246: Decentering Whiteness with Dr. Janice Gassam Assare

The Diversity Pivot

Dr. Janice Gassam Assare has over 10 years of experience facilitating racial dialogue and educating others about equity and inclusion. The work that she does is inspired by her mom and her willingness to speak up and speak out against the oppressive systems that she had to navigate in her workplace. Through the strength and perseverance personified through her, she is invigorated to be the change I seek in the world and the workplace.

Dr. J centers her work around the liberation of Black people and more specifically, Black womxn. The reason for this is echoed in the words of the Combahee River Collective:"If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression."

Together, we unpack:

• The differences between white centering and white supremacy
• The stages of employee lifecycle and how to mitigate decenter whiteness in hiring, succession planning and meetings
• How to avoid white centering when over 70% of DEI practitioners are white

Follow Dr. J at https://www.drjanicegassam.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/JaniceGassamPhD/