On November 6 and 7, over 300 DPS team members and Denver community members gathered together for a “Real Talk on Race.” This was the theme of the DPS Equity Boot Camp led by Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Bill De La Cruz with help from multicultural leadership expert, Juana Bordas and DPS students from the Young African-American and Latino Leaders group. The session was full of rich content, serious discussions and eye-opening moments. From it all, we have picked 5 useful resources inspired from the work for DPS team members and the Denver community to use when strengthening their equity and inclusion practices.
1. Salsa, Soul, And Spirit. Leadership for a Multicultural Age by Juana Bordas
As one of the facilitators from Equity Boot Camp, Juana Bordas encouraged participants to take a look at their own history while considering the history of others. Her book, Salsa, Soul and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Nation, “puts forth a multicultural leadership model that integrates eight practices from African American, Indian, and Latino communities.” The description states, “As the world becomes flatter and globalization creates a world village, it is imperative that leaders have the cultural flexibility and adaptability to inspire and guide people from very distinct backgrounds that represent the whole rainbow of humanity.” Learn more about the book here.
2. The Racial Imaginary Institute
The Racial Imaginary Institute is a “moving collaboration with other collectives, spaces, artists, and organizations towards art exhibitions, readings, dialogues, lectures, performances, and screenings that engage the subject of race. The Racial Imaginary website functions as an online portal to the activities of the Institute.” As the website states, “We are committed to the activation of interdisciplinary work and a democratized exploration of race in our lives.”
Explore the website here.
3. MTV’s Look Different Campaign, What Can I Do About Bias? Website
The Look Different campaign helps you to “contextualize the current threats to equality, empower you to rebel against injustice and show you how to protect yourself from hate.” Through quizzes, cleanses and more, this website “helps you unlearn biases, open up conversations with family and friends and always give you specific things you can do to fight for what’s right.” Explore the website here.
4. Young African-American and Latino Leaders Facebook Page
During Equity Boot Camp, the DPS students from YAALL (Young African-American and Latino Leaders) shared courageous stories and discussed ways to make a difference in schools. YAALL is a student led organization within Denver that addresses inequities and systematic oppression within schools. Their present focuses include, “the School to Prison pipeline, limited teacher diversity, and the lack of a diverse cultural competence curriculum for students of color.” Read up on their work and stay informed on upcoming projects and events by
following their Facebook page here.
5. Citizen by Claudia Rankine
A recent focus in the Denver community through the Denver Talks initiative, Citizen by Claudia Rankine is an “innovative work of poetry, prose, and visual images that addresses racism in America.” Often used as a teaching tool, “Citizen has maximum impact in the classroom because students can grapple with the difficult issues Rankine raises in a safe space. The book can provide an entry into discussing inequality through a political or personal lens, in addition to being an example of an artistic response to current events.”
Learn more about the book here.
Don’t miss our next Equity Boot Camp this February. Sessions available Feb. 13 and Feb 14. Learn more and sign up here.
