Celebrating Black Futures: The ACLU Joins the Community Call

This episode, originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, was moderated by returning guest Amber Hikes, the Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Joining her were the leads of two of ACLU’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): the Black Women and Non-Binary ERG, and the Black Men and Non-Binary ERG:

• Raquel Fossett, Program Coordinator to the Director of Board Relations and Special Projects
• Whitney Barnes, Manager of Strategic Partnerships
• Brandon Felton, Marketing Executive in National Brand Engagement
• Jason Williamson, Deputy Director of the Criminal Law Reform Project

The five panelists spoke to the critical nuances that distinguish their respective groups, but a common through line emerged: empathy leads to action. The more we engage in transparent and honest conversation, the more we begin to understand one another. And the more we understand one another, the more we feel compelled to fight on their behalf. Amber says, “if Black History Month is about study, Black Futures Month is about action.”

In this episode you’ll discover:

• How to manifest a new future of justice and liberation (14:26)
• The need to create spaces for specific ERG’s (26:00)
• How organizations can create a culture of belonging (38:00)
• How to keep momentum going (40:00)
• What leaders need to think about when it comes to DEI commitments (45:00)
• Why words matter (46:15)
• The importance of self-care (51:00)
• How to create safety in virtual spaces (53:00)
• Restorative justice practices and the connection to inclusion (57:00)

You can read and listen to this episode here.

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