Category: Diversity & Inclusion
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7 TED Talks You Must Watch on Biases, Racial Inequality, and Violence
As I was looking at old photos the other night, memories of my teenage years in Santo Domingo flooded my mind. I began thinking about my late aunt, Anairis, who probably never realized the profound impact she had on my life. She always told me that I was a natural leader, and those words, as…
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Unconscious Bias: What You Need to Know
When I first moved to New York City over a decade ago, I didn’t know anything about unconscious bias. This lack of awareness meant that my own prejudices were hidden from me. For example, I would get upset when people mistook me for another nationality, not Dominican. My reaction was, “Of course not!” This triggered…
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Remembering Muhammad Ali: Great Lessons From the Activist Champion
As the world bids farewell to Muhammad Ali, there’s no doubt about his lightning-fast moves and powerful punch. He will forever be remembered as the greatest, the most celebrated athlete of his time. However, I want to pay tribute to his other strengths—the rapid rhythm of his poetry and the force of his principles. It…
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5 Effective Ways to Support Language Acquisition
Up until I was 19 years old, I only spoke Spanish and had never been to an English-speaking country. For a long time, I believed I would never be able to learn English, as starting to study a new language as an adult was incredibly challenging. This is one of the reasons I am committed…
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Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage by Maria P. P. Root, Ph.D.
In 1992, Dr. Maria P. P. Root wrote the Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage, a groundbreaking document empowering individuals of mixed heritage to assert their identities, whatever they might be. In the United States, people who appear ethnically ambiguous have often been rendered invisible or pressured to “choose a side” based on…
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Talking to Kids About Poverty: Raising Respectful and Compassionate Children
On any given day, I find myself telling my children about my childhood and the things I didn’t have growing up. When they complain about the internet being down, having too many toys to pick up, or how little time they got to stay in the pool, I remind them how fortunate they are. It’s…
