For many years I worked as an administrator in the nonprofit sector, among a group of well intentioned folks. We spent a lot of time ruminating on the lack of diversity in our field of community mediation, and more broadly in the field of dispute resolution. As a volunteer based community organization it was glaringly obvious that our majority white, upper-middle class volunteers did not reflect the demographics of our client base. Each time we held a training for new potential volunteers, we would count the number of black and brown faces in the group and pat ourselves on the back if they numbered more than a small few.
I admit that I was part of the problem. My critical analysis of the social impact of our business practices was lacking. And as the person responsible for managing the budget, I knew how critical our training income was for the overall organization. So the lack of diversity continued to be a talking point on our meeting agendas, but not an organizational priority in terms of investment of resources.
Now that I work for myself and don’t have to navigate the red tape and bureaucracy of an organization, and more importantly have done some more learning and reflection on my own white privilege, its been exciting to experiment and test some of my theories on what actions are actually effective in fostering diversity.
When I first started offering online training in August 2020, I was deep in reflection on systemic racism and white privilege. It is clear to me that my racial identity has afforded me many advantages, both personally and professionally. And while awareness is powerful and important, I also want to be taking action and embodying anti-racist principles in my life. This means looking at the intersection of my privilege and my sphere of influence - what resources do I have access to that could be put to use in service to greater equity?
Some of the barriers to equity that I have seen in the dispute resolution field exist at the entry point of initial training. Training fees and training schedules have made it difficult for many people to access this important step toward professional dispute resolution practice. As a self-employed, certified initial mediation trainer I have the power to provide professional level training at an accessible cost and on a variety of different schedules. And so I do.
Offering solidarity discounts, and needs-based discounts, as well as alternating between weekday and weekend training have been some of the strategies that I’ve used so far to expand access to the initial mediation training that I am qualified to offer. But this is just a starting point. To really manifest a shift towards greater equity, there need to be more pathways toward opportunities for professional practice.
While I have been able to utilize my social capital of professional connections to support individuals in accessing opportunities for apprenticeship and further training, there is much more that needs to be done. I continue to seek ways to expand access to the skills and experience necessary for folks build a professional practice.
As an anti-racist entrepreneur, I believe we all suffer under white supremacy. As a white person it is easy for me to ignore the more tangible impacts of system racism because my white privilege protects me. But I know that my liberation, and the liberation of my children, is directly tied to the liberation of all people. So I want to show up in a way that acknowledges that I have skin in the game. I am not only interested in the idea of diversity and equity. I am actively seeking opportunities to put these values into action.
P.S. The choices that I make in my own business are also deeply connected to my anti-capitalist beliefs and practice. But that’s for another blog post :) stay tuned!
