Tokenism and The Burdens of a Trailblazer

Olivia and Raven talk about the stresses and responsibilities of being the first or the only member of a community in a space.

 

Discussion Summary

0:33: Episode begins, and opening the discussion with some noteworthy points from Morgan Jerkins’ book “This Will Be My Undoing.”

03:54: Breaking down the quote: "you are thrust out into the open to perpetuate the lie that America is the land of equal opportunity."

09:06: How tokenism can benefit people in marginalized groups, and the responsibility this puts on tokenized individuals.

11:34: The inability to be viewed as an individual when you’re tokenized.

14:28: The balancing act of fighting for change, but also being broken down by others’ resistance to change.

21:08: Viewing inclusion as an enriching or educational experience.

28:29: The lack of consideration for emotional labor and time when asking personal questions.

34:51: What it means to play offense and defense when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

39:33: When requesting accommodations or additional support is considered ungrateful, and Olivia shares her thoughts on the term “accommodations.”

45:02: Having to choose your battles when advocating for change, and the expectation to accommodate the majority when you belong to a marginalized group.

51:53: The validity of responding to questions with “Google is free.”

53:19: Outro.

 

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Music credits: Opening: Goestories - Noir Et Blanc Vie

Closing: First Class - DJ Williams