@alpeshbp) / TwitterAlpesh Patel (@alpeshp1) • Instagram photos and videosAlpesh Patel (@greatinvestments) TikTok | Watch Alpesh Patel's Newest TikTok Videos

Why talk about this?The ‘elephant in the room’ when trying to tackle racism.This is how Black people can be complicit in the system of we don't all address our relationship with whiteness and how it impacts on how we support and act as allies to each other.Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shereen-daniels/   

For the episode notes this week, let me just share some quotes from Amanda and Anastasia. If this doesn’t want to make you listen in, I don’t know what will!“When we do see the Black woman, she’s always adjacent to the white women’s hero journey.We are fed these images so often we never question the underlying message it portrays.” - Amanda“The historical awareness of the relationship between Black and white women means as a white woman, I should always be asking myself: what do I bring to the table? It’s a question of reciprocity.” - AnatasiaAmanda Bennett is an educator, consultant, and writer living in Durham, North Carolina. As an educator and storyteller, she cultivates innovative ways of using language to guide people toward internal transformation, self-awareness and social awareness. Drawing on these facilitation skills, she also works as a consultant and developmental evaluator. She outlines her framework for a Black feminist future in her poetry, essays and short fiction, which have appeared on her blog and in publications such as Jellyfish Poetry, Murder Journal, The Huffington Post and The Atlantic.Website: http://herfoolishwit.blogspot.com/ Anastasia Kārkliņa is a PhD-trained cultural analyst who helps brands build culturally intelligent, incisive, and inclusive strategy. Anastasia blends her academic expertise in cultural analysis and semiotics with interdisciplinary qualitative research methodologies to excavate human and cultural insight that is astutely attuned to emergent trends. Based at Duke University, she specializes in the study of U.S. culture and society, with a focus on racial and gender issues in contemporary media and culture. Website and  social media links:www.defineandempower.com. Instagram and TikTok at @defineandempower.co. 

Black feminism broadly incorporates these principles:Black women’s experience of racism, sexism and classism are inseparable.Our needs and worldviews are distinct from those of Black men and white women.There is no contradiction between the struggle against racism, sexism and all other-isms. All must be addressed simultaneously.Despite this, the work of Black feminists was co-opted for a feminism movement which repeatedly left them out. In the present day, the calls for gender equality has focused almost exclusively on white women and even in the business world, we are excluded.Amanda, Anastasia and I have a very candid and honest conversation about our experiences. In fact, we got into so much, I have split the episodes so Part B will air next week.If you recognise that your racial equity and gender representation strategy is missing the nuance of addressing Black women, this podcast episode should be compulsory listening. We bring you closer to a subject not often talked about in this way.Amanda Bennett is an educator, consultant, and writer living in Durham, North Carolina. As an educator and storyteller, she cultivates innovative ways of using language to guide people toward internal transformation, self-awareness and social awareness. Drawing on these facilitation skills, she also works as a consultant and developmental evaluator. She outlines her framework for a Black feminist future in her poetry, essays and short fiction, which have appeared on her blog and in publications such as Jellyfish Poetry, Murder Journal, The Huffington Post and The Atlantic.Website: http://herfoolishwit.blogspot.com/ Anastasia Kārkliņa is a PhD-trained cultural analyst who helps brands build culturally intelligent, incisive, and inclusive strategy. Anastasia blends her academic expertise in cultural analysis and semiotics with interdisciplinary qualitative research methodologies to excavate human and cultural insight that is astutely attuned to emergent trends. Based at Duke University, she specializes in the study of U.S. culture and society, with a focus on racial and gender issues in contemporary media and culture. Website and  social media links:www.defineandempower.com. Instagram and TikTok at @defineandempower.co.  We all have to start somewhere - find out if your organisation is as inclusive as it should be by taking our Equity and Inclusion test - https://hr-rewired.scoreapp.com/Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shereen-daniels/And don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review, if you feel inspired to do so.Ps Are you coming to the conference? https://www.advancing-racial-equity.com  

Aisha is a student at the University of Edinburgh and during the summer of last year, she led the charge, mobilising over 8,000 students to ask the university one question: What are you doing about racism?In discussing her bravery, but also what scared her, Aisha is an inspirational individual who is resolute in making an impact and incorporating social justice into the way she wants to live her life.She is adamant that she is not going to fit into this little box society has carved out for her, her ancestors and is trying to carve out for her future generations.She is a Black Nigerian Muslim who is studying architecture and her parting words were:“Use your voice. Don’t let anybody come and silence you. The entire world will rally around you for doing the right thing.”Connect with Aisha on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aisha-janki-akinola/

How much of who I am is because of how I've been treated?In sharing my reflections on my identify, I hope to give you some insight into the inside work needed when you have spent your professional life assimilating, integrating, surviving and fighting for recognition.I speak about how I didn't use my voice enough and explore the reasons why that was.Who would you be if you lived according to who you are, not in response to how you’ve been treated?A question applicable for everyone, yet here, I take a specific context of being a Black colleague in the workplace to unpick this. 

Chief Marketing Officer at RGA. Ashish is an innovator, activist, abolitionist and change-maker, dedicated to using his power, influence and privilege to tackle justice reform.This is the Fast Company article which led me to slide into his DMs.In this episode, Ashish shares his backstory, being one of the few formerly incarcerated people in the c-suite. From being Boris Johnsons’ Press Secretary (back when he was Mayor of London), working on the election campaigns for Tony Blair, Barack Obabma in his US Presidential Campaign to working with the Vice Chair of the DNC to mobilise the vote for President Joe Bidens campaign.We cover everything from:Black and Black kinshipUK politicsWhite supremacyCapitalismChallenging narratives from the past and presentWhat social justice needs to look and feel like; andWhy as the c-suite, sitting on the fence is no longer an option.About Ashish PrasharFind him on Twitter: @Ash_PrasharAshish is a transformational leader, innovator, and justice reform activist. Currently, he serves as the Global Chief Marketing Officer at R/GA. With over 15 years of experience, Ashish brings deep experience at the intersection of marketing and communications in building global brands. He joins R/GA from Publicis Sapient, the digital business transformation hub of Publicis. With a long and successful track record of leadership, he is a political communications strategist, most recently working with the Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee for Joe Biden's 2020 Presidential Election and served as a campaign press secretary to former Mayor of London Boris Johnson.Known for justice reform activism, he was formerly incarcerated and went on to create programs for incarcerated peoples, campaigned for bail reform, ending solitary confinement, and the restoration of voting rights. He has appeared as a regular commentator in the media, contributing to ABC, Business Insider, CNN, Fast Company, NBC, and USA Today.Outside of R/GA, Prashar has a deep commitment to ensuring fair treatment of people impacted by the justice system and advancing rights globally, with the goal of abolition of prisons. Prashar currently serves on the boards on the Board of Exodus Transitional Community, Getting Out and Staying Out NYC, Just Leadership USA, Leap Confronting Conflict, the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, and is a fellow at the Royal Society of Arts.Historically, businesses have not been interested in taking a permanent, effective stand against our criminal justice system, loath to let profits slip through their fingers or worrying about alienating some customers. However, Americans are determined not just to call local police departments, prisons and governments to account, but companies, too. It’s time for businesses across America to act. We will all have to look back on our actions in this moment and see how serious we were about justice and quickly discover what side of history businesses were on. You can start by hiring formerly incarcerated people. If you don’t already work with a formerly incarcerated person, it’s very likely your business is not doing enough on this front. This is not rocket science. Talent practices must also recognize that all people have potential. We have to hire on what an applicant can bring to a company. We need to give formerly incarcerated people the space to thrive, the opportunity to create, and the tools to develop their potential. Second-chance hiring is not preferential treatment; it’s equal treatment through the elimination of unnecessary systemic barriers. It's equity.     

This is an episode with a guest of one this week as I share some thoughts about how to overcome the discomfort in taking action, because you’re worried about what people will think or say.What does progressive leadership look like for a fit for the future organisation?How do you want to show up? Whose voices will you pay attention to, particularly when times get a little bit tough and the discomfort is deep?We all have to start somewhere - find out if your organisation is as inclusive as it should be by taking our Equity and Inclusion test - https://hr-rewired.scoreapp.com/Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shereen-daniels/And don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review, if you feel inspired to do so.