Speak Up! Interrupting Bias to Counter Harassment and Discrimination

Description

Speak Up! Interrupting Bias to Counter Harassment and Discrimination

Biases are created and reinforced by our environments and experiences. Bias can be unconscious or intentional and can be based on gender, race, ethnicity, income, physical ability, sexual orientation and other “differences that make a difference.” And these biases can manifest in the form of harassment and discriminatory comments and behaviors.
Many of us witness biased behavior and feel paralyzed to respond; we’re not comfortable, not practiced, in recognizing, interrupting, or addressing bias when we see it happening around us. The good news is that there are a variety of steps that you can take and ways to grow your comfort in responding to bias. In the session, we will utilize small and large group activities to explore examples and to grow your comfort in speaking up when you encounter biased behavior.

PRESENTER: Mary-Margaret Zindren, CAE is Executive Vice President (executive director) of AIA Minnesota, and Executive Director of the three local chapters of AIA in Minnesota (AIA Minneapolis, AIA Northern Minnesota, and AIA St. Paul) and of the Minnesota Architectural Foundation.