Ayana Parsons’ Post

as an attorney, my biggest fear isn't the immediate harm and insult, particularly given the legislative history of the laws being used to justify these decisions, but rather it is the precedential effect of these decisions that may never be unraveled. These attacks are being propagated by the absolute worst people in America. they are the same individuals behind the Dobbs decision(abortion access), the SFFA decision (affirmative action), attacks on lgbt rights, and public education. But even still, in many ways, these women stood alone. Black People and black women, in particular, are the pillars of progressivism and progress in America. They have been at the vanguard of every movement for change and while their rights were the last to be recognized they never wavered. But with fights like this one, their contributions were forgotten and they stood alone...again. I am ashamed, but we all should be afraid. They are starting with black women, but they will come for you, too. The central thesis of these people (the one's bringing the challenges) is that this is 1787. They believe white men, and only white monied men, should have autonomy in America and a right to self determination. They fuel this desire with faux populism and rhetoric around equality, whilst not challenging any real forms of oppression in individual settings or structural frameworks. They rely on white (mostly male) grievance and legitimate fears around our late stage capitalist economy and then direct that furor into attacks on the minor uplift of "others." But because of that, they turn our gaze to one another and we do horrific things to one another at their behest and we cannibalize any real opportunity for change. This strategy is not new, but the lack of sustainable infrastrcuture to pushback is. We need to organize and formulate a plan before we lose all the rights we have fought for, and all the progress (as a nation) we have made. To achieve a full, representative democracy we cannot allow those fueled by hate to strip us of the tools needed to achieve true equality. Equality as once described by President Johnson, "not equality merely in law, but equality as a fact."

It’s not DEI that’s under attack. We are the ones under attack. DEI is just the catch-all these groups are hiding behind to convince the public that underqualified people are getting unfair advantages and taking jobs away from qualified candidates. In actuality, that’s not it at all! These programs are meant to have hiring managers and teams pause, and not just default to hiring the same profile of person that makes up almost 87% of executive jobs in Fortune 500 companies. It’s not that those 87% are more qualified than their Black and Brown counterparts, it’s that without DEI or similar programs, most organizations and people default to their “comfort zone.” Familiarity Bias is something that takes awareness and accountability to overcome. When you hire people that look like you, or remind you of someone dear to you, or referred by a friend of a friend, or has the “executive look,” these individuals start with an advantage. And guess what?! Since 87% of executives in these organizations aren’t Black and Brown, it’s that same majority population actually getting the unfair advantage. We overly judge and criticize candidates who may seem “intimidating” “angry” “aggressive” “over-confident.” We use words like “tone” to justify our own discomfort with people who aren’t like us. Because of #UnconsciousBias Black and Brown women are especially prone to these labels, even when being overqualified for a role. Programs like the one Ayana Parsons describes below, are designed to help overcome these artificial barriers that put Black and Brown women at the greatest disadvantage for moving into leadership roles. We’re not asking for a handout. Just an opportunity to be seen.

Yesterday brought us the news that a Georgia court is (theoretically temporarily) blocking the Fearless Fund from issuing its $20,000 grants to Black woman owned businesses while a lawsuit brought against the Fund continues. A lawsuit brought by a reactionary man who has made it his mission to end affirmative action in higher ed and eventually, by extension, DEIB initiatives in private enterprise too. This man found three unidentified non-Black women to be his plaintiffs with "standing" in the case. As I commented on Kimberly Bryant's post below, it really seems like one should simply follow private investment briefs in action, but never articulate them in words. How else to explain the continuing fact that 98% of the billions in venture capital distributed every year goes only to companies with at least one male founder. 98%. I also asked, quite seriously, where are the lawsuits against VC firms? Do they exist? This morning Jory Des Jardins' Optionality newsletter is about the concept of allyship, and the difference between one manager she had who promised to be an ally (and utterly failed her) and someone who stepped up to support and defend her against a troll here on LinkedIn...and how being on the receiving end of such support was so unusual, her first instinct was to wonder if he was mistaking her for someone else. Her newsletter (in comments) brought up a lot of feelings for me. I remember when #MeToo took hold in Silicon Valley, landing at the doorstep of people I knew or had met. it made me rethink my previous 15 years in the industry. And it made me marvel at what I had experienced...and dismissed at the time. Jory had her playbook to evade threat and danger and dismissal. Mine was mostly deflect deflect deflect. Gracefully sidle away from unwanted invasion of physical space. Laugh off the inappropriate comments. And I definitely went through that phase when I was coming up where I tried to be one of the guys. We have come far, but not so far. Sometimes those of us advocating for equity will use the phrase "It's not pie." To indicate that someone getting a win doesn't have to mean you get a loss. Which is true. But I would also say...yes, sometimes someone gets something, and it means you won't get it. Which happens countless times throughout life. We all have to deal with it. Imagine thinking the way to deal with not getting *everything* is to decide others shouldn't get *anything.* One of the commenters on Jory's thread on this topic, Paolo Gaudiano, talked about the individual actions he takes in his every day work to enact allyship. And I agree that one isn't an "ally," because there will always be more to learn and do. It's a guiding principle not a binary, you-are-or-aren't. Ally is a verb, not a noun. How will you ally yourself with people who deserve it today?

Are you fearless in your pursuit of equity? A US Federal Court of Appeals panel has suspended the Fearless Fund’s Striver Program for Black women entrepreneurs, which awarded $20k grants to correct historical injustices. Despite less than 0.05% (ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT!!!) of Venture Capital investment going to businesses founded by Black women, the court ruled the program discriminatory against white business owners. The irony is stark. The laws used against the Fearless Fund were meant to prevent economic inequity for formerly enslaved African Americans. In your organization, how are you addressing the barriers creating inequity for your employees, clients, or community? Have you considered how your policies, practices, and budget choices can foster equity or perpetuate inequity? At Wilson and Associates Coaching and Consulting, LLC, we use an "Equity Screening Tool" to help organizations examine their decisions' impact on marginalized groups. I'll be teaching about this tool in two weeks inside my Leadership & Culture Change membership program. Request our equity screening tool today and take the first step toward building a more inclusive and equitable workplace. #Equity #CultureTransformation #InclusiveWorkplace #OrganizationalChange

Are you fearless in your pursuit of equity? A US Federal Court of Appeals panel has suspended the Fearless Fund’s Striver Program for Black women entrepreneurs, which awarded $20k grants to correct historical injustices. Despite less than 0.05% (ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT!!!) of Venture Capital investment going to businesses founded by Black women, the court ruled the program discriminatory against white business owners. The irony is stark. The laws used against the Fearless Fund were meant to prevent economic inequity for formerly enslaved African Americans. In your organization, how are you addressing the barriers creating inequity for your employees, clients, or community? Have you considered how your policies, practices, and budget choices can foster equity or perpetuate inequity? At Wilson and Associates Coaching and Consulting, LLC, we use an "Equity Screening Tool" to help organizations examine their decisions' impact on marginalized groups. I'll be teaching about this tool in two weeks inside my Leadership & Culture Change membership program. Request our equity screening tool today and take the first step toward building a more inclusive and equitable workplace. #Equity #CultureTransformation #InclusiveWorkplace #OrganizationalChange

Are you fearless in your pursuit of equity? A US Federal Court of Appeals panel has suspended the Fearless Fund’s Striver Program for Black women entrepreneurs, which awarded $20k grants to correct historical injustices. Despite less than 0.05% (ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT!!!) of Venture Capital investment going to businesses founded by Black women, the court ruled the program discriminatory against white business owners. The irony is stark. The laws used against the Fearless Fund were meant to prevent economic inequity for formerly enslaved African Americans. In your organization, how are you addressing the barriers creating inequity for your employees, clients, or community? Have you considered how your policies, practices, and budget choices can foster equity or perpetuate inequity? At Wilson and Associates Coaching and Consulting, LLC, we use an "Equity Screening Tool" to help organizations examine their decisions' impact on marginalized groups. I'll be teaching about this tool in two weeks inside my Leadership & Culture Change membership program. Request our equity screening tool today and take the first step toward building a more inclusive and equitable workplace. #Equity #CultureTransformation #InclusiveWorkplace #OrganizationalChange

The decision in the Fearless Fund case is disappointing, to say the least. In a closely watched civil rights case, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has blocked Fearless Fund from awarding $20,000 grants to businesses owned by Black women while the case is litigated. The defeat for the Atlanta firm, which aims to boost scarce venture capital funding for Black women, who received less than 1% of the $215 billion in venture capital funding last year, could have sweeping implications for race-based initiatives in the private sector and the legal challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives increasing in recent times. Fearless Fund is evaluating its options, and this preliminary ruling without a full factual record is not the final outcome in the case. The decision also raises fundamental questions about how corporate America addresses workplace inequality. At the Rutgers Center for Women in Business (CWIB), we know there are no shortage of incredible and profitable innovations. We encourage more venture funds to invest in great ideas, and not discount them (pun intended) when they come from women and people of color. Article: https://lnkd.in/gCnjJYPd #fearlessfund #DEI #civilrights #rutgers #cwib #womeninbusiness

Ask me how many investors I have. (Answer: 0) Ask me how much capital assistance I’ve received in nearly 8 years of business ownership. (Answer: Less than 4% of my total revenues.) I was told I was “too risky” to fund and needed continuous growth year-over-year with no bad quarters. Do you know how many businesses have that? (Answer: None I’m aware of.) It’s been pointed out to me several times that I’ve done things the hard way, but it’s not always by choice. The opportunities available to me are slim. I’ve even applied to the Fearless Fund but what I do doesn’t fit most VC firms’ interests. Still, I support anyone who makes space for the underrepresented, the undersupported, and the underappreciated. #blackwomeninbusiness #blackownedbusiness #fundblackfounders #supportwomeninbusiness

HR Girlfriends is a Black woman owned HR consultancy serving small to medium sized businesses across the U.S. The heart of what we do as a business revolves around meeting the professional and personal development needs of women in Human Resources. The business turned 10 years old this year and it was a time of reflection for me. I looked back on the adversity I’ve experienced growing a community for women by a woman of color, the number of times I was talked down to by men, the innumerable ways I was under estimated by people in general, and a host of other not so small moments in which I was left doubting myself - did I lose out on opportunities because I am a woman, Black or both? Beyond reflection is another side to my reality. Over the past 10 years I have grown my business successfully, employing staff, transforming the HR function for other businesses, and creating space for the growth of women in HR. That all happened while being apart of one of the most undervalued and underrepresented groups in the world. So, how can you be apart of the solution? Support women owned/led businesses. Fund women owned/led businesses. Hire women owned/led businesses. Contract with women owned/led businesses. #blackbusinessmonth #hr #humanresources #womanownedbusiness #blackgirlmagic #blackexcellence