My Voice
15 Ways to Connect the Big Three: SFL Advisor, Inter/National Representative, and Conduct Administrator
The work of navigating a misconduct incident of a sorority or fraternity chapter sometimes feels like the hardest Rubik’s Cube ever (as if Rubik’s Cubes aren’t already hard – right?). It feels like if one little thing gets missed or a conversation goes left, we lose all opportunity to create a positive and behavior-changing experience for the students. READ MORE
15 Reasons Our Actions are Incongruent with our Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion “Values”
So, imagine this. You’re in a packed room. Probably two to three hundred people. A well-known speaker on racism is standing in the back of the room with their hand up. As someone scurries to bring them a microphone so everyone is able to hear (impaired or not), they say, “I’m loud enough I don’t need a microphone” and proceed to talk. That. That’s it. The reason why DEI work fails. That’s the incongruence with what we say. I once heard a speaker say, “You can’t fight oppression in one corner and cheer it on in another.” READ MORE
Authentically You
Let’s talk about sisterhood as Panhellenic women. Let’s talk about why we are here. Let’s talk about how the journey to authenticity involves being uncomfortable. Uncomfortableness is also a crucial component in learning and unlearning about the systems that exist that create spaces in which our sisters do not feel heard or supported. Let’s talk about that—how to be better for ourselves and others, so everyone can live authentically themselves. WATCH HERE
The People of Penn State
Ep. 40
It’s a pivotal time for justice and equity in the United States. In episode 46 of The People of Penn State, we discussed this critical topic with Christina Parle (she/they), an equity, inclusion, and diversity (EID) educator and consultant with her company, Social Responsibility Speaks. LISTEN HERE
Your Sorority Journey
Ep. 18
Let’s talk about language, cancel culture, and statements! Christina Parle shares her journey and how she’s processed this past month of awareness around injustice & brutality. With Pride month coming to an end and our sororities publicly prioritizing DEI, Christina will leave you with so many tangible ways to take ownership of your perspective & participate in our collective growth. LISTEN HERE
Dinner Talks
Ep. 19
A deep-dive into Christina’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work she does with organizations, and the language foundation that is necessary before diving into larger concepts within DEI. We then talked a lot about identity development, growing up biracial, and an early appreciation for language and the balance between intent and impact. Then we rounded things out with a conversation about accountability. This conversation was so dope and filled with so many nuggets of wisdom and insight. LISTEN HERE
They’re Our Students, Too: Important Considerations to Support Student Safety and Partnership in Sorority and Fraternity Life
by Christina Parle and Elliott Beach
There, unfortunately, is very little documented resources for navigating organizational misconduct, and a significant number of campuses simply overlay their individual process over organizational incidents. This approach significantly impacts organizations as the individual process is designed for internal processing, reflection, and outcomes that address a singular person’s behavior. READ MORE
Resources That Influence My Work
White Supremacy Culture – Still Here
by Tema Okun
We are all swimming in the waters of white supremacy culture. We are all navigating this culture, regardless of our racial identity. We are not all affected in the same ways – some of us are encouraged to join and collude without awareness that an invitation has been extended, some are invited to participate at the cost of separating ourselves from our communities and families, some are shamed because we can never fully join no matter how hard we try, some are denied any invitation in order to be targeted or exploited or violated. READ MORE
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People
by Anthony Greenwald
and Mahzarin Banaji
The aim of Blindspot is to explain the science in plain enough language to help well-intentioned people achieve that alignment. By gaining awareness, we can adapt beliefs and behavior and “outsmart the machine” in our heads so we can be fairer to those around us. FIND IT HERE
So You Want to Talk About Race
by Ijeoma Oluo
In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race, and about how racism infects every aspect of American life. FIND IT HERE
Post-traumatic Slave Syndrome
by Joy DeGruy Leary
With over thirty years of practical experience as a professional in the mental health field, Dr. DeGruy encourages African Americans to view their attitudes, assumptions, and behaviors through the lens of history and so gain a greater understanding of how centuries of slavery and oppression have impacted people of African descent in America. FIND IT HERE
Ten Counterproductive Behaviors of Well-Intentioned People
by Cody Charles
Well-intentioned people make mistakes, lots of them. Mistakes must be expected and being held accountable has to be expected as well. The points below outline some of the common behaviors that show up often in social justice conversations. READ MORE