The 21 Day Equity Challenge with Pamela Smith of the United Way

“I knew that this Equity Challenge was going to give people an “on ramp” to talk about racism and to learn more about things in a self-guided, no barriers kind of way.” - Pamela Smith, United Way of Washtenaw CountyThere are many different kinds of biases that exist, and the key is to become aware of them and then choose the appropriate action to change these beliefs and behaviors. Today’s Brave By Design guest is Pamela Smith of the United Way, and she reveals how we can all start taking the steps to encourage real conversations with others using data and facts, in order to move towards more equity for all.   Pamela Smith has been the President/CEO of the United Way of Washtenaw County since 2012. As a nonprofit executive she is dedicated to strengthening the community through philanthropy, collaboration and community engagement. Her vision and leadership guides the Equity, Diversity and Justice work of the United Way of Washtenaw County. She has more than 25 years of experience in management, communications and non-profit administration. In today’s episode you’ll hear all about The United Way’s exciting initiatives designed to encourage personal reflection and to give the tools for racial equity change in 2020 - and beyond.  Connect with Pamela: https://www.uwwashtenaw.org/Connect with Laura Khalil online:instagram.com/iambravebydesignhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/BraveByDesign/linkedIn.com/in/LauraKhalilGet on Laura’s Newsletter:http://bravebydesign.net Invite Laura to speak at your live or virtual event http://bravebydesign.netSupport the show (https://www.paypal.me/bravebydesign)What You’ll Hear In This Episode: The role that poverty plays in causing significant issues faced by many in our society [3:40]What implicit bias is and how it affects the way we react to and process information [6:49] The differences between implicit and explicit bias [11:04] The steps we can take to bring our implicit bias to light, find out what triggers us and to slow down before we react [12:44] What is on-ramping and how we can build an on-ramp to bring awareness to the inequalities that exist [16:08] Why on-ramping has been seen as controversial by some people [20:23]Additional Links & Resources: Pamela’s LinkedInUnited Way’s Website & 21 Day ChallengeFood Solutions New England (FSNE) The Alice ProjectLet's get to the root of racial injustice (Megan Mind Francis TEDx Talk)Support the show