Richmond-based authors Dr. Tiffany Jana and Ashley Diaz Mejias are seeing interest in their new book quickly gaining momentum. Erasing Institutional Bias: How to Create Systemic Change for Organizational Inclusion was released on Tuesday.
“Days before Erasing Institutional Bias came out, we confirmed second and third launch events in Richmond,” says co-author and TMI Consulting, Inc. CEO Dr. Jana. “Not only that, we learned that we had successfully cleared the hurdles to secure a coveted workshop spot at Austin’s celebrated South by Southwest (or SXSW) conference!”
On Friday, Oct. 26, 6-8 pm meet the authors at the Urban Hang Suite, 304 E. Broad Street. They’ll discuss the new book, giving you an idea of how to recognize structural bias and ideas of what individuals can do to become part of the solution. “All humans have bias, and as a result, so do institutions we build,” says Diaz Mejias. For more on this event, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1980896388877068/.
On Tuesday, Nov. 13, 6:30-8 pm, The Broad, 209 N. Foushee Street, welcomes Jana and Diaz Mejias for an evening of discussion and sharing of lessons from the authors’ research. The event is free, but tickets are required. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1874556422599198/ for more information and to reserve your tickets.
How did Jana and Diaz Mejias land a spot at the March 8-17, 2019 SXSW? “In August, we posted the link to vote for us to present at the conference on our social media accounts daily,” says co-author Jana. “Our vote count needed to be significant. And we needed to impress the SXSW Advisory Board and staff as well. We crossed our fingers. Could we do it even before the book was readily available?”
The bottom line was yes. “A million thanks to the many people who voted for us and our workshop!” says Diaz Mejias. “And a million thanks to the SXSW Advisory Board and staff!”
At SXSW they aim to reach an audience of global professionals. “We’re increasing RVA’s profile at an event that draws thousands of people who want to know what’s next in the worlds of culture, technology and entertainment,” says Jana. “It’s my second time there promoting the concepts in my book. First Overcoming Bias, now Erasing Institutional Bias. It’s a dream!”
In the workshop Erasing Institutional Bias Jana and Diaz Mejias will work to help participants identify and address the systemic and institutional bias that results from pernicious and often unconscious biases to which we are all vulnerable. The session covers what systemic bias is, how it is perpetuated and how you, as an individual, can disrupt its mechanisms. For more on this workshop, visithttps://schedule.sxsw.com/2019/events/PP85710.
Find out more on Erasing Institutional Bias at https://erasinginstitutionalbias.com/
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