We offer a range of services, from workshops to DEI Audits to delivering keynote speeches. However, in all that we do, we have an approach that underpins and guides our work. This approach is grounded in Black Feminist practices, theories, and traditions. For our first blog post, we list and explain what a Black Feminist approach to DEI looks like and how it shapes our work.
We are committed to an ethics of care
A key consideration for BRK Ujima is how our work impact those within our client organisations who embody non-majoritarian identities. This is because listening to, and speaking about, discrimination and exclusion can be triggering for those who experience discrimination and exclusion. Furthermore, many minoritised people have at some point, been in situations where their experiences have either been minimised or invalidated by others. In addition to this, within most organisations DEI initiatives are often undertaken (both informally and formally) by minoritised people. This often results in minoritised people having to deal with the harm caused by discrimination and exclusion and the burden of the emotional and intellectual labour that DEI work requires. It is with this in mind that we adopt an ethics of care so that our activities do not cause further harm to any of our participants; especially those who embody non-majoritarian identities.
We adopt an interactive and participatory approach
BRK Ujima has the necessary experience, knowledge, and expertise to deliver an anti-racism activity. However, we recognise and respect the fact that our clients will know the specific concerns, strengths, and limitations of their organisation. From the design to the implementation, it is our aim to involve our clients in the process. In doing so, we ensure that every activity builds upon our clients’ existing work and empowers our them to continue doing the work even after our period of engagement has ended.
We create and maintain safe spaces
Real change comes from a willingness to learn new things but also to unlearn certain ideas, beliefs, and practices. BRK Ujima recognises that there is a level of discomfort that comes with this. We also acknowledge that to be comfortable with this discomfort our clients must feel safe. In designing our activities, we focus on those that will challenge without condemnation, that will encourage learning and unlearning without condescension. As a result of this we can create and maintain safe spaces for our clients.
We stay in our lane & we pass the mic
Central to our work at BRK Ujima is our identities as Black women. We recognise and value the fact that our lived experiences shape our work. We feel confident in our ability and expertise to speak on and to share knowledge of what we have learned as Black women working and living in spaces that were not intended for us. However, we also recognise that minoritised people are not a monolith, and depending on the identities we embody our experiences can and do differ significantly. As a result, we do not have the right to lead certain conversations or deliver training on certain forms of discrimination that we have not and will never experience. This is what we mean by staying in our lane: we will never engage in DEI work that appropriates the lived experiences of minoritised communities we do not belong to. In addition to this, if we are asked to undertake work that is best delivered by people from a minoritised community that we do not belong to, we will endeavour, where possible, to recommend suitable individuals and organisations. This is what passing the mic looks like; it is ensuring we do not claim space that is not ours to claim. It is giving up space to those who deserve it.
We are committed to learning and (un) learning
These principles are intended to guide us but they are not static. Just as we encourage our clients to embrace the discomfort that comes with learning new ways of engaging and unlearning harmful forms of interaction; we too consider this an important aspect of our development as individuals and as an organisation. We will continue to review our work and our principles. We remain willing and open to abandoning ways of working that are counter to our aims and adopting a better way towards a more just and inclusive approach to our work.
