Habari | September 2024, Vol 1

September 17, 2024

Director’s Corner

¡Hola, amigos! It’s the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month! A month that we celebrate and recognize the achievements, histories, traditions, diversity, and vibrant culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Make sure to check out the resources section and look for ways to learn and engage!

September is also National Suicide Prevention Month. This is a month of transition as we go from one season to another. It’s so important that you not only take care of yourself but that you get to know yourself and how you respond to different situations and scenarios. Are you taking care of yourself and your mental health? If you need help or an ear to listen, please reach out! Call or text 988…YOU matter!

Finally, it is my continued hope that Habari is used as a vehicle for education and understanding! In this political climate, there must be a willingness to contend with our own biases and the ways that we operate in difference. There is a generation of young people that is counting on us to do better at finding ways to not only work together but work together for good. We must be willing to seek after the information that helps us grow and share it with others. Why? Because as I was taught as President Biden quoted Cesar Chavez in his proclamation for National Hispanic Heritage month, “Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” ¡Bienvenidos a Habari

“The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.” – Carlos Santana, musician

Do you know the backstory?

American culture is filled with phrases that have evolved in meaning over time. Sometimes what can happen is the original meaning gets lost and re-emerges as a catchy or cute phrase. Unfortunately, what is lost does not mean it is forgotten. This section is meant to inform so that ignorance is not an excuse to lift up language that is offensive.

Phrase: “Let’s not get hysterical”

Why it’s problematic: The word “hysterical” is Greek in origin (hystera) and means “uterus.” Therefore, throughout the years, women have been criticized as being too emotional, and have been drugged, put through shock therapy, or worse when they were thought to be too hysterical. It’s a truly problematic phrase that can swiftly invalidate your female coworkers.

Alternative: “Let’s talk it through calmly” or “Let’s discuss this further”

*Via Purposeful Hustle by Deanna Singh (deannasingh.com)

Diversity Dictionary, Tips, Guides

DEI Dictionary

Learn and expand your vocabulary with new inclusive words each month.

Allyship Tips

Tips to focus on actions and behaviors that make an impact as an ally.

DEI Committees

Tips on how to start, plan and engage DEI Committees.

Law School Issues

It’s now been 15 months since the US Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision in June 2023. Along with the decision came a lot of questions and concerns from law school applicants. How do I adjust my application and still share what’s important about my identity? Will I still have a good chance of gaining admission into my school of choice? Meanwhile, schools also wondered how the diversity of their classes would be impacted and what that would mean for the community and lawyers that were produced. As the application cycle for the class of 2028 amps up, I would like to offer two articles that share how law school diversity was impacted after state-level affirmative action bans between 1980 and 2021 and the current state of law school diversity in the wake of affirmative action bans.

Check out Racial Diversity and Affirmative Action in American Law Schools by Richard R.W. Brooks, KyleRozema, and Sarath Sanga in the Northwestern Public Law Research Paper and The State of Law School Diversity in the Wake of Affirmative Action Bans in Diversity: Issues in Higher Education by Liann Herder.

Resources

Every month I curate a list of resources to help supplement the awareness celebrations for the month. This month’s list is a bit of a hodge podge but hopefully you will find something that helps you learn or try something new! As always, these are options and options are choices so…no need for offense! Happy resourcing!

Websites/Multiple Resources
• Smithsonian Online Hispanic Heritage Month Resources or Presente: A Latino History of the United States at National Museum of the American Latino
• NCLAP – Depression and Suicide Resources
• Hope4NC – 24/7 text or phone line if you need support

Books
• Brava: A Latina Lawyer’s Path to Empowerment by Adriana Palomares
• The Gift of Struggle by Bobby Herrera
• The Power of Latino Leadership by Juana Bordas
• Latina Leadership Lessons: Fifty Latinas Speak edited by Delia García
• The Best Lawyer You Can Be: A Guide to Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Wellness by Stewart Levine

Podcast
• Licenciadas – A podcast from Latinas Uprising

Technology Tip

Create a Candidate-Focused Career Site

Most candidate experiences, from the very first moment, harm under-represented groups. Job descriptions often use biased language that can especially discourage women and older candidates. Organizations can fix this problem by reconfiguring their career sites to focus on candidate needs first. If every candidate is encouraged to apply for the job that best suits their potential, that experience will overcome much of the self-selection bias we see.

When your candidate comes to the career site, they should see information personalized for them. The most important question any career site visitor has is: what jobs are available for me? In a candidate-focused career site, your available jobs are ranked for the individual candidate and they can see exactly why they are a match (in other words, their skills and experiences that make the job a compelling option for them, and the reasons why they are a strong candidate for your organization).

The act of showing a candidate how they are a great fit for a job reduces self-selection bias because candidates have varying degrees of risk tolerance, and encouragement reduces the sense of risk.

This seems obvious, but your career site’s application process should be as fast and easy as possible. If it isn’t, you may unknowingly eliminate busy parents and older workers from consideration. Understand that if you insist that candidates prove their interest by filling out long forms, providing unique cover letters and question answers, and taking assessment tests, your selection process is inherently biased against those who don’t have the time or ability to do these things.

Via builtin.com

Month-Long September Celebrations

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15)
National Suicide Prevention Month

September Observances and Holidays