Prepare 

The focus of the forum is informed conversation, not education.  

In this way it is different than a workshop where you show up to be taught.

It is your responsibility to do the depth of education you need to engage in an

 informed and compassionate conversation about this type of inclusion.   

Educating ourselves ensures that those experiencing exclusion do not need

 to educate those with privilege or endure expressions of ignorance.   

1. How to Show White Men That Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Need Them  by Harvard Business Review

Highlights: 

• Reason's why men may not engage:  1. It seems like I'm not wanted in the room when D & I conversations start happening, 2. It feels like I'm part of the problem, 3. It seems like everyone is out to get the white guys.

• Quote: "According to the White Men’s Leadership Study, a study of white men and diversity and inclusion, the single biggest challenge to engaging in D&I efforts — as noted by almost 70% of white men surveyed — is knowing whether they are “wanted.” 

• Frame Identity as Insight:  “White people have a powerful and partial understanding of how race works in society.” Statements like these name a privileged identity (white), attach constrained value to it (powerful and partial), and then situate it in a context that encourages future conversation (how race works in society). They are also easy to expand into larger conversations with questions like, “How do other racial groups understand how race works in society? How are their experiences different? Why?” 

• Focus on Equality: “I know you care about equality in your organization. And being a straight white man gives you enormous insight and expertise into how your organization works for other people like you. It’s your job as a leader to figure out what it’s like for other people and make sure everyone has a positive experience.” These three sentences help in several ways. First, they name the often unnamed identities of straight, white, and man without blame or shame. Second, they celebrate the value of these identities in the form of expertise while also being honest about the limits of such expertise. (A straight white man will not, for example, start off knowing what their organization is like for a bisexual indigenous woman.) And third, they explicitly tie the humility and curiosity necessary for successful D&I work to what it means to be a good leader.