Disrupt the Dialogue is a new podcast designed to allow leaders of color to share their personal experience and insight regarding the effect that race has on their lives and careers. Through this open and honest sharing of individual experiences, we aim to create a common understanding of the effects that race has on leaders of color, create a community of support, and share tools and resources to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Leaders.
Join co-hosts Tina Wright-Ervin, Organizational Effectiveness Consultant and Alexander Figueroa, Assistant Director of Learning and Development, in this podcast from the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Disrupt the Dialogue features discussions with leaders in the health and human services industry sharing how they have dealt with challenges pertaining to race, and what their advice is to other BIPOC leaders.
Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].
Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.
Episode 5 – Discovering the Full Story
In this, the final episode of season one, we’re in dialogue with Natalie Williams. Natalie has over 25 years of experience in human services—working at the national, local, and community level and currently serving as the Chief Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer (EDIB) at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). In this episode, she touches on the need for self-care and data-driven strategies to tackle challenges in racial equity and racial justice. Data, Natalie comments, provides focus on what may sometimes be a hard conversation by removing some of the emotion and focusing on outcomes and successes. She talks about witnessing successes first-hand in her work at Jefferson County (Colorado) Human Services, where she had the opportunity to see systems come together to help move people and families out of poverty. Discussing how she sees the principles of EDIB incorporated in human services work, Natalie spotlights the necessity to understand the value of different perspectives and to think big in making advancements in racial justice.
“I would tell future leaders to dream big about what's possible because our communities are going to need strategy and planning to be able to access, compete in, and understand what a global world means to them.”
Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].
Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.
Episode 4 – Be Unafraid to be Bold
This episode is with Dannette Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Dannette has over 25 years of leadership experience in human services and is the Chair of the Executive Governing Board for the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). In our conversation, we delve into her decades-long career and what it means to be aware that, as a Black woman, not everyone will view you and your community the same way that you do. Dannette delves into her experiences in those spaces and the importance of being bold, courageous, and sure of yourself and where the work takes you. She also talks about the importance of carrying yourself with respect and graciousness in professional and personal spaces. Throughout, Dannette reflects on the ability to learn from failure as well as the need for a certain level of discomfort to initiate change beyond the status quo—both outside and within our individual communities.
“We have to allow people to sit in that. To feel a sense of uncomfortableness, but then be able to, when they’re ready, help them work through that. I think too often we want people to feel comfortable, but change doesn't happen with feeling comfortable, even for us.”
Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].
Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.
Episode 3 - Forging A Path for Others
This episode features Vannessa Dorantes, Commissioner for the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Connecticut and an Executive Governing Board Member of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Having worked for DCF since 1992, Vannessa shares her journey as a social worker rising through the ranks to be appointed Connecticut’s first Black DCF Commissioner—a journey that included battling imposter syndrome to finally understanding her self-worth. During this episode, Commissioner Dorantes talks about the need to clearly understand EDI principles, what it means to stay true to them, and the importance of relating those values to others in your workplace. From paving the way for other BIPOC leaders to representation, she relates the work of EDI to her lived experience in the field and as an administrator.
“Is racial justice work something that should be a thing set aside to focus all of our attention on, or should it be woven throughout all of our work? My response is that it’s both, until it doesn't have to be.”
Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].
Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell (they/them)
Episode 2 - Creating Space for All
This episode features LaRae Cantley, Senior Manager of Centering Community & Well-Being at Full Frame Initiative in Greenfield, MA. LaRae has spent years as a community organizer, supporting those who confront issues of poverty, violence, trauma, and oppression. Her lived experience informs her work, and in this episode, LaRae shares her personal stories as well as an approach to human services that brings the voices of people who have been marginalized into the spaces where solutions are discussed. She argues that this shift not only provides more effective services but empowers those who need it most.
Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].
Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Brandon Mitchell.
Resources:
Episode 1 - Unapologetically Affirming Your Voice
Our premiere episode features Derrik Anderson, the Executive Director at Race Matters for Juvenile Justice in Charlotte, NC and a certified diversity professional. Derrik has over ten years of experience within the field of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and in this episode, he talks about his journey into EDI, what it means to practice its principles, and the experiences that inform his approach to social justice. He also outlines advice to other BIPOC leaders who are trying to promote or currently hold leadership roles, including the importance of unapologetically affirming your voice.
Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].
Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Brandon Mitchell.
Resources: