Race-based Caucusing in the Workplace (EP.44)

Courtney Harge (CEO, OF/BY/FOR ALL) and Nicola Carpenter (Director of People Operations, Fractured Atlas) sit down with Tim Cynova to answer the 30 questions they most frequently receive when speaking with individuals and organizations about race-based caucusing in the workplace.Want to learn more? Join them for their brand new course "Race-Based Caucusing in the Workplace: The Why & How" taking place in October 2021. To find out more visit: https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/courses2/caucusingWhat is anti-racism, anti-oppression work, and in particular, anti-racism, anti-oppression work in the workplace?What does accountability look like for anti-racism, anti-oppression work in the workplace?What is race-based caucusing?Is a caucus, an affinity group, and an Employee Resource Group the same thing?Why should companies provide space for caucusing in the workplace?Who should be caucusing?Why would someone be a part of a caucus?What do companies need to do before they introduce race-based caucusing in the workplace?What do employees need to do before they start caucusing?How do people determine which caucus to attend?How do you get people to attend race-based caucusing if it’s not mandatory?How often do caucuses meet?Is there an ideal number of people to be in a caucusWhat happens DURING the caucus? How are they structured?What happens AFTER a caucus meeting?Who is responsible for managing the caucus process?Do you need a facilitator to get caucusing started? Or to keep caucusing going?Can’t we just all be in the same room to talk about this? How is this supposed to help address racism and oppression if it’s just white people talking in a room together?Won’t caucusing lead to further division or segregation? Doesn’t this just amplify racism?If caucusing is working separately, when do we all come together to talk?What are the people of color saying about us white people when they caucus? It doesn’t seem fair that they don’t also have to report to the white people about what they talk about?Can we also caucus by gender identity, sexual orientation, and class?What does it mean to have these conversations in the workplace?What if [the organization’s leadership, board of directors, etc.] doesn’t want to caucus, either themselves or for the organization to offer it?How is the purpose of a caucus different for privileged and oppressor identities versus marginalized and oppressed identities?What are common reasons people of color may be reluctant to join affinity spaces?What are common reasons white people may be reluctant to join affinity spaces?How long do you need to caucus? When are you done?NICOLA CARPENTER works on the People team at Fractured Atlas, where she finds ways for tools and processes to better align with the organization’s purpose. She believes in tools so much that she sets personal OKRs every quarter. Prior to joining Fractured Atlas, Nicola worked for a variety of arts organizations including MoMA PS1, Walker Art Center, and Heidelberger Kunstverein, and she still has a particular love for museums. Originally from Minneapolis, she received a BFA in Art from the University of Minnesota and continues to stay creative through knitting and sewing clothes. She is currently in too many book clubs, but still somehow finds time to read books about organizational culture for fun. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter at @colacarp.COURTNEY HARGE is an arts administrator, director, and writer originally from Saginaw, MI who has been working in the service of artists for the last fifteen years. She is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Colloquy Collective, an emerging theater company in Brooklyn, NY. Courtney is also a proud member of Women of Color in the Arts, and a 2016 alum of both APAP’s Emerging Leaders Institute and artEquity’s Facilitator Training. She holds a Masters of Professional Studies, with Distinction, in Arts and Cultural Management from Pratt Institute. You can find more information about her at www.courtneyharge.com and find her on Instagram and Twitter at @Arts_Courtney. Her credo (#HustlingKeepsYouSexy) is not merely a hashtag; it’s a way of life.