Next week Sierra Club is embarking on the next big step in our journey toward equity, inclusion and justice. We’ve written here previously about Growing for Change, our two-day equity workshop for every Sierra Club staff person and 150 volunteers. On August 1st, the workshops will begin at our headquarters in Oakland, California.
This is the first time that so many folks from the Sierra Club community have had the opportunity for a community conversation around equity, but we have been investing in smaller workshops for over fifteen years. The Sierra Club’s executive team experienced a similar equity workshop hosted by Partners for Collaborative Change just months ago. We asked them how the workshop has impacted their day to day work since attending, to offer a preview of what folks should expect from their own experience at Growing for Change.
National Program Director Sarah Hodgdon learned new practices from her equity education that she uses every day in her work at Sierra Club. “What I love about these equity workshops is watching that moment when folks start to realize, this isn't just about our relationships with partner groups. It's not just about how we show up as allies in the progressive movement. It's also about how power and privilege are held within our own organization, how we do decision making internally, and how we interact with the people we work alongside every day. Previous workshops have given me powerful tools to help put equity values into practice in my work. At one workshop I learned about a tool called “prompts” - the idea is to have a question that you’re always asking yourself in every interaction so you can put a lens of equity on everything you do. So now, in every decision making process I ask myself, “Will this decision lead to better retention of staff who are people of color?” Asking myself this question helps me to center my thinking on how every decision impacts staff members who are people of color.”
Our Director of Human Resources Kerry O’Donnell found the executive team workshop transformative. “I’m so grateful to be part of an organization that has created space for me to focus on equity - an opportunity I haven’t had previously in my career,” said O’Donnell. “Learning opportunities like the executive team equity workshop and the White Privilege Conference have changed my life, in and outside the Sierra Club. Since I’ve been on a journey of learning about equity, inclusion and justice issues, I’ve gotten more comfortable with talking openly about identity issues and have a better understanding of how systems of oppression operate within our daily lives. Confronting hard topics head on and struggling through them together with friends and family has lent a new richness to my relationships and allowed me to build deeper connections.”
Deputy Executive Director Bruce Hamilton is an enthusiastic supporter of our Equity trainings. “The executive team Equity workshop I attended was challenging and transformative. It was the best training in diversity and equity skills that I have attended to date, offering just the right balance of learning, growing and discomfort with my own privilege and history. I'm so excited that we are able to offer the opportunity to experience Growing for Change to the entire Sierra Club staff and over 150 volunteers. It will help each of us and the Sierra Club grow and change for the better."
If you’re a Sierra Club staff member or volunteer planning to attend Growing for Change - reminder to complete your pre-reading homework assignments! For other readers, check back here on our blog for a window into how folks are experiencing Growing for Change, and learnings on how to conduct community conversations about equity in your own communities.