Culture and Social Issues

Washington State To Hold ‘Empowerment Conference’ On ‘Equity,’ ‘Antiracism’ In Gov’t Jobs

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Washington state is set to hold a “diversity, equity and inclusion empowerment conference” over Zoom, open to all employees of state agencies, boards and commissions, to learn about antiracism in the workplace, according to the government website.

The program, set for each Wednesday in June, aims to foster “a culture of inclusion and belonging” within the state workplace, according to the Washington state government website. The conference features a series of workshops including “Drag Story Time And Fireside Chat” and “The Urgent Matter Of Colorism: A Missing Link In Anti-Racist Work.”

“We are committed to supporting statewide and agency-specific equity and anti-racism work, with the goal of building more just systems and fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging with our state workforce,” the conference program states.

At the first session, attendees will learn “how the history of boarding schools” led to the “generational trauma of Native Americans,” the program states. On June 14, the state employees will attend a workshop titled “Creating And Sustaining An Inclusive Workplace Culture Using The 3 A’s [Acknowledge, Ask, Adjust].”

The Washington State Office of Equity is set to give a presentation that teaches employees how to meet the requirements of Democratic state Gov. Jay Inslee’s March 2022 executive order which requires state agencies to have a “pro-equity and anti-racist culture,” the website showed.

The third session features a workshop titled “Drag Story Time And Fireside Chat” hosted by Jonathan Hamilt, the executive director of Drag Story Hour, and members of the “Trans Formation Project,” a nonprofit tracking bills that” threaten transgender people,” the program description showed.

“In a world where the existence of difference is under threat of prohibition by legislation, state leaders must build compassionate communities where room can be made for everybody’s story, regardless of their ability to tell it,” the registration form stated.

“The Urgent Matter Of Colorism: A Missing Link In Anti-Racist Work” teaches state employees how “colorism [discrimination based on skin tone] impacts workplace culture and professional practices,” the program stated. Attendees will learn how to “distinguish colorism from racism and other systems of discrimination” during the workshop.

“Participants gain a global, cross-cultural, and intersectional understanding of the lesser known issue of colorism,” the registration form stated. “Dr. [Sara] Webb clearly explains how colorism impacts workplace culture and professional practices. By the end of this talk, attendees are introduced to a powerful framework for launching a cycle of change.”

The Washington State Employee DEI Conference Planning Committee did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.