Spring is in the air in Toronto. Today at least. But there are other signs – last week my daughter and I saw snowdrops – small white flowers – on our way home. And for the past week we have spotted a few Canada Geese Vs. So today I’m taking a bit of a departure from the ordinary, and I’m going to … [Continue reading] Canada Geese, Diversity, and Inclusion
leadership
Anti-Black Racism in Canada
Last year, we heard a lot in the news about the Starbucks incident with the two Black men who were arrested for being in the café, while waiting for a friend. The issue? Being Black – and what this meant for the Starbucks employee who called the police. We then heard a lot about unconscious bias, … [Continue reading] Anti-Black Racism in Canada
Leadership, Starbucks, and ABC
We have seen some big decisions in the last week related to anti-bias and Diversity & Inclusion. Last week I wrote (a spoke on CBC Radio) about Starbucks’ anti-bias training held across the USA on Tuesday. On that same day, ABC (the TV network) made a bold statement of its own by cancelling … [Continue reading] Leadership, Starbucks, and ABC
Calling Out What’s Wrong
What happens when people in positions of power don’t speak out against things that are wrong? If you were listening to the news last week, we’ve had a recent example with President Trump condemning both sides for the recent violence in Charlottesville. If you missed it, you can check it out … [Continue reading] Calling Out What’s Wrong
Which Women Have Arrived?
I recently attended the Regional Diversity Roundtable’s event “It’s 2015: Which Women have Arrived?” It was an interesting and thought-provoking evening. One of the speakers was Sandeep Tatla – Chief Diversity Officer from the Ontario College of Trades. Here were a few statistics Sandeep … [Continue reading] Which Women Have Arrived?
In the Wake of Nelson Mandela’s Death
There are many things I could write about this week: How the sign language fiasco at Nelson Mandela’s memorial is an example of how bias keeps us from recognizing or acknowledging issues that for some people are so very vital. How the stigma of mental illness keeps it in the shadows, and prevents … [Continue reading] In the Wake of Nelson Mandela’s Death