Patterns & Paradigms | The Pattern Podcast
Patterns & Paradigms | The Pattern Podcast
Patterns & Paradigms | Season 2 Episode 07: Shared Humanity: Diverse, Equitable, & Inclusive with Mecca E. Mitchell
This week we're exploring the importance of expansive diversity, the diversity of perspective that invites inclusivity and equity, that creates environments where those within it feel valued and engaged. We're discussing health equity and seeking our shared humanity - diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
This week's episode features Mecca E Mitchell, Senior Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Westchester Medical Center Health Network.
We are experiencing a paradigm shift, a fundamental change in the way we usually do things. We are intentionally choosing to see the silver lining opportunity arises. We can shine a light on the things that weren't working well on those things that weren't really working at all, we can regroup reevaluate and re-engineer it's time to explore new patterns and paradigms those that inspire us to rise above the chaos and explore how the conditions of today and take us to a better tomorrow patterns and paradigms the pattern podcast from Hudson Valley pattern for progress. You're listening to season two, episode seven, shared humanity, diverse, equitable, and inclusive with your host pattern, president and CEO, Jonathan Dropkin.
Speaker 2:Hi everyone, and welcome to patterns and paradigms. We had such great feedback about our last episode with Emma co-taught that we're going to incorporate the perspective of where we're heading from the younger generations perspective as a regular aspect to the podcast. Please remember to subscribe and to share any episode of your choice that you really like with the Fred. We appreciate that. And we look forward to hearing your comments. So bubble or trend with all the talk about the need to break up big tack. We were reflecting on how they started. So take Amazon. It was just a way to get books by ordering them online. As bookstores were disappearing, or Netflix was a way to watch a movie by ordering it online. If we were asking, was it a bubble or a trend? I am not certain what we would have said many, many years ago, maybe yes, to the books out of convenience, but no to the movies. People still wanted to go to the movies and have the experience as we do right now. A little movie theater, popcorn wouldn't hurt. So we asked this week, what aspect of the online world will be the next Amazon or Microsoft up tomorrow? Send us your prediction. Before I introduce our guest where we'll be discussing health equity and racial disparity. I wanted to take a moment with my partner, Joe Cheika to ask what's up, Joe and Joe, we have a lot going on, especially even tomorrow. So we began our series of discussions with different levels of government as to how they have, um, adjusted to the pandemic. And also, I think we're going to ask them the question of what do we do to restore confidence in government. So Joe, you're going to be part of tomorrow's panel with the mayors.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So we've talked about this a little bit in the past. As far as the mayors, we've been conducting a mayor's forum every week, since last April. Um, and they have found it extraordinarily helpful as they govern through this pandemic and through the economic, um, issues caused by the pandemic. And so with these guys coming together, we've got three of them. We've got Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and Middletown. They're going to talk about all of their concerns, all of their staff problems, all of their governing issues in terms of budgeting and, and a whole slew of issues that they deal with really on an everyday basis. We've been in, in the situation of really getting a full understanding about what they've been talking about and dealing with, and because of these weekly meetings,
Speaker 2:Joe you're right. I think that the discussion tomorrow could easily be longer than an hour. We have found that the mayors have been the, some of the unsung heroes of the pandemic. So I'm pretty excited that we're going to have an opportunity to have them as the first of our series. But Joe, then we also have another event tomorrow, which is going to, um, help introduce people to a new program that we are starting called community Rebuilders. And it's built off of something you started many years ago.
Speaker 3:Sure. It's a community builders program. We actually started back in 2016, I believe. And we had two, two classes go through the first class was I believe, eight or nine people. And the second one was either six or seven. And we had a, you know, a series of really cool projects that ranged from what is going on in downtown Middletown, specifically this, uh, this incredible adaptive reuse of an old, uh, an old retail store on their main street. And it, and we created this thing called a race for space and we did business fit outs. And now we've got three thriving businesses in, uh, in, in, in, uh, Middletown area.
Speaker 2:Well, and Joe, I just want to say that I went and visited the new chocolate shop in Middletown, which is as a result of the very program that you designed the race for space and what an incredible place, what an incredible store, um, the, the whole aspect, what you did there in terms of taking a rail trail, that this was the mayor's idea rail trail, and having a dead end in the city, but how it evolved into, I really do encourage our listeners in the Hudson Valley to make their way to the, the, uh, this, uh, uh, how would you describe the, the end?
Speaker 3:I would actually describe the entire thing as a master plan, just to get another chocolate tier in the Hudson Valley, because as you know, chocolate is the most important thing to the residents of the Valley. Absolutely. I was there over the weekend as well. And what, what a great little shop, great restaurant, um, in, in that space as well. Um, but the community Rebuilders is, is going to be an extraordinarily valuable, um, tool for, for many people, um, to understand their community, take a project and hopefully bring it all the way to fruition. Uh, it's a long process. There's a lot to learn. Um, and we're going to learn as an agency as well, how best to help these communities, whether it's a single project or if it's a series of projects.
Speaker 2:So both the, the panel with the mayors and the education session for applying to be a member of the new class take place tomorrow, and most people will be, uh, listening to this episode. So I believe that we'll be recording the mayor's panel so other people can listen to it. And on the community Rebuilders, you can just look at our website for application information about the program. And we're really excited about both of these offerings from pattern. There's more, there's more
Speaker 3:Doing our monthly housing series, which we're concentrating this episode on the eviction moratorium. And we're going to hear from some advocates from some, uh, officials and talk about the issues faced by both tenants and property owners.
Speaker 2:So if you thought that because there was a holiday yesterday, that pattern would have, you know, a short week, it's a short week, but there's a lot going on. So thanks Joe for joining us today. Thank you. Our guest this week is Mecca E Mitchell. Mecca is the senior vice president for diversity inclusion and community engagement, as well as the chief diversity officer at Westchester medical center, Mecca, his background includes having been the chief diversity officer for the state of New York does senior assistant counsel for the New York state commission of investigation, the executive director for EEO and diversity management at the New York city department of education, and was also once and assistant district attorney for the Manhattan district attorney's office in New York city. Mecca is here to join us for discussion on health equity and racial disparities. Hi Mecca. Um, no one expected a pandemic economic disruption, and that was 2020. And now it's 2021. How you doing?
Speaker 4:We are doing well. We are doing well. Um, as you can imagine, working at a hospital system and particular has been, uh, presented its own challenges, but, uh, like so many others out there we've had to be resilient. Um, we've had to figure out how to adjust and adapt in order to continue to be of service to others. Um, and that's both personally and professionally, but again, I think these are those times when, um, you fall back on your strengths and your commitment, your commitment to, uh, to serve your commitment, to help others. Um, and, and I've been fortunate to work in an organization where I've seen that time and time again. And, um, and so it's, it's been challenging, which is probably no surprise, but again, it it's, it's been a time of resilience and, uh, an adjustment for us here. Know,
Speaker 2:You know, I, I realized I should have asked you that, uh, the question I've asked the other health people in the healthcare profession, especially if they work in a hospital, do you remember that moment when you realized, Oh my God, this is going to be far more than just a usual day at Westchester medical center. We're in for something that is, you know, has been like nothing, this country has felt in a hundred years.
Speaker 4:I do. I do. And again, you have to recall being in the healthcare field. I think our level of awareness, um, about what was going on was somewhat enhanced or, um, you know, we were a little more enlightened than most. And so our immediately our leaders, um, took the reins and in kind of message to our workforce that here's where we're at, here's what needs to be done. And so that we were able to respond in, in a timely fashion. But again, it, it seemed surreal, uh, at, at that point that this is what's actually happening. Um, and again, I think like, like everyone else, the reality is that, and it set in hard and fast and we were just in a position to respond as best we could. And fortunately for us, we were well positioned to respond, um, to both the initial part of COVID, uh, the depths of COVID the, um, coming out of COVID somewhat, and now the COVID vaccination process.
Speaker 2:Well, and I think, um, when you say fortunately for, for Westchester, fortunately for the Hudson Valley, because you serve so much of the Valley, that Westchester medical center, we owe a debt of gratitude to the institution and to all of its employees for helping us get through and getting us to this point where we are, you know, this thing just doesn't seem to have an ending. It has it's, you know, we, we, we go into periods where we're calmer about it and then something else happens. And so, yes, I think we're in one of those periods where the virus seems to be the number of infections seems to be going down where we have the ability where we're talking about. Maybe it's not a perfect plan for getting everyone vaccinated, but we are getting people vaccinated. So I think we're in a good place, but actually today I wanted to talk to you about your position, which is I'm the senior vice president for diversity inclusion and community engagement. And I thought, um, maybe you could tell us a bit about your background and how did you arrive at this position? Um, it, it, you know, without wanting to be the spokesperson of everything that's going on, it's a really important place to be right now.
Speaker 4:No, I appreciate that. Um, people who know me well know that my, my journey has been non-linear to say the least, uh, I began my career as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA's office. So, uh, prosecuting violent crimes, uh, I was a sex crimes prosecutor. I was domestic violence prosecutor, and I planned on really spending a career in criminal justice. Um, uh, because I loved investigations. I love getting at the heart of wrongdoing and holding people accountable for wrongdoing. And then somewhere along the line, I kind of shifted a bit. And instead of doing investigations of criminal conduct, I started overseeing an office at the New York city department of education that oversaw, uh, discrimination complaints. And so it was a different type of misconduct related to civil rights violations. So whether they were, um, you know, sexual harassment in the workplace, racial discrimination, um, uh, you know, uh, discrimination against the disabled community, et cetera. And so in doing that work, what I found is that a lot of our work was reactive in nature. We were always responding to complaints of wrongdoing accurate occurred, and I thought to myself, well, instead of always being reactive, why don't we put more effort, invest more time, energy effort, and resources into being proactive into creating environments in the workplace where this type of misconduct doesn't happen in the first place. And that's all about diversity and inclusion and equity. And so I went back to Cornell and got my certifications and, uh, diversity management and, um, ELL studies. And when about creating an office that not only responded to complaints of discrimination, but also engaged in policy and practice, um, practices and making sure we have procedures in place to create these equitable work environment. And so it was doing that work that eventually brought me to the attention of the governor's office years ago. And I was asked by the governor to be the chief diversity officer for the state of New York, where I was doing similar work, just on a larger statewide effort, um, and really enjoyed that. And eventually came to Westchester medical at a time when the organization was growing into a health network, we are a 10 hospital system spread throughout five counties. And at a time when healthcare transformation was requiring a real effort to focus on things like health equity to really engage diverse communities, to reduce health disparities. And so, as I think about my transition professionally from criminal justice to education, to government, to health care, the realm has changed, but the work that I'm doing at its core is advocacy work. I love being an advocate. I love fighting for issues that matter. I love fighting for people who don't have a voice. I love ensuring equity and access and increased opportunities. And I've had the good fortune of doing that across spaces where the work matters that matters in criminal justice that matters in education. It matters in government, and it matters in healthcare, especially now in healthcare with COVID-19 and its impact on underserved communities. And so, um, more so than, than anything else, more so than an attorney, uh, more so than even a diversity practitioner. I consider myself an advocate. That's the title that I hold, I guess, most dear, and that has propelled me and led to success across these multiple spaces.
Speaker 2:So we're going to touch on all sorts of parts of your background, but, um, in the aftermath of George Floyd, it was almost a wake up call for the country to say, are all of our institutions engaged in discussions involving not just criminal justice and other areas, but diversity equity inclusion. There was a rush to say, trying to turn the mirror on themselves as an organization. Um, it's a shame that, that had to be the, the moment in time for some to finally wake up. But, um, these are hard discussions. And what do you normally counsel as an advocate to say, how do you begin? These are not easy.
Speaker 4:No, they're not, they're not easy at all. And if done incorrectly can really be kind of a powder keg situation for organization. So I say, you start by starting, you know, you start by broaching topics with an open heart and an open mind. Um, but you have to be sure that you have laid the requisite foundation. I like to say, meaning you have an organization where, um, there is some trust, there's some mutual respect. There's a genuine interest in a genuine understanding about, um, you know, the fact that I can have these conversations in a safe space. Um, we like to call it psychological safety that people can share and be open with each other, and they're not going to receive any retaliation or retribution. Um, and that the leadership is genuine in their desire to understand, um, the, the connection between equity as it relates to the work that the organization does. And that's a key point having these conversations in the abstract, having these conversations out of context, won't work the organization, and primarily the leaders within the organization have to be able to articulate the value behind the why. Why does diversity matter to our organization? Why does creating inclusive environments matter? Why does insurance equity matters? And so whether you're a food bank or a school system or a healthcare organization, it's the articulation as to why this is important for us that matters the most, because if you can't justify the why, you'll never get even the, the members of the organization to buy in, you won't get members of the community to buy in because you haven't fully bought in as to the value of diversity inclusion and equity. So I think that's, that's where you start. Um, and it's not where you end, but at least ensures that you're able to have these conversations and broach these topics in a way that's going to be productive.
Speaker 2:And I think that, um, you know, some people think in the way that the recent discussions have begun, that it involves just, you know, um, black people. And I think that if I understand from prior discussions with you, this is about inclusion of all kinds of people, all races, gender. And so it's a much broader discussion though, not to minimize the need for having a, a enlightened view about, um, your organization's desire to look at black people differently than they had been. This is a broader discussion.
Speaker 4:Of course, I used to start diversity trainings by saying, when you hear the word diversity, what do you think about, and almost uniformally, this was back then, people would say two things that these are conversations about race and gender. And we understand that diversity is, is so much more than that. Yes, representation matters, but it's so much more than that. You know, it's understanding that, you know, there's geographic diversity, right? So talent comes from big cities like New York city in Chicago just like comes from small places like Syracuse, where I grew up, right? Like places in the Hudson Valley. It's understanding that educational diversity is important. Yes, Harvard and Yale phenomenal schools, but you know what other schools are phenomenal. The community colleges there is rampant talent in our community colleges. It's understanding that that diversity of perspective and thought matters. It's understanding that I may be a black woman. Um, but my perspective as a black woman who grew up in upstate New York and has a law degree is different from the perspective of a black woman who grew up in the South, uh, and went to high school that we share different life experiences and all that might be valuable to an organization, but to limit the conversation, to just being a conversation about women or about people of color, um, is really doing a disservice to the work, um, because the workforce is so much broader than that. And it really minimizes what this work ultimately is about. So I say, be expansive. When you think about diverse diversity inclusion, equity, be as expansive as possible. Um, if you really want to make strides, if you really want to move this work forward. And that's what I always do. I have, I have evolved conversations about this work because that's the only context in which this conversation should be had at this point.
Speaker 2:So how do you measure success in, in, in like, it, it seems like for some, some cases, it would be great. If you could just have a discussion, you know, where people were unwilling to in the past, but that's not, it doesn't seem enough somehow that that's what, what we're after and trying to have these kinds of discussions. So it give me some examples of like, you know, patterns are very metric driven organizations. So, you know, if 11% of the Hudson Valley is, uh, black by demographics, then if a board is 11% black, is that how you measure that it represents community or that doesn't really give it justice to what this discussion is about?
Speaker 4:I think it's one part of the discussion representation matters. I mean, that's there, there's no doubt about that. But again, to limit this, this work to just a numbers game really takes the intellect out of the exercise. I tell people, so yes, you should either have a workforce. You should have a board. You should have leadership that reflects the communities that it serves, but that's just the start. The diversity is the metric inclusion is the goal inclusion and inclusive environments are where everyone is activated. So simply by having an organization, you can have company X and they have a tremendous amount of diversity. Does that naturally mean that everyone is actively engaged, that every voice is heard and matters that people are more than just cogs in the machine that they're respected, they're valued. They feel like their contributions are making a, you know, the two don't go hand in hand necessarily you can have a very diverse environment and not have an inclusive or equitable environment at all. You can't have the other way though. You can not have inclusion and equity without diversity. And so it's a part of the answer. It's a part of the mix. It is not the totality of what organizations should be looking at. So again, opening the door, removing barriers, bringing more people in is one thing, and it's important, but what you do with those people, once you have them in your organizations, how you value them, how you activate them, um, how you, you, you know, help bring them to the point of active participation. That's what really matters. So it's a part of the answer. It is not the answer in totality.
Speaker 2:Good point. I mean, really. I mean, I think that so much of these discussions are hard. Look, I know, as a manager, when I'm talking to other people about their organization, that let's even talk about hiring practices so that you, I think, and, and this is where, this is why we're talking, um, that it's, it's inculcating the mindset about recruitment, that you are looking at your own workforce and saying, are we everything that you just said to me in the last question, are we diverse? Are we actually attracting people so that we intend for them to be included in our, decision-making not that we're checking a box. So is that a good step or, you know, one of many actions that when thinking about filling a position, we actually give consideration to diversity.
Speaker 4:Of course it is. I mean, I think, again, it's something you value because you want to make sure you got the best, the brightest, the most innovative, right. Um, innovation doesn't come from the staleness of, of similarity. You know, that, that old saying that, uh, great minds think alike is a good thing is actually completely wrong. The tension it's the friction from great minds thinking differently, that brings about the innovation that organizations are going to need. And so again, I think when it comes to who we're bringing into organizations to look at casting your net as wide as possible, this is not about not looking at merit. This is not about disregarding credentials. And, and it's sad that people make that, that, um, relationship between the two, they relate somehow diversity with a diminishing of criteria and qualifications, et cetera, nothing could be farther from the truth. The reality is by casting the widest net possible. You're just saying we are looking at as many qualified Prudential applicants that are out there in doing so naturally that population, that group becomes more diverse if you've taken the time to invest in X and looking in the right places and the best candidate that rises to the top, maybe diverse may not be diverse, but we won't know unless we're casting the net as wide as possible, unless we're engaging diverse professional organizations, historically black colleges and universities. We're looking in places that we hadn't necessarily looked for talent before, because guess what talent resides there. Also, we just have to look for it. And again, if we make ourselves attractive as employers, you will have that diverse talent that says, you know what? This is a place I want to contribute. This is a place where I will work longer for less pay. Um, because I know my contributions are being valued. That's what people are looking for. That's what the workforce of the future, which by the way, is going to look very different. We talk about millennials in the workplace. We talk about the fact that this country is going to be a minority majority country. So the workforce is going to change. Organizations have to be able to adjust and adapt to that change. If they're going to survive, if they're going to stay competitive and an investment in diversity, inclusion and equity and increased opportunities will help them when it comes to their competitive edge in this space.
Speaker 2:I think that your insight on this, I've always valued it. And hopefully our listeners are going to listen very carefully to the responses to the last couple of questions. But since I have you let let's, let's move to the pandemic, um, it had a disproportionate impact on communities of color. Um, you work for a health institution that serves many areas in the Hudson Valley that these healthcare disparities, um, exists prior to COVID. And, uh, let you expand upon that. And then what did the pandemic show us about it, um, is show us about the disparities. Um, I guess what I'm getting at is we should have known there were issues that existed as a result of either poverty access to healthcare. Um, but then in so many ways, the governor recently used the example of the low tide. He said that when low tide occurs, you actually get to see what's below the water. And I actually rather like that analogy that the pandemic exposed us to so many realities of life. What did it tell us about health disparities in the Hudson Valley?
Speaker 4:Sure. And I think for those of us who have worked in this space for some years, and there are many well-seasoned, um, uh, healthcare practitioners who were doing this much longer than I have, but the issue of health disparities has been an issue that existed long before COVID it was an issue that was being actively looked at and addressed long before COVID, um, you know, everything from the issues of black women and maternal health, and the fact that black women die at rates that are exceed our counterparts, our white counterparts in childbirth, um, that was something and the issue of birth equity. Um, it had been, uh, and I know our organization had been invested heavily and looking at that issue, the issue of, uh, disparities amongst the LGBT communities, when it comes to behavioral health and mental health and depression, et cetera, and just feeling ostracized by the healthcare system, those, uh, disparities existed for some time disparities and black and Brown and underserved communities were already there. What COVID did I think was really shine the light and expose for, for the rest of the world, um, how vulnerable these communities were because these same vulnerable communities, the communities that were being already ravaged by disparities and health inequities were now being ravaged by COVID. And I'm in ravage from the sense of those who were suffering from chronic illness and their, you know, death or, um, being seriously ill from COVID. But also when you look at these same communities and you look at issues like the social determinants of health, which you mentioned, these other determinants like housing, you know, housing contributes to overall health. And so in black and Brown and underserved communities where people don't have the ability to social distance because they are living in close quarters. And so COVID has a different impact on that community. When you look at another social determinant employment, the frontline workers, the ones who didn't have the luxury of being able to stay either I work in a nice office and I can close my door and I can stay safe, or I can work from home. I can get my laptop and work remotely. These same community members didn't have the ability to do that. So their exposure was increased, which led to COVID having a more significant impact when you look at things like transportation, you know, and those communities that have to rely on public transportation, meaning they're exposed and, and their interaction, uh, is different. The social determinants also had a significant impact on those most vulnerable communities already. And so what we saw is what is to be expected, that you had people who were dying, people who are suffering from illness at a greater rate. And so the outgrowth of that, and again, I think it's a beneficial thing is that the light that was already kind of shining on health disparities has been enhanced and increased and more resources, more time, attention, more effort is now being focused on these same communities. I know for us, um, because we have been designated as the, uh, the vaccine hub. One of the things that we did, uh, at WMC health was created health equity task force. That task force is specifically designed to look at issues of ensuring health equity, as it comes to the vaccination distribution process, we have over 80 representatives representing all of the diverse communities throughout the Hudson Valley region, because we want to have their voices. What are the challenges they're seeing? What are the obstacles they're seeing? We want those voices to be heard, to make sure that the equity with regard to who gets vaccinated is something that is top of mind for everyone. And so again, I think, you know, the disparities were already there. The additional attention being, uh, focused in this area as a result of COVID is great, but we have to take advantage of that opportunity then to look at underlying causes, to look at what, put the communities in vulnerable positions in the first place, so that once we are over the COVID and vaccination hump, um, if we'll get there, we will get there. Once we are over that hump, we don't forget that those same disparities existed pre COVID. They will exist post COVID. And so what's our obligation to try to ensure the health and wellness and vitality that is sustainable, that is substantive, and that is impactful in the same communities. We can't forget about it. This isn't something just came in with COVID and we'll go away when COVID goes away. No, this was an issue that existed before, and it's something that will exist after we have to continue to focus on it.
Speaker 2:So I know that you have had, you know, especially working for a hospital, you've had your hands full the last, um, year. What do we do to keep this Mo this recognition of health disparities going, um, and not let it sort of just slide back to where it was and not, you know, equity, meat, you know, how do we make equity part of that? It almost sounds like the first part of the discussion we were having, it's gotta be top of mind, somehow, any thoughts on just from the healthcare point of view, what do we do with the communities to ensure that they are treated fairly?
Speaker 4:I think a couple of things, I think healthcare organizations and organizations in general have to have designated offices and designated leaders who focus exclusively on these issues. You know, it used to be that you could have someone who would be in charge of this work. And I mean, the diversity inclusion equity work, um, who was, you know, someone who had other responsibilities, and we're just gonna overlay this responsibility on top of their existing nine to five job. No, this work is a permanent nine to five job, and this job requires a leadership voice. And again, I'm fortunate. I am a senior vice president. I am a member of the senior leadership team. I have access to our board members. I have access to our CEO. I'm able to help move work along in a significant way because I have a certain amount of heft. Um, when it comes to helping to do this work in my organization, organizations need to have someone with that help with those relationships, with that access to other leaders within the organization, to help really embed this work, to make sure it is not something that's marginalized to make sure it's not something that's a nice to do. This work has to be aligned with the mission, vision values of the organization. And you do that by having full-time people, real resources allocated just to look at this work. So that's one part. The other part is something that we did successfully well before COVID happened, which is actually taking the time to covet relationships with those same communities that you serve. And I mean, real investment. I mean, getting out into those communities, getting out and seeing who are the grassroots leaders, who are the leaders of the faith-based organizations, who can we help partner with to create health real health? Because we can't do that from behind the four walls of our hospital system. So in doing that legwork, doing that groundwork so that when the next pandemic happens COVID or something else, some other calamity happens, you are well positioned to respond to it. And again, I I've got to give credit where credit is due. We had done that requisite legwork. We had fostered those relationships. We had existing community councils. The issue of health equity is something we had already been looking at and focused on. So when this pandemic hit, we were better positioned to respond to it. I think any organization that is out there that hasn't done that requisite foundation Lang, um, must do it now. And I don't care whether you're healthcare or not, but you healthcare in particular because of COVID. But you have to do that now because these issues aren't going away, the social unrest is not going away. COVID in its ramifications. Aren't going away anytime soon. And so instead of being in a position where your organization is always reactive to what's going on, um, you want to be in a position where you're responsive to what's going on because you have the proper infrastructure and foundation in place that you've already started moving this work within your organization.
Speaker 2:So I don't know why it just, it brought me back to a class that I used to teach in, um, a masters in public administration program and the class, this was back in the late 1980s, early nineties. And what we were teaching was, um, for government officials, people in healthcare, these are the two typical people that enroll in a master's in public administration. The course was on the three ease. It was on efficiency of your program, the effectiveness of your program, but the 30 was, was it equitable. And we often that in the discussions with students who were mid career people, that what is necessarily efficient or effective, possibly wasn't always equitable. And that, I would say, it's just struck me as you were talking maca that the, the, so this is the hard work that comes after. Hopefully we get the pandemic under control and we are living in the new normal, um, we pack and talks to government officials all the time. How do we inject the notion of equity? Just like you were telling us in the first part of the discussion with regard to your organizational structure being inclusive and equitable, but how do we do it for the delivery of services and say, stop a minute and say, are you delivering those services in a way that is equitable for the communities that you serve? So your government experience, your educational experience, any thoughts on what you would say if you were the mayor or something to your department heads,
Speaker 4:I'd say just that. I mean, I literally it's that easy, you know, apply the lens of equity and start looking at everything you do. Just start looking at your policy, start looking at your procedures, start looking at how you engage. People, start looking at who you have in the room. When important decisions are made, start looking at everything through a lens of equity is what I'm doing, the decision I'm making. Do I have a reflection of the various voices and perspectives? Have I brought in the right people to share? Am I taking all of the various considerations into account? And again, because I know I do that through the lenses of who I am, um, because we all do. I make decisions based upon my lens as a black woman who grew up in upstate New York, who has an advanced degree. And so I see the world that way, I export information that way, and I import information through those lenses. We all do. And so to simply say, well, you know, I'm a pretty equitable person. I can see this and I can speak for all of these various voices. I don't need to have an array of people around me to help make decisions is wrong, because I'm still filtering all of that through my personal various diversity lenses. So we had to take a step back, you know, release the ego and assume that there might be value and having these other people pulled in as part of the process. And so I think that's one of the first things I would say is that we start from the beginning, go back, dial it back. Um, you know, it's time to rethink relook, recalculate, recalibrate, um, everything that we thought we knew, everything that we have been doing, and you know, what you might get to the end of that process and that review and say, you know what? We wouldn't change anything. It's all perfect. And that's fine, but more than likely, they're going to be a couple of changes, um, that you can make along the way that increase access, increase opportunities, increase a sense of belonging, um, amongst people within your organization and amongst the people who you serve externally. And that's the point, it's not saying that you have to change everything for the sake of changing it. It's saying, can we do things differently? Is there another way of doing this that we hadn't necessarily considered? And, and have we been acting in a way that either is more inclusive or exclusive and what do we want to be? What's our collective identity. Um, you know, so much of this work is about the way the world sees you, the way you see yourself, the way those constituents, who you serve are going to relate to you. And if there are any challenges or barriers to you, being able to have the impact that you ultimately want to have, um, then you have to be willing to look at that and you have to be willing to try to remove that. We always say in healthcare, we're here to be of service and in service to the community, to people who need us. And so if there's anything that, that presents a barrier, when it comes to our ability to do that, then we have to be willing to take a hard look at ourselves and to remove it if we can.
Speaker 2:It seems to me that, um, whether we're talking about diversity, equity inclusion, whether we're talking about vaccinating people, there's always someone that you can't get to. You can't change their mind that I've been doing it right. All along. I, uh, I don't trust the vaccine. Does this ever get to you in the sense that, how do I get through to people that the vaccine is safe? Nope. Not gonna take the vaccine or in the other area that you focus on diversity. This is just about fairness. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm not trying to take away your power. You may even be better off if there were, you know, we include more people with more diverse opinions. How do you deal with that and work on that every single day?
Speaker 4:Well, again, I think our obligation is not to tell people they have to do or don't have to do anything when it comes to the vaccine. Um, we recognize that the distrust in communities, especially in black communities, um, is, is based. In fact, this is not something that is coming out of nowhere. People remember historically, um, some of the, the, uh, distrust and the issues and being used as Guinea pigs in the past. Um, you know, that is something that is very top of mind for people. So you can't go in, in a way that disrespects, that lived experience. Um, I think instead of saying, you know, why don't you trust us? We have to start from the acknowledgement that healthcare, um, has in the past for some communities, um, Ben and a, an industry that has caused distrust that has caused the community, not to have a sense of trust in what we're being told. And so if we start from that place that allows us to build trust, to say, we understand historically why you may feel this way, let us provide information. I'm going to provide an opportunity for you to ask every question. There is no question that is considered irrelevant or silly. If it presents a challenge or a barrier to you, then that's a legitimate question that has to be addressed. And so we're going to create those opportunities for you to share what your concerns are. We're going to address them as best we can. We're going to offer science and facts and information. We're going to offer our own testimonials as to why it's important for us and why people chose, uh, to get vaccinated. And then at the end of the day, you will make the decision that you make the decision that's best for you, but it will be an informed decision. You would have had all the information to help you come to whatever that conclusion ultimately is. And so that's how we approach the hesitancy factor. I think similarly, when it comes to people who no matter what the issue is, diversity inclusion, equity, access, they just don't get it. I think the reality is their ability to survive in this climate is going to be significantly jeopardized if they don't get it. Uh, again, this is a time of great exposure for organizations, right? People are calling organizations out. People want to know what your stance is, what your position is, what you, um, stand up for, um, who you're supporting, who you're representing. Uh, and, and I find, I can't think of any organizations that they credit think about the various industries that doesn't have an investment in this space, because it ties directly to their ability to survive, um, as an organization. And so again, I think people are becoming more savvy. They're holding organizations accountable. They want you to actually put some resources, um, and, you know, put your money where your mouth is, or, or walk the walk. Um, as opposed to just being able to put out a statement and reaction to something that has happened. So I think that measure of accountability is coming. And I think organization would be wise to get in front of that and to start doing some of this work, um, proactively instead of doing it in response to being called out. Because again, we live in a time and place where social media and information and missteps get spread and shared very rapidly. So I would suggest most organizations do their due diligence and put themselves in the best position possible with some genuine, authentic commitment to this work. Um, and by doing so again, I think it, it helps arm them against the onslaught of criticism or people saying, you know, what is it you're doing? And then being ill prepared to a cogent response to what it is you're doing, what's the part you're playing and this social movement, what's the part you're playing to increase equity and increase opportunities. How are you making a contribution? And that has more to do with what are you doing? Um, long-term what are you doing for black history month? You know, the time of looking at what an organization is doing during a particular month or during a particular time, um, is long gone. People want to know your identity as an organization. Again, what's your credo? Who are you? Why should we care? Why should we support you? Why should we stand by you? Why should we work for you? Why should we patronize you? Um, why should we buy your consumer goods? All of those are what organizations should be thinking about when it comes to this work.
Speaker 2:So I have one last question, and you mentioned it was black history month and, and, you know, you're absolutely right. Um, you've given us so many good ideas and things to think about that transcend a month that are, should be built into the fabric of who we are. Um, I often have, um, uh, goals and then I have aspirational goals. And then I have dreams. Do you have any dreams about the way, you know, society could work or should work, or, you know, that you sort of sit, sit there and go if only,
Speaker 4:Um, I do. I do. Right. Um, I think my dream and my hope is that we get to a point of some shared humanity that we get to a point where, um, you, Jonathan, you and I, people might look at us and say, well, what would the two of them have in common, right? Um, you know, different backgrounds, different races, different genders, et cetera. And so the hope is through just some share humanity. If I find out about you and your hopes and your dreams and those aspirations that you talk about. If I find out a little bit about your journey and your challenges, if I find out where you're going and what you want in life, um, you want it to live. And then I'm able to share that with you. I'm able to share about my concerns about my son in college and my 13 year old. Who's been doing virtual learning. If I'm able to share with you, um, my fears, uh, for my husband as a black man and his experiences. And, and I'm able to share some of that, if I'm able to share my challenges and how it hasn't always been easy, being usually the only woman of color in a leadership position within an organization, if I'm able to share how that felt and, you know, share some of my successes and some of my fears that there's some overlap that I think naturally comes from that because you find is that people, um, oftentimes have the same hopes they want, you know, life love happiness, right? They want to have, um, to leave something to their kids. They want to live a life of contribution. And if I can see that in you, and you can see that in me, then that causes us to have more connection than disconnect. And it causes me to say, you know what? We don't have to look alike, sound alike, but there's some shared humanity between us. And if that's enough of a connection to start, then I think we can kind of build as we, as we go. I, I recall, um, years ago I was, I was going through an airport and I saw they had a huge sign on the wall that said, if you want to eliminate racism, uh, travel. And I thought about that, and it seemed rather simplistic, but I think the heart of the message is the following. The more you get out, the more you expose yourself beyond your small world, your small box that you exist in, the more you immerse yourself in other cultures, um, you see how other people live. You, you get here and share with people from different backgrounds, so harder. It is for you to be someone who is Xclusive, who keeps people out because so much of who you are is no longer you in isolation. It's not you out of context, it's you within this bigger world. And I think the more we can see ourselves as being part of this bigger world, and we see the bigger world having a direct impact on who we are and the quality of life that we want to have, um, then the better we'll all be for it. So I guess my that's a big way of saying my hope is that we can see some sense of shared humanity, um, in each other. And I think if we are able to do that role, be better for it. What a great place to leave this discussion. Mecca Mitchell, thank you so much for joining us on patterns and paradigms. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Always welcome the opportunity to work with pattern and continue to stay safe and be diligent out there.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning in to patterns and paradigms the pattern podcast. For more information about this episode, visit our website pattern for progress.org forward slash podcast.