Week One: Doing the Work – Educating Myself & My Business

Welcome to Week One of the RegionSmart/ULI Memphis 21-Day Equitable Development Challenge

Week One: Doing the Work – Educating Myself & My Business

Complete 7 of the following tasks:

  1.  Take an Implicit Bias Test
  2. Read Making People Aware of Their Implicit Biases Doesn’t Usually Change Our Minds. But Here’s What Does Work
  3. Listen to a Podcast about Race
    1. Code Switch
    2. Still Processing
    3. The Daily
    4. 1619
    5. Pod Save the People
  4. Take a Linked In Learning course on: Communicating about Culturally Sensitive Issues.
  5. Take a LinkedIn Learning course on: Confronting Bias: Thriving Across Our Differences.
  6. Read the HBR article Moving Beyond Diversity to Racial Equity to learn Three Things to Do Today and Everyday
  7. Read 9 Phrases Allies Can Say When Called Out Instead of Getting Defensive
  8. Read Brookings Institute Article: Examining the Black White Wealth Gap
  9. Read Forbes’ Article The Racial Wealth Gap: Addressing America’s Most Pressing Epidemic
  10. Watch Netflix Video: Explained: Racial Wealth Gap
  11. Pick a book from a Reading List for Allies that Want to Do Better
    1. ‘The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in The Age of Colorblindness’ 
    2. ‘Parable of the Sower‘
    3. ‘So You Want To Talk About Race‘
    4. ‘This Bridge Called My Back‘
  12. Set aside time to talk to someone about what you are discovering.

Week One Questions for Personal Reflection and Discussion Groups:

  • What did you learn about yourself that was surprising? Changed your perspective? Was new information?
  • Is your company/organization committed to recruitment and training programs that promote diversity in your workforce? If yes, what? If no, would you be interested in doing so?
  • Do you find it easy to talk about race? Why or why not?
  • What other resources are you aware of that the group may benefit from?
  • How could RegionSmart/ULI as an organization support your efforts?