Equity, Racial Justice, and Culture Lunch & Learn Series Archive
We invite you to watch videos from our past series of Equity, Racial Justice, and Culture Lunch & Learn events.
2025 Events
“Creating Neurodivergent-Friendly Environments in the Workplace” offered by Chelsea Deloney
Creating Neurodivergent-Friendly Environments in the Workplace was an interactive training that examined both lived experience and systems-based inclusion in employment work communities. Participants obtained a wealth of information and resources on how to identify and remove barriers for themselves and their fellow coworkers. The goal for attendees was that as they put these tools to use, they would find how neurodivergent-friendly environments can directly and indirectly support every person in their organization.
This session was not recorded.
“Disability and Racial Justice: Historical and current impacts of access to healthcare for BIPoC” offered by Chelsea Deloney
Disability and Racial Justice was an interactive training that examined both lived experience and systems-based inclusion in the world health and housing access for Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color. Participants obtained a wealth of information and resources on how to identify and remove barriers for themselves and the communities they serve.
This session was not recorded. Slides are available upon request.
“Kitchen Table Conversations: Getting back to our roots to position ourselves for the long game” offered by Tasha West-Baker and Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW
This session is a follow-up to our March Lunch & Learn where we gained an understanding of the recent federal executive orders attacking DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion. This actionshop takes the form of a kitchen table conversation that asks us to look within ourselves and our organizations. We’ll begin to answer the question, which side of history do we want to be on; are we ready to be the people we have been waiting for? How can our affordable housing and homelessness sector continue to operationalize equity in this divisive political climate? Preparing our hearts, our minds, our spirits, our bodies and our work to stand on business for the values and beliefs that we say we hold, we hold fast with the full knowledge that we are playing the long game - one in which we will co-create the beautifully liberated world we’ve been envisioning.
“‘Nah. I’m good.’: Understanding the DEI Backlash and Standing Firm on Racial Equity” offered by Bethel Tsegaye, and Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW
To understand the reasons for the backlash on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” policies and programs, we traveled back to the fight for inclusion and equality during the Civil Rights era and how those policies were meant to open up spaces for every person to have the same opportunities. Namely, Black people who were formerly enslaved and still seen as property or less than, rather than a person with equal rights. During this Actionshop, talk about how social justice efforts won’t stop despite the recent executive orders and how genuine progress takes decades, and continues according to the culture and will of the people. Lastly, we’ll discuss how racial equity is woven into the fabric - the everyday work of the Housing Alliance, making it impossible to separate it from the whole.
"The Great Divider: The Empirical Standard of Transmisia in Neocolonial Politics & How to Subvert It" offered by Ganesha Gold Buffalo
In this presentation, we revisited recent executive orders and policy impacting the trans community and revealing how transmisia is an essential tool of counterinsurgency against class consciousness, solidarity between marginalized groups, and progressive movements as a whole. You will also be equipped with tools to confront this violence as it attempts to permeate our communities in the coming months.
2024 Events
“How Inequitable Housing Policies are Rooted in Myths of White Supremacy” offered by Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW
We begin by exploring the era of european colonialism and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, both of which took unfounded ideas or ‘myths’ of white supremacy of europeans over native and African people to gain economic wealth for the ruling and owning class. Resistance and revolts were later met with retaliation via policies throughout U.S. history that are still impacting people today.
“Implicit Bias vs. Our Shared Humanity: Impacts for your Organization, Staff, and the People you Serve” offered by Tasha West-Baker from Building Changes and Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW
This session seeks to bravely begin the conversation, of facing our own biases and the othering of other humans, not as a means to dwell in the negative, more to encourage self-reflection that can breed transformational thinking. When we transform our thinking and lean into building bridges across our shared humanity, the revolution of belonging without othering as a mechanism for global, radical, social justice can be realized.
“What is Colorism?: The Systemic Consequences of Skin-Tone Bias from Policy to Organizations to Lateral Violence” offered by Mercedes White Calf and Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW
Colorism is insidious, having seeped into our culture for centuries and is as dangerous as ever. The implications go far beyond interpersonal harm. In this actionshop we will attempt to get to know colorism in all its forms so we can view the world with a more clear lens to see and understand how colorism has made its way into our own psyche, into our work culture, and into detrimental policies based on skin-tone bias. We will take time to discuss how we can recognize and address colorism, with a focus on healing, care, and safety for ourselves and our communities.
“Implementing Equitable Boards and Advisory Teams for People with Lived Expertise” offered by Duana Ricks-Johnson (RAP Advocate), Terrell Berry, MSW (Youth Housing Advocate) and Duaa-Rahemaah Hunter, Statewide Organizer for the Resident Action Project (RAP)
In recent years there has been a rise in requests for people with lived experience/expertise to join advisory boards. If you or your organization have been in this process, you have likely experienced many challenges for various reasons. From the perspective of people with lived experience, most boards have not been set up in a way that is accessible for them to fully participate as much as others who have been historically resourced. The truth is that there has been a lot of harm done. This actionshop brings three advocates in the housing justice movement who have been on multiple advisory boards, and have also created advisory boards using equitable frameworks, and their own lived expertise to increase not only access, but a sense of belonging and value. Please join us to hear from these incredible speakers!
“Operationalizing Equity Part 1: If White Supremacy Culture is the Culture Norm, What are We Gonna Do About it?” offered by Tasha West-Baker from Building Changes and Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW
We are all swimming in the waters of white supremacy culture in this nation, and beyond. Like fish who are unaware of the water while going about their business, white supremacy culture is the culture norm. Tema Okun states, “While white supremacy culture affects us all, harms us all, and is toxic to us all, it does not affect, harm, and violate us in the same way. White supremacy targets and violates BIPOC people and communities with the intent to destroy them directly; white supremacy targets and violates white people with a persistent invitation to collude that will inevitably destroy their humanity.” In this actionshop we will briefly discuss the characteristics of white supremacy culture, and spend most of our time discussing the antidotes to these poisonous waters.
The Operationalizing Equity Series with Tasha and Ma.Caroline will continue in our Lunch & Learn series and beyond. These actionshops aim to take a deep dive into the ‘what, why, how, and what now?’ questions that come up within our organizations and agencies so we can build operational infrastructures that center equity, access, and shared humanity.
“{R}evolutionary Practice Series: Dismantling Our Internalized Messages of Racial Inferiority and Oppression, and White Superiority and Privilege” offered by Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW
“Racism not only impacts us personally, culturally, and institutionally. Racism also operates on us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When racism targets us, we internalize that targeting; when racism benefits us, we internalize that privileging.” (dismantlingracism.org) This practice series focuses on our personal evolution toward liberation from damaging notions and behaviors such as racial internalizations. These internal changes we seek and practice are radical and revolutionary. When we are practicing together, we are building a new world where we choose how we want to live and be in relationship to one another, without a foundation built on division.