EMERGENT STRATEGY: SHAPING CHANGE, CHANGING WORLDS BY ADRIENNE MAREE BROWN
Why I Love This Resource:
Why I love this resource: From the first page, this book spoke loudly to my professional and personal soul. The way adrienne skillfully, lovingly, and candidly writes about systems and interconnections will resonate with anyone who is searching for deeper and more just meaning in their strategic planning journeys (and generally in life). I highly recommend this book for any team engaged in organizational/strategic planning for racial justice.
WE WILL NOT CANCEL US (AND OTHER DREAMS OF TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE) BY ADRIENNE MAREE BROWN
Why I Love This Resource:
Why I love this resource: I have dog-eared and underlined almost every page of this small treatise. It articulated clearly for me the very ambiguous waters of gracious accountability: how we hold ourselves and each other accountable to just actions while recognizing our own humanity and imperfection. Again, adrienne delivers a deeply vulnerable and candid piece that helps all of us develop solidarity while not unintentionally turning the tools of injustice against each other. I highly recommend this book for any DEIJ teams and BIPOC Affinity Groups out there who thirst for conversations about trauma, conflict, resilience, and gracious accountability.
EMERGENT STRATEGY PODCAST FROM THE EMERGENT STRATEGY IDEATION INSTITUTE
Why I Love This Resource:
In each episode, we hear from different facilitators and guests “about how we get in right relationship with change – what are the simple interactions that can shift and shape complex systems and patterns?” These episodes are calming and inspiring at the same time, modeling for us how we can move forward with urgency and care, how we can be responsive and honest with ourselves and our communities. A favorite quote from a conversation between Yolo Akili Robinson and adrienne when discussing nonprofits’ role in addressing urgency at the speed of community, not capitalism: “How can I be the moon? How can I reflect whatever is the best light to the places where it’s most needed and pull the most powerful waves towards the shore?”
ALOK ON THE URGENT NEED FOR COMPASSION, INTERVIEWED FOR THE MAN ENOUGH PODCAST
Why I Love This Resource:
Why I love this resource: This is one of the best interviews I have ever seen. There is so much strength and vulnerability and power in this conversation. Alok is a brilliant activist, scholar, and artist, and I can’t help but be inspired and learn something new and feel called in with love every time I watch them. I highly recommend this for anyone at any stage of their DEIJ journey, especially for those examining the intersections of patriarchy, masculinity and gender, and race in justice.
BINA PATEL’S KEYNOTE SPEECH FOR THE CLEVELAND PROGRESS INSTITUTE
Why I Love This Resource:
Why I love this resource: This is one of the best keynotes I’ve ever seen. I watch this very often and learn from it every time. Bina speaks with a candidness that clearly conveys a respect for both her audience and the communities she fights for each day. The content is decoded and direct, making you want to play back what she just said again and again and get it down on paper, it’s that spot on (so I recommend you watch this with a pen and paper in hand). I highly recommend this for majority white senior leadership teams who claim the mantle of racial justice; this keynote will let you know if you are actually hitting that mark.
RACE CAPITAL: BEYOND THE NONPROFIT INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Why I Love This Resource:
I read and teach about the nonprofit industrial complex…and rarely have I heard such a powerful and focused synthesis of its core and impact. The hosts demonstrate strength and vulnerability as they discuss the complex overall, each of their roles and positional privileges within it, and how nonprofits can truly align their good intentions with real community-focused actions. I especially love the resource links on the episode webpage, including a favorite and foundational resource: The Revolution Will Not Be Funded. I highly recommend this podcast and all the linked resources for any nonprofit leadership and/or DEIJ team. This will challenge you…in all the best and hardest ways.
WHITE SUPREMACY — STILL HERE BY TEMA OKUN
Why I Love This Resource:
We have to understand the waters within which we swim in order to effectively change their direction, and that is exactly what Tema does in this document. Each time I read or reference this piece (which is regularly as I keep it on my desk), I am handed the words to articulate the nebulous, gaslighting concepts that I struggle to communicate. Tema lays out each trait of white supremacy culture and gives us a shared vocabulary with clarity, insight, and humility. I especially appreciate how Tema gives gratitude and credits each primary source throughout the document. I highly recommend this document for any organization, team, or individual trying to navigate the murky waters of a white supremacy world. Take your time with it as it is jam-packed, and talk with others also exploring this resource to help process its content. It is a foundational part of any justice library.
“Avoiding racial equity detours” by paul gorski
Why I Love This Resource:
This article clearly lays out the most common detours that occur during equity work. I have seen each of these happen at countless organizations, and the best way to combat them is to have a clear awareness and understanding of them across the leadership team, task force, or committee in charge of centering equity, AND regular reflection practices to call them out if needed.
(You also need enough trust within the group for individuals to be able to call these detours out without repercussions, but developing that security is a larger discussion for a separate post). Though the article specifically references education organizations, the detours and advice are transferable to any industry and sector.
awake to woke to work: building a race equity culture
Why I Love This Resource:
I firmly believe that centering equity requires the whole organization. Beyond just the programming the organization provides, effective and sustainable equity work requires examination of the policies, procedures, and practices at all levels of the organization, from the staff to the board to the community being served. This resources lays out each organizational lever in clear and concise verbiage with short rubrics to get the conversation flowing. And, anyone who knows me knows that I love a good rubric 🙂
tiny spark/nonprofit quarterly podcast
Why I Love This Resource:
Philanthropy is the economic engine of most nonprofits but it is often left unexamined. Without active scrutiny of the financial structures of the social sector, we risk undermining the good work we hope to do because of how we are doing it.
Tiny Spark shines a bright spot light on philanthropy in nonprofits and examines its ins and outs from an equity lens. Every episode is enlightening and I use them often with leadership teams as part of their professional development plans.
“Sapna is a thoughtful, strategic, and talented educator and facilitator with deep practical experience transforming professional processes, practices, and mindsets for justice and equity. Not only does she know the theory, she’s successfully centered justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in organizational practices and understands how to overcome the inevitable tensions and roadblocks that come with this work.”
Kristine Jimenez | Senior Director for Engagement and Communications, University of Washington Medicine Advancement
