Diversity Series
“Can We Talk?” Community Conversations that Lead to Change
Eight-Part Series
Acknowledging who we are, Cultivating our Identity
Before we can dive into diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace, we must look at the identities of those who work at the organizations and we must explore your identities as leaders. Our social identities inform how we work together and often determine who has access to power within the organization. We need to understand how your social identities impact the experiences of your employees and work to ensure all employees feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued. This works to create an inclusive workplace environment where all people feel comfortable bringing their whole selves, our identities, to work.
Understanding Our Biases, Their Impact, and How We Move Beyond Them
In this session, we will address the historical and institutional inequality and biases in order to help us move toward true equity and personal relationships. In order to address the many ways that people in our communities, at our places of work are marginalized based on social identities such as race, gender, disability, religion, class, sexual orientation, etc. we need to understand how our identities and experiences are a major factor in our biases, stereotypes, and prejudices, and how we are all capable of moving toward equity.
“I, too Am America”
This session will address belonging in a society that has long rendered many of its citizens less than, voiceless, powerless, and invisible. We’ll address the historical impact on what we are seeing today in our Asian, African American, Latin American/Hispanic, LGBTQ+, and other communities. How can we as a community fight the power, speak truth to power, and provide support to our community members?
Encouraging Allyship and Bystander Intervention
In this session, we will discuss bystander Intervention (recognizing a potentially harmful situation or interaction and choosing to respond in a way that could positively influence the outcome) as an effective way to stop inappropriate behavior in our workplace and a positive influence in creating a sense of collective responsibility among employees. By teaching different ways to be advocates and allies of co-workers who are targets of bias, microaggressions, and other non-inclusive behavior, employees learn how to show support and empathy for their co-workers.
“So Many Tears”: Healing from Injustice and Trauma
The impacts of injustice, racism, bias, trans/homophobia are apparent in our social, economic, and government policies all around us and the place in which we live, learn, work and play. We experience these effects when we go to work, we take our children to school, we apply for jobs, we try to rent or buy a home, we shop, we interact with the police, we live. In this session, we will talk about what healing looks like for each of us, how we are coping with the climate we have been in, what we have seen, and what many have dealt and are dealing with. How can we be more empathetic, compassionate, show more humility and accountability?
“Let your Heart and Mind Speak”: Having Courageous Conversations
I imagine employees/community members desire a workplace, organization, a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and also free from conflict. To create an equitable and inclusive organization requires leadership to openly and authentically address conflict and not shy away from discussions that can be difficult, complex, and even scary. In this session, we will address common challenges in talking openly about disability, religion, gender, race, sexual orientation, class, and other social identities and practice having authentic and courageous conversations around challenging topics.
Seize the Present and Let’s Build on it
How do we create a more inclusive normal? As the global pandemic and racial justice movement came together it has shifted the way we work and work together. In this moment there is an opportunity to focus on people and how we can evolve communities and cultures to be more innovative, productive, diverse, inclusive, and equitable. With this session, we will learn how to leverage this moment to engage the leadership in committing to a meaningful DEI strategy and capitalize on employees’ and community members “what can I do? how can I help?” enthusiasm to drive real change.
"We're All in This Together": Pursuit of Equity in our Community and Neighborhoods
Leading and working towards equity in our community will take time and a more nuanced and informed strategy. It requires we both have understanding about our community and creating a strategy that matches the needs of our community. As a group we will address some of the needs of the community, think about strategies to advance conversations and action around race, equity, and inclusion across our community.
To ensure we can properly run this course, please register at least a week before the start of class. If you would like more information or to register after that, please contact us at 607-936-5501 or ilearn@corning-cc.edu to check class availability.
Online via Zoom
Cost: $185
Meet Your Instructor:
Babatunde (Tunde) Ayanfodun born in Lagos, Nigeria and grew-up in Brooklyn, New York. Babatunde brings his experience in community development, administration management, and inclusion, diversity, and equity. Babatunde works at SUNY Corning Community College developing leadership, mentorship, and peer advising programming for students; and programming to educate and facilitate students' and community learning. He is working with colleagues to create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan for SUNY CCC.
He earned his BA in sociology and minor in Information Technology from Syracuse University. He also is a Co-Starter Facilitator. Co-Starters is a business development program that helps aspiring entrepreneurs put ideas into action, and turn a passion into a sustainable and thriving small business.
Babatunde is dedicated to youth development and community involvement and works with Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG), Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), Cosmopolitan Women’s Club, Corning Pride, Corning Inc. employee resource groups like Corning Black Employee Network, Native American Council on different initiatives. He lives in Horseheads with his wife and two children.
Email ilearn@corning-cc.edu or call 607-936-5501 for more information on upcoming dates or opportunities for your corporate training needs!