All Year Long Series: Amplifying Black Voices
That’s why PowerToFly’s All Year Long Series focuses on carrying the spirit of these dedicated times throughout the rest of the year. We are devoted to being a part of that progress and want to ensure that the underrepresented feel uplifted, heard, and included — no matter the day or month!
As part of our All Year Long Series, we are amplifying Black voices by sharing some past talks on race, inclusion, history, and equity.
These talks deliver powerful messages of movement and change and feature Black voices speaking up about racism and inequality in the workplace and beyond, the changes that have been made, and the changes that must still occur.
Check out our list to keep the progress and celebration going all year long, and to help spread awareness!
Sista Circle: Celebrating Black Women In Tech - Featuring Leaders From Meta, Google, And Bank Of America
If you want to learn from some of the top tech leaders, then this is for you! PowerToFly partners with Sista Circle: Black Women In Tech to celebrate, learn from, and be inspired by some amazing Black women leaders in the tech industry. This talk discusses the power of technology to create safe communities of solidarity, the need for mentors to help young Black women navigate the tech world, the racial and gender inequality in the tech industry, the importance of mental health and self-care for Black women in the professional realm, and much more. Featuring Lexi B (Founder of Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech), Michelle Mitchell (Strategic Communities Program Manager, Media Partnerships at Meta), Dr. Chyna Hill (Sr. User Experience Researcher at Google), Yan Lawrence (Quantitative Analyst at Bank of America), and Isabel Cespedes (Creative Director of Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech), this powerful talk shows both the rise in Black women leaders and the need for continual change in the tech industry to better achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion. This conversation is presented in partnership with Sista Circle and Pickens Creative.
Conversation on Growing Up Black and Biracial in White Spaces with Julie Lythcott-Haims
In this riveting talk, PowerToFly’s Sienna Brown sits down with New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims to discuss her memoir Real American. In her book, Julie talks about her journey from self-loathing to self-love as a Black and biracial woman living in predominantly white spaces in 1970s America, and how in sharing her path to self-acceptance she also discovered the healing power of community in overcoming the hurtful isolation she experienced in being incessantly considered "the other."
An Exploration of Race, Identity, and History with Authors Camille T. Dungy and Nadia Owusu
History, race, and identity – three powerful words that can invoke different emotions. In this talk, Camille T. Dungy, author of the personal essay collection Guidebook to Relative Strangers, joins Nadia Owusu, author of the memoir Aftershocks, for a thoughtful conversation on how their works overlap on these three themes and the powerful testament they share for what racism looks like today.
One Woman’s Quest to Change the False Narrative of Black Inferiority
Very little is more powerful today than the media. That’s why DeShuna Spencer founded KweliTV, a Black-owned video streaming service that showcases indie films, documentaries, web shows, news, and children’s programs dedicated to the stories, issues, and culture of the global Black community. But in this interview hosted by David Morgan, President of The Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association, DeShuna and Kweli’s Head of Comedy Programming acclaimed actor and comedian Lil Rel Howery, share candid insights into the challenges KweliTV faces trying to achieve sustainability and scale in the competitive streaming industry still bereft of culturally diverse content and content creators, and the overarching cultural importance of consuming diverse Black stories. This conversation is presented in partnership with MMCA.
Racial Gaslighting At Work: What To Do If It Happens To You
Maybe you find out your white colleague is making more money than you, even though you've been working there longer and do the exact same job; or maybe you hear your boss commit yet another microaggression. Whatever the catalyst, you finally decide enough is enough. But when you talk to someone about your experiences, you’re told it's all in your head... What do you do? How do you respond when your lived experiences of racism in the workplace are denied or ignored? In this talk, PowerToFly’s Global DEI Strategist and Trainer, Noelle Johnson, provides space to acknowledge the harm these experiences cause and shares tools and tips for preserving your mental health and well-being while getting your desired outcome.
How Companies Can Amplify Black Excellence Daily
February is Black History Month and June 19th is Juneteenth – two times of the year that special emphasis is placed on the Black community in the United States. But how can we Amplify Black Excellence and Elevate Black Employees all year long? Join PowerToFly’s Senior Director of DEIB, Sienna Brown, and Thumbtack’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Dionna Smith, as they discuss how leadership and professional development opportunities can amplify Black excellence. What pitfalls should you avoid when elevating Black employees? How does psychological safety play a key role in performance and retention? Learn how to create a better atmosphere of diversity and inclusion with two leaders in the DEI industry!
What's Next: Maintaining the Momentum on Anti-Racism and Inclusion
Thanks to Black Lives Matter, a powerful and necessary conversation has resulted in real change. But how do we keep that momentum moving forward? Join Dionna Smith (Thumbtack’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), Candace Ramirez (Founder/Content & Branding Export at Moon Honey Media), Suzanne Sheely-Walker (Facilitator/Talent Consultant), Andrea Hall (Senior Global Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific), and Mira Stern (Equity & Impact Consultant) as this impressive group of women leaders tackle such important topics as anti-racism, inclusion, diversity, women's rights, and mental health in the workplace, and how the momentum of Black Lives Matter can help continue to spur change.
Supporting Black Trans and Non-Binary People in the Workplace and Beyond
Did you know that a recent survey showed that Black transgender and gender non-conforming people face some of the highest levels of discrimination? Despite the continual push for diversity, equity, and inclusion today, there is so much work to be done. But how can we solve this problem? Moderated by Marti Allen-Cummings, drag artist and activist, this discussion features Aryah Lester (Deputy Director at Transgender Strategy Center), Diamond Stylz (Executive Director at Black Trans Women Inc.), and Carmarion D. Anderson (Alabama State Director, Project One America at the Human Rights Campaign) as they discuss the discrimination that the Black transgender community face, the effects that the anti-transgender bills of 2021 have on the transgender population and youth, how Black transgender and gender non-conforming people struggle to find work, and the continual need for support and inclusion that the community requires.
Race in America: Creating Change with Alicia Garza
What does it take to organize a social justice movement? And how do you create change in a stubborn world? That’s what Alicia Garza, activist, organizer, and co-founder of Black Lives Matter, is joining Washington Post Pulitzer Prize-winning Robin Givhan to discuss. Host of Lady Don’t Take No podcast, author of The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart, and special projects director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Garza continues to fight against racial injustice and inequity as the principal at the Black Futures Lab and the Black to the Future Action Fund. By offering power and healing in community, she talks about the importance of coming together, individual experience, and the willingness to stand against injustice. This conversation is presented in partnership with The Washington Post.
How Black Women Get To Reimagine The Future Of Work
This past year has seen unprecedented numbers of women of color – specifically Black women – leaving the workplace. Greater still, many more are considering leaving their jobs by the end of the year. The cause? For many of these women, feeling burnt out and wanting greater purpose in their careers is the biggest underlying factor. But what does that mean for the future of the workplace and the women of the Black community? In this insightful fireside chat, Rha Goddess, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of nFormation, CEO of Move The Crowd, and author of The Calling, and PowerToFly’s Senior Director of DEIB, Sienna Brown, discuss how Black women have the power to reimagine the future of their work. So what does that look like in this new reality? And how can they have a comeback that is aligned with their purpose and values? What will that comeback actually take? Join Sienna Brown and Rha Goddess to find out!
How Far We’ve Come, How Far We’ve Yet To Go - Racial Equity In 2022
For the first time ever, we have a woman of color as Vice President and a Black woman nominated to the US Supreme Court. But while these are substantial achievements that should be celebrated, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a ways to go. According to the Human Rights Watch, “Black, Latinx, and Native communities have been disproportionately burdened by the negative impacts of Covid-19, which has deepened existing racial injustices in healthcare, housing, employment, education, and wealth accumulation. While poverty fell overall due to stimulus checks and unemployment aid, the Black-white wealth gap, which is still as big as it was in 1968, persisted.” So how do we change this injustice? Global Policy Solutions’ CEO Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and APCO Worldwide’s Licy Do Canto sit down to discuss just this. In an insightful conversation about what’s truly working and what’s needed when it comes to racial equity in 2022, they share some steps that everyone listening can take to make a difference – even in your own backyard!
