The Fading Dream of Equality

Which is this The media never took accountability or responsibility for the fact that Donald Trump wouldn't have become what he is without their help. Now, folks will say, well, you know we need to cover Donald Trump. He of course his news. Yes you do, but it's the how you decide to cover Donald Trump. What the media did and continues to do is to normalize his very abnormal and disgusting behavior and make it a part of our politics.

The reason why you've had the Kerry Legs and the doctor Ozes and all of these different folks become household names with their lies, with their discrimination, with their overt racism is because the mainstream media allow Donald Trump to become normalized and its tactics and oh he uses nicknames, No, they are racial slurs when he's talking about people, right like, oh, you know, Donald Trump will probably come up with a nickname. A nickname is something that you actually like, right, A

racial slur as something else. And so there was a way and continues to be a way that you're able to cover these people and cover what it is that they are doing. And contrast it to the agreed to contract that we have in America, which is to uphold democracy, which is to uphold every citizens ability to pursue their level of happiness, which is to uphold people's rights to assemble, to uphold the freedom of speech so long as right

it doesn't go to harm other people. So what I find right now as we are witnessing this duel that the Republican Party is playing out with both Rhnda Santis and Donald Trump, is that they are creating these figures as if they are normal, as if they are regular Republicans. Go After being chosen as the Democratic frontrunner for the twenty twenty four election, Rhonda Santis is a Christo fascist. Rhonda Santis is turning the state of Florida into a fascist,

white supremist haven. Everything that he's doing, from the Don't Say Gay Bill to the white Comfort Bill, to the attacks on Disney, to the banning of books, to the criminalizing of librarians, to the criminalizing of parents of transgender children, to criminalizing doctors, to lessening abortion to six weeks, to dismantling black sororities and fraternities on college campuses, to restricting curriculum. I can go on, flies in the face of what

freedom and democracy actually are and stand for. But that's not how the media is playing it out. It's oh, he is lighter than Trump. Oh he is better than Trump. No he is not. He's actually crueler, more dangerous than Donald Trump is. And why can a rond de Santis do what he's doing in Florida unabated Because the media made Donald Trump seem fucking normal, right, Seem like the actions that he has taken, the words that he's using, the policies that he's put out are totally normal in

a functioning democracy. When they are not. You can cover Donald Trump without creating the climate of normalcy around him, his campaign and any of the people around him by turning right the doors at these cable news network into a revolving door from the Trump administration, right straight onto camera, knowing good, god damn well that those people spent four fucking years lying to the American people and still are

doing it. So I find it incredibly frustrating that we are here because the media refuses to learn any lessons because there's no accountability, there's no responsibility, and so we'll just those of us with open eyes will continue to watch the destruction of our democracy, not just at the hands of the Republican Party, but also at the hands

of their accomplices in mainstream media. The other piece that is really troubling to me, which I will talk about with my next guests today, is all of the advancements that women have made in this country over the last several decades. The Republican Party is working over time to erace.

We were at a place where we were getting into conversations about pay equity, about childcare, about things that the pandemic elevated, and things that were exasperated as to the responsibilities that women largely take on not only in their household but at work. And we were starting to have

a very real conversation about that. And now we have the far right trying to turn americap into some puritanical, you know, woman hating, misogynist society where women have no voice and they're going to be once again chained to their kitchen tables with you several kids hanging off of their bodies because they don't have the ability right to choose their own path in life. And so coming up next, I'm going to be having a conversation with Sandra Quinns

from the Paradigm for Parody organization. What we will talk about the work that Paradigm for Parody is doing to try and create more equity in corporate America and how you do that at a time when it is very evident that equality is a fading dream. That conversation is coming up next, folks. I'm very excited to be joined by Sandra Quince who is the CEO of Paradigm for Parody.

Paradigm for Parody is an organization that is about building inclusion and expanding the role of women in corporate America. Sandra was selected as one of the fifty Black Women for Goldman Sex one million Black Women Impact Grant has worked on DI initiatives for most of your career. Sandra, I'm very excited to have you on woke F talk to me about Paradigm for Parody and your mission and why it was started. Yeah, so thank you, Danielle. It's such a pleasure to be here with you today. And

certainly Paradigm for Parody. Our mission really is to see that women and men have equal power and status in corporate America, and we have developed a coalition of companies that are on this journey to achieve gender parity at every level of leadership in corporate America. Of course, this is with a lens on racial equity, because we understand that we need parody for all women of all races

and all backgrounds, and so certainly that's our focus. So how we started, that's such a great opportunity to share an amazing story around There were women who had achieved CFO ROLESO roles and some CEO roles, right and this was six seven years ago, and they were on the backsides of their careers and Yelle, and when they looked back,

they didn't see other women coming along with them. And more importantly, these women also had daughters, and they saw a place that they felt just wasn't necessarily equitable for women, and so they gathered together, brought along some subject matter experts, and that's the way that paradigm for parody was formed. And so we've been now here for six years and

really trying to achieve gender parody in corporate America. You know, one of the things that I found really interesting when I was looking through your website were some of the stats that were lifted up, which were that I believe, and you tell me if I'm wrong, that only four percent of women in executive roles and I mean C suite roles in corporate America are black women and women

of color. That's right, You're absolutely right, And so certainly that's why it's so critical for companies when they're thinking about gender parity that they sort of peel the onion back a bit and not look at just all women, but they also look at women of color and by segment. Right, So you want to look at black African American women, you want to look at Hispanic Latina, and you also want to look at Asian women. So you definitely want to ensure that you have a strategy in place that

uplifts all women, you know. So let's talk about that because I think that you know, and and and really putting on your your your former hat of being in a diversity and inclusion in corporate America, which at one time, um,

you know, was an unheard of role. And then all of a sudden, everybody went out, every corporation went out and found a d I specialists to come in and do an internal essment as to why the demographics of their corporations did not necessarily match the demographics of their consumers, match the demographics of the country, even if it was global,

even if it's global. I'm specifically talking about about the US, and so, you know, as ADI specialists talk to us about the ways in which you have seen kind of the role expand and why it is something that is important and it isn't just like a rubber stamp that a corporation should put, you know, as as a position, but why it's something that needs to be thoroughly integrated

into human resources and into the culture. Yeah. So, Danielle, when you think about diversity, equity and inclusion, and you're absolutely right. You know, a couple of years ago it was the hottest job in the market. Companies were scrambling, especially those that had not had a foundation around diversity, equity and inclusion. They found themselves in a place where, oh my gosh, we have got to do something about this, and they started. You're right, so it became a very

popular role. There are four reasons why companies should engage in diversity, equity and inclusion. And this is besides the fact that it is just the right thing to do, and besides the fact that you said that you know, they need to mirror the clients and communities that they serve.

But if companies do this and they do it right, that company is a thirty percent times more profitable than companies that don't engage a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy in their business strategy, and that data has been out there for twenty plus years. The other reason is you have more engaged employees, and so you have employees that you can retain, you have the best and brightest talent.

You also have clients who are more satisfied because they see themselves reflected in the products and services and in the people that they're dealing with. And then, last, but not least, your company's more innovative, and so those are for very business like type reasons why your company should have it. Again, besides the fact that it is the right thing to do, but your company will be more profitable if you embed diversity, equity and inclusion across your

business strategy. So I love what you said about HR, but companies have to go beyond HR and people processes right. They have to think about their marketing, they have to think about ESG. They have to think about the products and services that they're delivering. How does D and I show up in those areas. And again it's everyone's responsibility.

So while yes, you hire someone to do and lead the role in strategy, it belongs to the CEO, his or her direct reports and everyone within the company should have responsibility around diversity with an inclusion. So you know, talk to me about some of the obstacles that you see, because I hear you when you say, you know, aside from the fact that it just is the right thing

to do. Right as demographics in this country shift us, as we see more of a browning in this country, as we recognize what are the interests in terms of workplace and culture to Generation Z, the next generation that is coming up that that is now entering into the work into the workforce. So we know that when we have these kinds of massive generations, meaning massive in terms of population, that they also ran a type of culture shift.

Um uh. That that that we we saw with millennials M, and we continue to see as as they age and then we see now what generation Z. And so what are some of the pushback I guess or the obstacles that you have seen or that you hear, Because when I hear, oh, you can make thirty percent more profit, I'm thinking to myself, why isn't everybody just running, you know, out right? Because money, we know, is what makes the

world go around. Capitalism drives everything in this country. So what is the obstacle to that very logical, you know thing, which is your bottom line? Yeah, so you know how much time we got, Danielle, you know that we that is that is the question of the day, is what are the challenges? Why aren't people doing it? So let me start here. Let me start with the basis of how we make decisions as humans, and that is unconscious bias.

So that's one part of it. It's it's what we're exposed to, what we believe how we think about other people and other cultures and how we see people. And so that's one part of it, and we could spend a whole I'm sure show talking about unconscious bias, but companies have to think about ways that they mitigate and eliminate those bias. And that's one of the things that we talk about in our five point action plan at Paradigm for Parity in helping our companies eliminate bias in

the moments that matter. And so you have to think about, from the moment that I'm attracting talent to my organization, am I mitigating bias in those processes all the way through retention. That's one area that companies have to pay for and that has become a barrier and a challenge. Another thing is not focusing on the magic middle. And when I say the magic middle, you've heard probably them

described as the frozen middle, the magic middle. But these are your managers and leaders who are opaying your people. So whoever has direct reports for an organization, there needs to be a massive investment in helping those individuals understand how to be inclusive leaders, helping those individuals understand how to be culture carriers for diversity, equity and inclusion in their goals and really giving them the right tools and resources to ensure that they are the right type of leader.

And for so long in organizations, we've promoted the person that has sold the most widgets, but this person is leaving dead bodies behind because they are not good leaders. And so we have to start to marry performance around

selling those widgets. Which is great and I think you should be promoted, but also what are your core leadership skills and capabilities and how can those companies come alongside and support So that's an area where companies I feel is a challenge and where we need to focus on as well. The other thing is you've got to inspect what you expect and you have to put parameters around

goals and set goals. But also how are you holding your leaders accountable from the CEO to his or her direct reports, how are they being held accountable for ensure that we are meeting the targets or goals that we've set for ourselves around diversity, equity and inclusion. No one shows up at work without a business goal or strategy, so why would we throw D and I out there without a goal and a strategy. Oh to see that is a very interesting point. What are some of the

things you know? And this is something that is talked about in political circles often. I mean, we have been trying to push for you know, equal pay for women in this country since women enter the workforce, right, Like, this has been a thing that we have not seen that we are asking for more transparency right when it comes to what employers are are seeking or providing in terms of salaries, right and what that range looks like. And I think that more companies are are becoming more

transparent in that way. But what do what do you hear? Right? Is it just the same refrain of what it is that women and then particularly black women and women of color need in the workforce to be successful, to be able to navigate themselves from the frozen middle into the c suite. Yeah, so when you think about women, and of course women are not a monolith, but women are very different in their needs, especially whether I'm a woman and i'm you know, I have a family and I'm

raising kids and blah blah blah. Right, so we all have the various needs. But based on what I've seen and what our companies are telling us is a couple of things. Number One, women need sponsorship in order to make it up and through to the c suite. Women need to be sponsored. And so what do I mean

by that. I'm not talking about a mentor. I'm talking about someone who a personally and professionally invested in my movement up in that company, who has a seat at the table, who is a clear influencer, and who has the ability to open doors for me and my career, and so who will run air cover from me and who will say, Sandra is the person who I feel can do this job, and I will stake my personal and professional capital on her success. And so women need

to be sponsored. Now there's a flip side to that. I have to be sponsor ready, I have to be a great protege. But again that's one of the things that women need. Another opportunity that we see out there with companies is that women sometimes don't know what's available to them. And so having a clear understanding of what's available to me and then what do I need to do to achieve that are things that women need as well.

And then the third thing I think is women need the opportunity to be encouraged to take on more roles that are not just support function roles, so not just HR roles, not just administrative officer type roles, but women need to be leading business and operational roles within their companies. And so these are the things that are going to help promote not only women moving up in the workforce in workplace, but when you think about pay parity, that

will also help with that. As women gain more access to more C suite roles and roles that are leading businesses, then we will see some adjustment in that pay piece as well. You know, I want to talk about the sponsorship piece because I do think that that is something that is incredibly important, and I think that people mistake the two mentoring and sponsorship as being one and the same, because I think that you tell me if I'm wrong.

Then in order to be sponsorship ready, it's not just about the readiness on your resume or in your presentation, but it's also about being in the right place right And so a lot of moving up in business in corporations in corporate America is about who you know and then being a part of your network, liking the same things,

having the same hobbies and interests. Now, I'm not saying that black women and white men don't necessarily have some crossover interests, but I would assume that these gaps are a bit wider. So what does it look like in terms of a cultural fit to get sponsorship? Ready? What does it mean to place yourself in the right place, at the right time, and in the right circles so

that you were thought about in that way? Yeah, so you are right on track with the way that you're thinking about this, and it's it's a few things around. Number one, do I know what I want? Because the question becomes when someone sits down with you, Danielle, and they say, Danielle, what if you could design this, what

is it that you want? And if Danielle comes back and says, I want to be promoted and I want to make more money, well, we have to get a little bit past that and be able to stay exactly what it is that we want. We want a role that would allow us to have exposure in this particular area. I know that these are some areas where I need some additional experience. So I want a role that's going to be able to provide me with X, Y, and Z. I want the ability to lead a team and do X,

y or Z right. So we have to understand what we want and that's part of being sponsor ready. The other thing, as a as a rate protege, you said you talked about the networking piece being in the right place at the right time. You have to be able to not only who you know, but who knows you and who knows your skills and capabilities, and so putting yourself out there and expanding your network and ensuring that you have a networking strategy. It is not just networking

for networking sake. Oh, I'm just gonna get to know put myself on a bunch of people's calendars, But who should I get to know? Who's influential in my organization? And you can work with your manager and your leader to help you define who those individuals are based on what it is you want, Where do you see yourself and what's available to you in your current organization, and so by merging those things and understanding and being able

to articulate that I think is critical. The other thing you have to be able to do is articulate your value and your worth, yes, and be able to showcase what you've done and how you've led and not just what you've done in the office or virtually depending on how you work, but also have you been a part of a ERG or an employee resource group? Do you help lead the company culture and strategy around D and I even in your current role without the title of

D and I behind it. So what are some of the other things that you're doing that really helps to support sort of your your overarching experience that you've had beyond just your day job, right, and so we have to get better at that as well. I love all of those examples because I think that they're really important because what you're laying out here right is exactly what

you said you need to have a strategy. It isn't just about you know, saying hey, let me get this coffee meeting or virtual meeting or so you know with so and so, it's what is what is your overarching plan?

What is your goal? And what do you want? Because I often think, you know, when I speak to women um uh and particularly women of color uh, there there is this feeling, right, this sense that I need to check every single box before I'm able to talk to the CEO, before I'm able to ask for the raise before I even apply for this particular job that if I have, if I don't meet you know, sixteen of the you know, of the twenty bullet points that that

is listed, then that's not for me. And so I think that there's two what you're outlining, there's a bit of imposter syndrome still that needs to be overcome in order to be able to navigate in the way that white male counterparts have been able to navigate. So with just a few minutes that we have left, can you speak to that, um and providing some advice for people who still may feel, you know, that they're quote unquote

not ready. Yeah. So that's that is That is the conversation that many of us have every day as we play over in our heads, right should I be here? Am I good enough? Um? And because society sometimes our experiences, the way we've grown up, how we've been spoken to, and sort of what we think about ourselves, UM, play into to putting out those what I like to call

self limiting voices. Right, and so one of the things that we have to do is to be bold enough and and and sometimes Danielle, it's a matter of speaking to ourselves and understanding that I have everything I need to be successful. So so I always encourage people to do an exercise around number one. My rule of thumb is always nail the core. If you're really good at what you do, you're ready for the next thing. Ye,

nail the core. The other thing I tell people to do is to sit down and to write down all the things that you're really good at. Right, so, what are those core skills that you are really good at? And keep in mind you can get this information just from your own knowledge, but also asking your teammates doing a three sixty Many companies offer a three sixty review. So take advantage of all those feedback opportunities to start to really understand how people see you, how you see yourself.

But what are those skills that you're really good at? And then write down those skills that you feel like our challenges for you. And what I like to say is it's not that you're not good at them, you just need more experience around those areas. And then write

down what you're really passionate about. And I think what you begin to see is people start to see for themselves that you know what I am better than what I really thought I was, but now it's time for me to start marketing that and how do I brand myself to under to help people to see that I am. The value that I bring and the worth that I bring to this organization really gives me the opportunity and gives me the right to be able to ask for

that next thing that I'm looking for. And last, but not least, you gotta open your mouth and ask for it. I put yourself in the position where if someone asks you what it is that you want, you're ready to articulate it. What is it that you do for this company? You're ready to give that sort of elevator pitch. And also understand that your brand precedes you. If you are not creating a brand, it is being created for you. So you want to be able to control that narrative.

And I think that that also helps to give women the power that they need in order to be able to speak up, speak out, and speak on their own

behalves right to advocate for themselves. Sandra, I think that this conversation is going to help so many women, young women, women of color, queer women, be able to navigate this you know, this world, this working world, this culture, the corporate America or whether you're in public service or not, to be able to learn how to advocate for yourself and create this strategy for people who want to hear and find out more about your work with Paradigm for Parody,

please tell them where they can find you and the organization. Absolutely so if you go to Paradigm for the Number four parody dot org, you can get to our website, which you have already so eloquently stated some of the stats that we have out there and provided some information. So thank you for doing that. And then also I'm on LinkedIn, Sandra quince so pey, please feel free to look me up and to send me a LinkedIn request. I'd love to connect with anyone out there that is

that wants to get a hold of me. Wonderful, Sandra, thank you so much for making the time for Woke app. We appreciate you. Thank you for having me, Danielle. It's been a pleasure. That is it for me today, Dear folks on woke app as always, power to the people and to all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke as fuck.