Resource: Practical Intersectionality

Practical Intersectionality is an attempt at trying to squeeze a 1 hour presentation into 5 minutes.

Practical Intersectionality PDF slides at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19518001

Accessible slides at https://www.practicaldiversity.org/accessible/2022-04_Practical_Intersectionality/

Both have an appendix of slides explaining the 43 practical tips from “Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Senior Leadership“.

Systems are biased to the right so the car in the picture drifts if we keep the steering wheel neutral. We have to turn the steering wheel to the left to stay in our lane to avoid an accident.

Shows a car biased to the right with a neutral steering wheel veering off the road. Then shows steering wheel adjusted to compensate driving straight.

A lack of opportunities due to systemic discrimination over time reduces employability. Which is why staying neutral, ie. trying to “remove bias”, will not change anything.

Graph showing increase in negative graph over time symbolising lack of opportunities over time reduces employability

This is why the key is to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities to make up for the ones they have lost.

Picture of Marilyn Monroe with Ella Fitzgeerald with text showing that Ella received an opportunity from Marilyn.

There are 13 practical things you can do as an individual, including: Centre people who are marginalised in your social media and use your privilege to give others opportunities.

There are 30 practical things you can do as an organisation, including: Redefine merit by increasing the emphasis on ability and potential while de-emphasising experience, as experience can be correlated with opportunity, not ability.

You can see more in the appendix.

 

RM