Let’s Talk About Race

with Caroline Flanagan

Themes

Diversity, Inclusion, Race, Ethnicity, Identity

Description

What does it mean to identify as black or an ethnic minority in your organisation?
When we talk about BAME, who are we talking about, how much do we understand and how helpful is the word BAME as an identifier? Why do we have a BAME community and how many of us identify as a member? How is the BAME experience different to others? How is it the same?

This is an event to raise awareness of the identity of your black and minority community, the language you use to define them and the distance and difference between their experience and the experiences of their white peers. By creating a safe environment and helpful guidance on how to talk about race, this keynote will move everyone towards a better understanding of each other and themselves, so that every individual can feel more valued included and equal.

As a black or minority ethnic individual, you may be told that you are as valued, recognised and integral to the firm as every other member, but is this your experience? What does it mean to be the only person of colour in the room? Or to search for role models you can relate to only to discover there are none? How included do you feel? How authentic are you able to be?

As a white peer, how confident are you in your understanding of the experience of your black and minority ethnic colleagues? How comfortable are you talking about race? Do you make the effort to ensure your colleagues of colour feel included and supported to fulfil their potential.

Caroline knows exactly what it’s like to be the only black person in the room, to feel alienated by the dominant culture, to question your value to the firm – and to show up every day acting as if none of that were true. Drawing on this personal experience and her professional experience as a Coach and Speaker on Imposter Syndrome, Caroline will share insights and case studies on the experience of professionals of colour, before leading an engaging discussion around how to talk about race in your organisation.

Audience

For an ethnically diverse audience.