DEI Practitioner, Health Equity advocate, Educator, and lover of STEM Courtney Holland shares how her experiences spending Saturdays at a union hall for auto workers with her father in Detroit and her academic and cultural awakening after taking an Introduction to African American Studies as an undergraduate student laid the foundation for her current understanding of equity issues and her commitment to social justice.

She speaks on the essential role of culturally relevant education, the power of sharing our collective narratives, the complexities of doing DEI work within a capitalistic framework, and the journey of sitting with anger in social justice work.

00:00 Union Hall Memories: Weekends with My Father

03:30 Social Justice Origin Stories: Introduction

04:38 Meet Courtney Holland: A Journey in DEI

06:30 Reflections on Union Life and Social Justice

12:04 The Power of Collective Bargaining

19:23 Educational Journey: From Suburbs to Social Justice

22:04 Awakening to African American Studies

24:01 The Impact of Culturally Relevant Education

27:26 Navigating Social Justice and Personal Growth

36:41 Reflections on Anger and Systemic Awareness

37:31 Finding Balance Through Education and Dialogue

39:21 The Role of Therapy in Personal Growth

43:17 Global Perspectives on Oppression and Privilege

47:27 Influential People and Mentors

58:48 The Importance of Mentorship and Compensation

01:05:56 Navigating DEI Work in Capitalistic Systems

01:21:04 Final Thoughts and Future Generations

You can connect with Courtney by following her on LinkedIn

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Social Justice Origin Stories is produced, edited, and hosted by Relando Thompkins-Jones.