State Department’s Chief DEI Officer: ‘We’ve Got To Be About Dismantling that Traditional Structure at Every Juncture’

Johnson We live and ░░░░░░░░ within systems And those ░░░░░░░░ as I mentioned before ░░░░░░░░ so deeply rooted in ░░░░░░░░ in colonialism in racism ░░░░░░░░ otherism We tend to ░░░░░░░░ very resistant to shifts ░░░░░░░░ changes It s very ░░░░░░░░ for many colleagues often ░░░░░░░░ you are the voice ░░░░░░░░ the room that says ░░░░░░░░ doesn t sound right ░░░░░░░░ me or I have ░░░░░░░░ question about how this ░░░░░░░░ supposed to work I ░░░░░░░░ black women s voices ░░░░░░░░ be heard at the ░░░░░░░░ level and at the ░░░░░░░░ level Often there are ░░░░░░░░ so very few black ░░░░░░░░ in the room even ░░░░░░░░ you re talking about ░░░░░░░░ continent full of black ░░░░░░░░ The leadership in development ░░░░░░░░ tends to not be ░░░░░░░░ woman and it s ░░░░░░░░ because black women women ░░░░░░░░ color are not interested ░░░░░░░░ improving the quality of ░░░░░░░░ or creating opportunities for ░░░░░░░░ communities or for the ░░░░░░░░ they live in but ░░░░░░░░ s because we have ░░░░░░░░ many criteria set up ░░░░░░░░ say who is truly ░░░░░░░░ person a person worthy ░░░░░░░░ being listened to respected ░░░░░░░░ knowledgeable on on issues ░░░░░░░░ that space navigating those ░░░░░░░░ is where I find ░░░░░░░░ greatest amount of challenge ░░░░░░░░ think there s a ░░░░░░░░ of you know the ░░░░░░░░ of misogyny has allowed ░░░░░░░░ to act without consequence ░░░░░░░░ it becomes part of ░░░░░░░░ we believe is normal ░░░░░░░░ And that in order ░░░░░░░░ make any change we ░░░░░░░░ literally got to be ░░░░░░░░ the work of dismantling ░░░░░░░░ traditional structure at every ░░░░░░░░ But how do you ░░░░░░░░ that and appear to ░░░░░░░░ a get along person ░░░░░░░░ a good team worker ░░░░░░░░ you know for some ░░░░░░░░ there s also this ░░░░░░░░ negative stereotype of feminists ░░░░░░░░ being angry people who ░░░░░░░░ don t smile and ░░░░░░░░ t know how to ░░░░░░░░ a good time And ░░░░░░░░ think unfortunately guess what ░░░░░░░░ have great time.”