November DEI Updates
What has DEI been working on?
A comfy chair and a bulletin board waiting for your photos of family and pets!
Lactation/Quiet Sensory Space – First introduced at September’s all-staff meeting, the DEI Committee is proud to share our completed Lactation/Quiet Sensory space, available to Walton Arts Center year-round employees and visiting artists. The space is designed for the comfort of lactating people in our building, as well as a place for employees to take a quiet break and reset before continuing with their workday. The room is equipped with a comfortable chair and ottoman, screens for privacy, and a refrigerator for storing breastmilk, as well as a sound machine, a meditation playlist, and objects of comfort. The lactation space reflects our compliance with Arkansas state law 621, which requires employers to provide reasonable time and accommodations to nursing and lactating persons. The additional use of the room as a quiet/sensory break space acknowledges both our desire to make effective use of our building space and concern for our employees’ emotional well-being. It is in room 210, located on the second floor of the administration building. If you are interested in using the space, you can reserve it on Microsoft Teams as you would any other room. If you are not on Teams, please speak with your supervisor for reservation assistance. Visiting artists will be made aware of the available space during their time at Walton Arts Center and work with an employee liaison to access the room.
REvolve Next Steps – Building off our successful sessions with REvolve over the past year, we as a staff are ready to deepen our understanding and skills through further training. While our HR staff is currently undergoing their own specific training with REvolve, the entire staff will have the opportunity to participate in Intermediate/Advanced Staff training both online AND in-person with the REvolve team this spring. The next phase of training will include understanding social identities, ideologies, and positions of power in relation to equitable workplace practices. Staff members who complete this training will be invited to form small groups called RISE teams, which will center collaborative work around EDIB issues and solutions for the Walton Arts Center.
The Free to Be Kind Project – The DEI Committee, in conjunction with the Sustainability Committee, is working to provide free menstrual products to our employees, artists and patrons while supporting our local community artists. Enter Dina Benbrahim, Endowed Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Arkansas. Dina is the director of The Kind Project, which reimagines “the cold coin-operated period products dispenser for a kinder, more resourceful, inclusive, and accessible dispenser for menstruating folx in our community.” They are currently partnered with the Fayetteville Public Library. Walton Arts Center will be their second community partnership. We hope to have four Kind Project dispensers in our public restrooms by Spring 2023.
DEI Vision and Values – Have you thought about joining the DEI committee in the past? Now is your chance! We, along with HR and the Executive team, have codified our committee purpose and parameters in a Vision, Values and Agreements document:
DEI Vision and Values Agreement.pdf
Anyone who wishes to join the committee must read through the document, sign, and submit it to sstinson@waltonartscenter.org. DEI membership is available to all year-round employees who wish to undertake the work of improving the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of staff and patrons.
DEI EDUCATION CORNER
What’s in a Name – or Pronoun?
Pronouncing someone’s name correctly and remembering their pronouns is a wonderful sign of respect to your coworkers. Many of us have heard or seen someone announcing their pronouns, either when introducing themselves or signing off in correspondence. If this is something you have struggled with in the past, you may have found yourself giving someone a nickname, laughing it off, or avoiding them all together to save embarrassment. Here are two tutorials in becoming a name and pronoun expert!
NOVEMBER HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS
NOVEMBER 7 - National Cancer Awareness Day
National Cancer Awareness Day was first founded in 2014 by Dr. Harsh Vardhan to increase awareness about cancer prevention and early detection for the public. The date was chosen to honor Nobel-prize winning scientist Madame Marie Curie, who is remembered for her discovery of radium and polonium, and her hug contributions to the fight against cancer. Her work led to the development of nuclear energy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer. Here’s how to observe National Cancer Awareness Day:
Get a screening
Early detection of cancer can be lifesaving. Book an appointment and get tested!
Inform friends and family about early detection
Today is all about informing those you love about the prevention of cancer. Look online or give an informational booklet to generate awareness.
Read up on Madame Marie Currie
The scientist was born in 1867 and is noted for her brilliant work leading to the development of cancer treatments.
NOVEMBER 8 - Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day
Though its origins are unknown, this day is celebrated annually around the world by cooking bold and pungent foods - or, in other words, food that will knock your socks off! Any recipe with lots of spices, flavorful condiments, or fragrances can be considered bold. As for pungent, any food with a strong smell will qualify, including garlic, mustard or even eggs. Cook Something Bold and Pungent day was designed to show recognition and raise awareness for cooking. How to celebrate Cook Something Bold & Pungent day:
Cook something bold and pungent!
With a bit of imagination, you can create a surprisingly original, bold, and pungent dish. Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors, spices, and aromas.
Host a potluck
Host a potluck with your friends and encourage everyone to bring their own bold and pungent dish!
Try new spices
Go to the store and get spices, essences, and flavorful vegetables that you’ve never /don’t usually use. You might be surprised at the strange and interesting foods you can find!
NOVEMBER 10 - International Accounting Day (Brought to you by the finance team)
Does the sign of a ledger make your head spin? That’s why we have accountants to figure it all out for you! The school system, banks, religious institutions, and the government wouldn’t be able to survive without those dedicated number crunchers! Records show that accounting dates as far back as 5,000 B.C., where there are documents of an accounting system to track the exchange of goods between temples. Further evidence shows accounting in ancient Egypt and Babylonia, but the most comprehensive findings belonged to the Roman Empire. Here’s how to observe International Accounting Day:
Buy an accountant coffee (or their preferred drink)
Besides being a recognized gesture of appreciation, a caffeinated drink is a wonderful way to make sure your accountants are alert and focused while combing through all those numbers
Make an accountant’s job easier
Take extra care to enter all your Expense Management data in correctly and on time….please….
NOVEMBER 24 - Thanksgiving Day
America’s Thanksgiving, born in the 1600s, now stands as one of the nation’s most anticipated and beloved days. Family, friends, and food have come to symbolize Thanksgiving and the day urges all of us to be grateful for the things we have. While many associate the holiday with good memories, we must recognize that for many in the Indigenous community, this holiday serves as a harmful reminder of how their land was stolen from them during colonization, how many of their people were killed, and how their culture was nearly stripped from them. The “first” thanksgiving day happened in 1621 and was celebrated by the Mayflower Pilgrims and the Native Americans at Plymouth. Religious scholars argue that Catholic Spanish explorer held a “Mass of Thanksgiving” in present day Florida in the 1500s, making that the “first” thanksgiving.
Here is how you can observe Thanksgiving:
Volunteer
Community service is a great way to give back to those less fortunate and provide an opportunity for the whole family to do something good. Check out your local community organizations for information on food banks or other places that serve a Thanksgiving meal to those in need.
Bake a pie
Pies are one of the classics! And there are records of pies being served at the first Thanksgiving, so you would be participating in an authentic tradition.
Interested in joining the DEI Committee?
Have a look at our Vision, Values and Agreements statement. Each member, new and existing, will be required to sign the agreement before their first meeting. The statement outlines expectations for all members of the committee, and guidelines for participation in projects and meetings. You can view the statement here: