Several years ago on a whim, I made a BINGO board for food and books/media. I’ve been wanting to make another BINGO board on the same topic ever since, but with some new categories to encourage people to think about food and media together. Both food and entertainment shape cultures and define cultures and adding diversity and richness to our lives.

Since I’m getting a late start on tonight’s blog post, instead of a BINGO board I’m making a list where you can choose your own adventure. Choose as many as you like and give yourself a point for each one achieved. Do at least five of the categories to give yourself a BINGO, ten checked off the list and you a gold star, all of them and you earn the tall-chef hat.

*When it says read or book, don’t feel like you have to read a book. For some, watching a video might be a more enjoyable way to participate, or if a book is too long, find an article or podcast related to the topic. Not everyone takes in media the same way and that is great – diversity in learning and entertainment is important to recognize and honor.

Street Food – Find a book about street foods by a POC author or about a POC chef. Chef Roi Choy and the Street Food Remix is a good one if you need a suggestion.

Reviving Family Recipes—Find a book or podcast that talks about reviving family recipes. Mamacita: Recipes Celebrating Life as a Mexican Immigrant in America is a lovely cookbook about this very topic. I discovered it by listening to a podcast with the author.

Cookbook from somewhere you haven’t visited or lived

Cookbook from somewhere you have visited, your hometown counts too – Learn about the foods of where you are whether POC traditions local to your town or city, or the foods of the Indigenous lands you’re on

Media about Black farmers – Find a book or video about the Black farming experience. If you want a good drama to watch, Queen Sugar is so good. It is based on a book by the same title.

Read about food and the Civil Rights Movement – If you need some suggestions on places to get started read about the sit-ins at restaurants and diners, look up Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Dick Gregory’s Natural Diet cookbook – who I just read about.

Read a cookbook by an Asian author – One of my new faves is The Wok of Life. It started as a blog by the same name and the family of bloggers recently released a gorgeous new cookbook. For vegetarians and vegans, The Korean Vegan is a great cookbook.

Food Justice Movement – Learn about food sovereignty, food deserts, farming rights, factory farming, food waste, government food programs, etc. Learn about these from POC perspectives.

Food Sovereignty from an Indigenous Perspective – Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kilmer is such an important book for understanding our connection to the land and being in a just relationship with the land. On the fiction side, Seed Keeper is a new-ish novel that touches on food sovereignty.

Graphic Novel Centered on sharing food/meals, POC authors – Invisible starts in a school cafeteria (middle grades), or for the older crowd Umma’s Table or J&K (both of which I haven’t read, but the reviews look interesting).

Food Memoir by a POC author –A few to get you started: Crying in H Mart, Taste Like War, or Fatty Fatty Boom Boom a memoir of food, fat, and family.

Learn about festive dishes from Black traditions – Black Foods serves this category very well.

Women of color and reshaping the food scene —  Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America and Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora are both now on my to-read list thanks to some research for this category.

How people use food to celebrate or mourn – Lunar New Year’s (the list in the link are children’s books), Persian New Year’s, Juneteenth, etc.

Island Food – Learn about food from an island, bonus points for non-European islands

Snack or Meal time – Your choice!

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

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If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawai’i; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

A few weeks ago I got a long email from a white woman who didn’t like a proposal I had put out to a group to start a new project. I’m new to the group and don’t have a lot of established relationships within the group. The details of the project are not relevant, but I will say it involves money and asking the group to think of money and resources that challenge very long-held norms.

I worked with a few leaders to shape the draft of the proposal and it got sent out to the group. We also announced an online meeting where members could learn more or ask questions. Several people emailed right away to say they understood the proposal and to count them in. A few were tentative and said they would attend the online meeting. A few, mostly white people, were quick to criticize the proposal and challenge the assumptions in it.

This is where I need to pause and acknowledge a few things. First, anytime you put something out into the world it is open to criticism — fair game. Critique and thoughtful criticism or feedback lend important pieces of information and perspectives we may not have. Sometimes it is important to listen to the feedback and consider it carefully.

However, I’ve had to sit through a lot of sessions and read a lot of emails over the years where opinions from people who feel they have a stake in the conversation. They feel they have more expertise or want to voice their thoughts because that is how attention is sought and given in American/Western cultures, but really they are not that important to the overall conversation. If you need attention there are healthier ways to fulfill that need than making comments on everything.

Your Opinions are Valid to YOU

Your opinions are valid to YOU, but not everyone else all the time. Unless we are in a relationship or in a community grounded in accountability and trust I don’t always need to hear your opinions. I’ll give an example. Very rarely are anonymous comments in newspapers or blogs worthy of the time it takes to write or read them. People use that space to rant or throw down empty statements. To the person writing the comment, their thoughts and feelings are valid, but to many others who don’t know the person who wrote it the comments are not interesting. Often, the comments are hurtful and mean.

As a person of color, I hear and see criticism directed toward people and communities of color. It is an entrenched system of thinking where people with privilege, especially white privilege, feel the need to comment on anything race related. Sometimes the comments are veiled and coded. They come off as questions but questions that are used to point out faults, sometimes they are comments to center themselves and their needs thus taking away from the POC cause, sometimes they are mean comments we have to tolerate because we are told to “assume best intent” from the speaker, and there are the comments where people like to tell others what is best for others because they know better, or the speaker has the solution even if the person didn’t ask for one. I’m guilty of this too, I am trying to be aware of it and curb my instinct to solve problems that aren’t mine to solve.

Your comments may be valid to you, but many times many of us do not need to hear them. We’ve heard versions of your opinion many times in different ways. If you want to talk about your opinions please seek out someone you know and have a relationship with where you can also hear their feedback. You need to hear their thoughts so you can learn too. Over time when people are in a community or relationship built on mutual trust, then you can share your opinions.

To circle back to the story at the top about the person who wrote me a long email about her feelings and thoughts, I took a week-long pause before replying. I hope I was polite, but I have a feeling my reply was met unsatisfactorily and the message quickly met the delete button. The person who emailed me is not accountable to me nor vice versa, thus it isn’t my job to explain my positions to them nor to educate them on race, defend my positions, or invite them into a dialogue. I sincerely hope they do find a trusted friend who can help them understand race, but that isn’t me.

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Why I wrote this: To share a perspective on feedback and opinions. (Apologies for forgetting to put this line in over the last few weeks, opps.)

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

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If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawai’i; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

Before I start writing, Happy Girl’s Day – Hinamatsuri, Japanese Girl’s Day. I grew up celebrating the Hawaii-Japanese American version of the day. It is a family favorite celebration since we make, eat, and share chi chi dango mochi.

Last night I went to a fabulous dinner hosted by a friend to celebrate her book. It was a carefully curated guest list of women who supported her over the years. It was an honor to be there and to be in the company of women who understood the power of the collective.

Being in that room reminded me how we need to support and sponsor each other willingly and joyfully. Supporting women of color is an act of honoring our past and building for the future. It is something we can all do, including white people.

Since it is hinamatsuri, Girl’s Day, here are some ways you can amplify women of color in your life.

1. Find the women of color in your life and support them. Think about the women of color in your life that you have an authentic relationship with. How do you know them? How can you authentically (not weirdly) support them? Maybe it is sharing information with them that can help them land their next job. Or maybe something more personal that can show them you care like cooking a meal during a time they need one (make sure it is on their terms).
   
2. Do small things in ongoing ways. Support for women of color needs to be ongoing, not just one off big gestures. The little things count. Have you said thank you to the women of color in your office that support everyone? The janitors, baristas, the crossing guards at your kid’s school? Say thank you. Also offer them support – small gestures like a coffee gift card, fresh produce, tips, or saying something nice can go a long way. Also, say thank you to the women of color leaders in your life — they appreciate hearing how their leadership impacts others.
   
3. Use your influence to support women of color. We all have influence in different spheres of our lives. Use that influence to support another woman of color. When I was an admin assistant at a nonprofit many of us at the support staff level would make sure we helped each other out and looked out for each other. I mention this to say influence comes in many ways it doesn’t always have to be formal power.
   
4. Read writings by women of color. Learning from women of color is important – read their work. Please read Ruchika Tulshyan’s book Inclusion on Purpose; her book just celebrated its first book birthday! Ruchika’s book is about creating spaces where women, especially women of color can thrive. Angela Garbes Essential Labor is another great book talking about women of color labor. There are so many women of color authors we need to keep reading their work and amplifying it so they keep writing.
   
5. Don’t ask women of color to justify their decisions. Too often women of color are expected to explain and justify their decisions. Trust women of color, if you don’t then maybe ask yourself why that is. Often the work is on you to build that trust and reciprocate it back.
   
6. Support the collective. Women of color need each other and need the support of allies. Find ways to support individuals but also the collective space to build each other up. I remember a Black friend saying “Sometimes we just need a comfy couch and some snacks,” that really sounds doable as a way to support other women of color – lend them your couch or help to provide the snacks.
   
7. Invest in women of color owned businesses. If you need ideas on how to find women of color owned businesses, check out the Intentionalist. As their motto says, “Spend Like it Matters.”
   
8. Finally, be authentic with the women of color in your life. If you try to fake it we’ll see it, just be real, be you, and if you can’t support women of color authentically tap out, we don’t need your emotional burden.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex, Alexa, Aline, Alison, Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy, Amy P., Amy R., Andie, Andrea J., Andrea J.B., Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Aya, Barb, Barbara B., Barbara M., Barrett, Beth, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad B., Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C, Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine S., Catherine S., Chelsea, Christa, Christina B C., Christina S., Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Dana, Danielle, Danielle, Danya, Darcy, Deb, Debbie, Denyse, Diane, Don, Ed, Edward, Edith, Edith, Eileen, Elizabeth K L., emily w, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Gail J., Genita, Gene, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H., Heather M., Heidi and Laura, Heidi S., Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jackie J., Jaime, Jake, James and Gloria, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jelena, Jen C., Jen S., Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F, Jessica G., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L., Jordan S., Josie, Julia, Julia S., Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelli, Kelly, Kelly S., Kim, Kimberly, Kimberly F., Kyla, Kymberli, LA Progressive, Laura B T., Laura G., Lauren, Laurie, Laurie, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, lisa c., Lisa C., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, MaryBeth, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Mike Q, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Natasha, Nicole, Nora, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Reiko, Risa, Rise Up for Students, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah D., Sarah H., Sarah K. B., Sarah O., Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, Shannon, Sharon B., Sharon Y., Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan M., Susan U., T W, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, tash, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., virginia, Vivian, Wendy, Will, Willow, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawai’i; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

By Rochelle Hazard

For 117 years, Neighborhood House has fought to end the cycles of poverty, racism, and social inequities. We have committed to becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, multi-cultural organization (see our 2021-2024 strategic plan here). As such, we recently reevaluated our holiday structure to create a more equitable organizational culture.

We recognized that our holiday structure excluded different faiths and values that are held by Neighborhood House employees. Neighborhood House has 350 staff members who speak over 40 languages. 72% of staff members identify as Black, Indigenous or POC. 33% self-identify as immigrants and 36% report that English is not their primary language.

The holiday structure we inherited was based on white, Christian-centric values and beliefs. Historically our agency recognized federal holidays, such as New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving, as paid holidays for employees. Neighborhood House is a diverse organization that employs people with many different faiths or no faith at all. Many people celebrate events or individuals that are not significant to others for various reasons (see Fakequity’s List of Culturally Significant Dates here). Limiting our paid holidays to federally recognized holidays only was inequitable for many Neighborhood House employees.

Christmas is one example of how this inequity was playing out. For some Neighborhood House staff, December 25 is an important day to spend with family and friends. But what about other faiths such as Orthodox Christians, who do celebrate Christmas but not until January 7? Still, others may not celebrate Christmas because they have different values and beliefs, such as atheists or agnostics. For some Indigenous and Native American people, Thanksgiving Day is not a celebration, but a day of mourning. For some African Americans, Independence Day/4^th of July is not a celebration of freedom, but a reminder that even though Black people are no longer shackled with chains, they are still fighting for the full actualization of promises made by the US Constitution (see Frederick Douglass’ “What is the 4^th of July to a Slave” speech).

The question was not if the agency holiday structure was good or bad. The question Neighborhood House had to answer was: Who are we leaving out by not recognizing that we are a multicultural agency with people of many different faiths, beliefs, and values? As part of our journey to becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, multi-cultural organization, I knew we had to change our holiday policy.

Neighborhood House’s internal equity committee proposed the following solution: take the 12 agency’s paid holidays and turn them into floating holidays. This new All Floating Holidays policy allowed staff of different faiths and beliefs to be paid to celebrate the days that are important for them and their families, without forcing employees to observe a holiday that they don’t believe in, or having staff dip into their vacation time to celebrate their holidays. As an example, between July 19-20, 2021 (the dates of Eid al-Adha, an important holiday for Muslims), 19% of Neighborhood House staff requested vacation time or other paid time off. With our new proposed holiday policy, staff could use their floating holidays to take time off for holidays and use vacation time for actual vacations.

Some staff expressed concern about converting all holidays to floating holidays because they worried large numbers of staff might request the same days off and leave teams short-staffed. Once we analyzed the HR data, we realized large numbers of staff would continue to request time off for their holidays, whether Neighborhood House chose to recognize them as holidays or not. The only difference with the new policy is that staff won’t have to use their other paid leave to take time off for holidays. The real change will be that staff of all faiths feel valued and seen. Further, because we are intentional about hiring staff who reflect the languages, cultures, and faiths of the communities we serve, our staff and clients often observe the same holidays and take off similar days to be with their families. We already see a drop in preschool attendance and requests for services on days like Eid and Lunar New Year.  

This was not an easy policy to change. It took months of listening, talking, and negotiating with board members and staff at all levels of leadership. Neighborhood House’s new All Floating Holiday policy went into effect 1/1/23, and we are excited to be taking this next step toward becoming a multiracial, anti-racist agency. We will be keeping a close eye on how this policy change affects people’s ability to celebrate holidays that are important to them. We will track data to see how staff utilize their floating holidays and other types of leave, as well as ask staff for their input on the policy throughout the year. We understand that we may need to make adjustments in how we implement this policy, and Neighborhood House will remain committed to making space for everyone’s faith (or no faith) and joy.

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Rochelle is the Neighborhood House Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA). Rochelle identifies as a biracial queer Black woman who oftentimes is mistaken for butch, but identifies simply as a woman who wears comfortable shoes.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex, Alexa, Aline, Alison, Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy, Amy P., Amy R., Andie, Andrea J., Andrea J.B., Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Aya, Barb, Barbara B., Barbara M., Barrett, Beth, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad B., Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C, Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine S., Catherine S., Chelsea, Christa, Christina B C., Christina S., Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Dana, Danielle, Danielle, Danya, Darcy, Deb, Debbie, Denyse, Diane, Ed, Edith, Edith, Eileen, Elizabeth K L., emily w, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Gail J., Genita, Gene, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H., Heather M., Heidi and Laura, Heidi S., Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jackie J., Jaime, Jake, James and Gloria, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jelena, Jen C., Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F, Jessica G., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L., Jordan S., Josie, Julia, Julia S., Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelli, Kelly, Kelly S., Kim, Kimberly, Kimberly F., Kyla, Kymberli, LA Progressive, Laura B T., Laura G., Lauren, Laurie, Laurie, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, lisa c., Lisa C., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, MaryBeth, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Mike Q, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Natasha, Nicole, Nora, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Reiko, Risa, Rise Up for Students, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah D., Sarah H., Sarah K. B., Sarah O., Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, Shannon, Sharon B., Sharon Y., Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan M., Susan U., T W, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, tash, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., virginia, Vivian, Wendy, Will, Willow, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawai’i; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

February is Black History Month. It is an important time to reflect on and to deepen my anti-Blackness and to hopefully invite many of my non-Black colleagues along with me, maybe some of you will even lead the way for me and others.

A few years ago I wrote about undoing my anti-Blackness. It was during the never-ending middle of COVID lockdowns and so much unknown about the disease. It was also during the murder of George Floyd and too many other Black people dying because of state-sanctioned violence (aka law enforcement caused violence). During that time I, and many others, had to face ourselves and ask how did we allow another Black man to be killed by everyday brutality? How were we complicity in this modern American Black history being made.

Several years later, I need to reflect and continue to work on my anti-Blackness. A few weeks ago a Black friend pointedly and gently called me out for acting in a way that didn’t make Black girls visible. I was working on a volunteer project that had a lot of complicated moving parts. It is a new project and a hard lift to get buy-in from a very heterogeneous American-normed group. We got to a point in the project where the group was comfortable using race as a factor in decision-making – a really big step. I sent out an email to the larger group explaining this shift. My friend wrote back and said unless we were specifically calling in Black girls it wasn’t enough — it was good, but I couldn’t call it anti-racist. Just acknowledging POCs, financial aid, and other factors did not account for Black girls who still faced huge challenges but did not fit those criteria. I read the email early in the morning and on the first pass didn’t understand it, but later in the day when I had the brain energy to read it deeply, I understood her call out to me. I wasn’t acting in a way that affirmed Black girls; it was a challenge to go deeper and to act in anti-Black ways.

Continuing to undo my anti-Blackness will take a lifetime. I know I still need to learn about the intersections of Blackness and Asianness. There are times our relations are kin and in solidarity, and there are many times where we perpetuate hate on each other for no reason other than hate and oppression.

Earlier tonight I was looking up Black and Asian people – Blasians to see who is out there. There are so many – tennis star Naomi Osaka, Vice President Kamala Harris, and many others. I hope we see and understand their identities as complex and as how they want to be seen, not reduced to either Asian or Black.

Undoing my anti-Blackness also means I have to understand other intersections of our shared movements. How does anti-Blackness, anti-Asian, and disabilities justice find solidarity and be true to our racial identities (the disability justice movement can be very white). Too often when a crime is committed and labeled anti-Asian hate or something happens to a Black person, people jump to labeling the behavior due to mental illness. Hate and racism aren’t mental illnesses. We also need to see where we can be allies to Black and Asian disabled kin.

The same for other intersections of identity – immigration, agism, language, and so on.

I’ll continue to work on my anti-Blackness, which also means understanding the depth and breadth of the Asian American experience.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex, Alexa, Aline, Alison, Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy, Amy P., Amy R., Andie, Andrea J., Andrea J.B., Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Aya, Barb, Barbara B., Barbara M., Barrett, Beth, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad B., Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C, Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine S., Catherine S., Chelsea, Christa, Christina B C., Christina S., Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Dana, Danielle, Danielle, Danya, Darcy, Deb, Debbie, Denyse, Diane, Ed, Edith, Edith, Eileen, Elizabeth K L., emily w, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Gail J., Genita, Gene, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H., Heather M., Heidi and Laura, Heidi S., Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jackie J., Jaime, Jake, James and Gloria, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jelena, Jen C., Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F, Jessica G., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L., Jordan S., Josie, Julia, Julia S., Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelli, Kelly, Kelly S., Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, Kymberli, LA Progressive, Laura B T., Laura G., Lauren, Laurie, Laurie, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, lisa c., Lisa C., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, MaryBeth, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Mike Q, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Natasha, Nicole, Nora, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Reiko, Risa, Rise Up for Students, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah D., Sarah H., Sarah K. B., Sarah O., Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, Shannon, Sharon B., Sharon Y., Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan M., Susan U., T W, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, tash, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., virginia, Vivian, Wendy, Will, Willow, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawai’i; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

It is Black History Month and an important time to reflect and learn more about Black History wherever you are. Please take some time to learn more about Black history and reflect how we’re a better community because of it.

Lately, I’ve been following a lot of policy work at a lot of different levels – organizational policies all the way up to state and even some federal level policy work. One of the trends I’ve noticed is how so much policy work is race neutral, and is like a blunt instrument trying to make important changes. The image I have in my head is higher-level policy work (e.g. federal and state policy work) is like a hammer coming down on a carnival game and the bell ringing because of a hard whack. At lower levels (e.g. organizations, city level, school districts, etc.) the work can be more precise and like a chisel to carve out the desired change.

In order for us to achieve racial equity we need to train ourselves to understand how to embed racial equity principles in all levels of policy work. The more embedded into higher level policy work I can see how hard it is to make changes and shift conversations from being race neutral to being open in talking about race. It is also hard to take a sweeping policy bill and break it down into thinking about how it could impact people of color.

As an example, if we think about education funding bills those will touch every student in the public school system, but the impacts will be felt differently. Yet bills are not written in ways that make these differences clear. The bill is purposely written to be race neutral (at least in many government bodies). This is where we need to do the deeper work of analyzing a bill to think about how it will impact people of color and which people of color will benefit or be harmed.

Many times it is also a zero-sum calculation when trying to figure out which policies or bills can have the greatest impact for people of color. Such as during budgeting sessions there is only so much money to go around, and it needs to be prioritized and hopefully put towards activities that will close racialized gaps and improve POC lives.

An example of how this plays out during a policy making session; let’s say there are three policies up for debate:

1. A health care clinic in every public high school
2. Free school lunch
3. Driver’s education will be available in Title 1 high school, a tiered fee structure is allowed

All of these ideas are worthy of funding, but without deeper analysis it is too easy to just accept the ideas as being good. Some deeper probing might help to understand the racial equity implications:

1. A health care clinic in every public high school – What is gained by placing a health center in every school? Do some students already have access to health care and can the money be better spent on a targeted strategy?
2. Free school lunch for all students – Who doesn’t currently qualify for free lunch? Turns out many immigrant students may be going hungry because they don’t apply for free lunch programs because they are afraid of being tracked. Or they don’t qualify for aid because of their immigration status.
3. Driver’s education in Title 1 schools – This program is targeted to Title 1 high schools. In many schools, Title 1 status often correlates to schools with more POC students. Does the data support the need for students of color not to have access to affordable or free driver’s education classes? Are the schools where this will be implemented in zones where public transit isn’t available?

These examples are to show how it is important to dig a little deeper and interrogate ideas further.

Chisel Approach

One of the advantages of working closer to communities is we can often target interventions more. Often times the closer we can get to communities (e.g. schools, neighborhoods, city) policy work can be targeted. The drawback is the change isn’t as sweeping as at the federal or state level.

At the community level policy work still needs to be done thoughtfully and scrutinized to ensure it can impact people of color in positive ways. In policy work at this level, it is important to be clear about intentions and proposed outcomes.

Tools like the Equity Matters racial equity mapping tool can help you figure out how to target your interventions more. Other racial equity tool kits (often a series of questions) can help you hone your racial equity analysis.

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Why I wrote this: To think about how we can target policy work differently

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex, Alexa, Aline, Alison, Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy, Amy P., Amy R., Andie, Andrea J., Andrea J.B., Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Aya, Barb, Barbara B., Barbara M., Barrett, Beth, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad B., Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C, Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine S., Catherine S., Chelsea, Christa, Christina B C., Christina S., Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Dana, Danielle, Danielle, Danya, Darcy, Deb, Debbie, Denyse, Diane, Ed, Edith, Edith, Eileen, Elizabeth K L., emily w, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Gail J., Genita, Gene, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H., Heather M., Heidi and Laura, Heidi S., Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jackie J., Jaime, Jake, James and Gloria, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jelena, Jen C., Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F, Jessica G., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L., Jordan S., Josie, Julia, Julia S., Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelli, Kelly, Kelly S., Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, Kymberli, LA Progressive, Laura B T., Laura G., Lauren, Laurie, Laurie, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, lisa c., Lisa C., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, MaryBeth, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Mike Q, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Natasha, Nicole, Nora, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Reiko, Risa, Rise Up for Students, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah D., Sarah H., Sarah K. B., Sarah O., Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, Shannon, Sharon B., Sharon Y., Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan M., Susan U., T W, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, tash, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., virginia, Vivian, Wendy, Will, Willow, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawai’i; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

Before we start, a reader asked a question about the authorship of blog posts. I, Erin, write almost all of the blog posts on Fakequity. If it is a guest post or by someone else on the Fakequity team, those almost always have a by-line or I explain that it wasn’t authored by me. I often don’t put a by-line on my post since I’m the main author of Fakequity.

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It’s been a while since I’ve shared some of my new favorite books. I hope you find a few good books to check out from your local library, or buy them from your favorite POC-owned bookstore. The links in the post are for the Fakequity Bookshop affiliate page. Fakequity receives a small profit which I use to purchase books by authors of color or about disabilities to donate to Title 1 public schools.

Adult Books

My friend Heidi made a passing comment about the book Take My Hand. I’m so glad I remembered the title because it is THAT GOOD. I borrowed the audio version from the library and was sucked into the historical fiction novel. The story is about a young Black public health nurse who is assigned to a family with two young Black girls who did not consent to sterilization. The book delves into medical ethics, eugenics, and medical rights.  

The Seed Keeper kept me engaged during several long commutes. Rosalie Iron Wing takes us through her life as a Dahkóa woman and eventually mother who is working to keep her connection to the land despite farming and pesticide changes that cause division within her family. Rosalie and her son also have to learn and connect with their Native histories, can farming and seeds bring them back together?

Shutter by another Native American writer, Ramona Emerson captivated my imagination. Rita is a crime scene photographer that is haunted by ghosts. She tries to block the ghosts but one persistent ghost forces Rita to confront her ability to see and talk to ghosts. If you like thrillers and mysteries, this is an entertaining book.

For non-fiction readers, Viola Davis’s memoir Finding Me was captivating. In the first half she shares about the poverty she grew up in with her family, the first half was a bit hard to get through because she lived through so much poverty. The second half of the book, Davis shares how she became the actress we know of her today. In the second half she shares a lot about her personal life and how she continues to stay grounded and connected to her family.

Picture Books

I’ve read so many good picture books over the past few months it is hard to suggest just a few favorites.

Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather’s American Journey by Katie Yamasaki, is the story of her grandfather, famed architect Minoru Yamasaki. The senior Yamasaki was the famous architect of the World Trade Center, Pacific Science Center (in Seattle), and many other famous buildings. After I read this book I went back to the library to get another book about Yamasaki to learn more about his contributions to the architectural world.

Senator Tammy Duckworth’s contributions to America are long and worthy of many books. A Life of Service: The Story of Senator Tammy Duckworth by Christina Soontornvat is a biography about Sen Duckworth, including her life as an immigrant, growing up in Hawai’i, military deployment, how she became disabled, an advocate for disabled veterans, and how she is now serving in Congress. I hope many classrooms and school libraries add this book to their shelves.

A few weeks ago I had a few extra minutes and wandered into a small public library. Out of Wonder: Celebrating Poets and Poetry was on the shelf with Kwame Alexander’s name on the cover. I’ve read some of his other books so I picked it up and ended up reading the whole book standing in the book stacks. The poetry in the book pays homage to past poets and creates new poetry and art to love.

Patchwork by Matt de la Peña has gorgeous artwork and can help to open conversations about feelings for younger kids, and help them explore their identities. It also reminds readers we can change and grow into different people at any age.

Cookbooks

I’ve been on a quest to make a really good milk bread which led me to the Modern Asian Baking at Home cookbook. I borrowed it from the library and found so many good recipes I ended up treating myself to my own copy. The ube crinkle mochi cookie recipe is scrumptious.

The Woks of Life food and recipe blog and Instagram account is one I check in often when I need food-eye-candy. Their new book The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family: A Cookbook doesn’t disappoint. The writing is fun and I enjoyed the gorgeous pictures. I haven’t made any of the recipes out of the cookbook, but I have made recipes off their blog that came out so tasty. Other people I know have made recipes from the cookbook and raved about their dishes. I plan on revisiting it soon to cook out of.

On a drive back from some Lunar New Year fun with my younger child we stopped by a Korean supermarket. While shopping I impulsively grabbed a bag of tteok, Korean rice cakes, and threw them into the basket. When I got home, I put the Korean Vegan recipe book back on my library list to find some recipes on how to create a delightful dish out of the tteok. The pictures in the cookbook are so pretty, even if you don’t cook anything out of it just flipping through the cookbook is worth the time spent.

Bonus Books

A few months ago, I read an advanced reader copy of Grounded, a middle-grade novel. It was so much fun to read. A group of Muslim kids are stuck in an airport due to bad weather. They go on a wild chase to find a lost cat in the airport. (I shared this book before and listing it again since it comes out in May 2023.)

On my to read list are the Marvel Voices comic. The series includes Heritage – Native American writers, Identity – Asian American writers, Legacy – Black writers, and Pride – LGBTQ identities.

Happy reading!

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Why I wrote this: I wrote this to share books I enjoyed from authors of color.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex, Alexa, Aline, Alison, Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy, Amy P., Amy R., Andie, Andrea J., Andrea J.B., Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Aya, Barb, Barbara B., Barbara M., Barrett, Beth, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad B., Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C, Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine S., Catherine S., Chelsea, Christa, Christina B C., Christina S., Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Dana, Danielle, Danielle, Danya, Darcy, Deb, Debbie, Denyse, Diane, Ed, Edith, Edith, Eileen, Elizabeth K L., emily w, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Gail J., Genita, Gene, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H., Heather M., Heidi and Laura, Heidi S., Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jackie J., Jaime, Jake, James and Gloria, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jelena, Jen C., Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F, Jessica G., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L., Jordan S., Josie, Julia, Julia S., Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelli, Kelly, Kelly S., Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, Kymberli, LA Progressive, Laura B T., Laura G., Lauren, Laurie, Laurie, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, lisa c., Lisa C., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, MaryBeth, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Mike Q, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Natasha, Nicole, Nora, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Reiko, Risa, Rise Up for Students, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah D., Sarah H., Sarah K. B., Sarah O., Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, Shannon, Sharon B., Sharon Y., Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan M., Susan U., T W, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, tash, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., virginia, Vivian, Wendy, Will, Willow, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawaii; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

Over the past few months, several friends have confided in me about how bad their nonprofit CEOs are behaving. The nonprofits are in different parts of the US and with friends who don’t know each other. In each of these very different situations, the employees didn’t feel like they had a way to have their complaints heard without losing their jobs. It is time for the nonprofit sector to reform board structures to represent employees’ needs more openly and fully.

I’ve worked for or volunteered for nonprofit organizations for most of my professional life. I’ve been part of large nonprofits to small organizations, including one where I was the sole staff for about six months. All of these organizations had a board of directors. Many of the boards governing the nonprofits I worked for were well run and took their roles as board members thoughtfully and seriously. I also serve on nonprofit boards and understand my role there.

One of the problems I now see is boards are not there to represent staff. Boards are currently designed to have one person to manage – the executive. This is a fail-safe to make sure staff do not have multiple people giving them instructions. Boards are also there to ensure the mission of the organization stays on track overall, not to be in the day-to-day activities of an organization.

Yet, listening to my friends, I could sense how demoralized they felt by having to work under mismanagement. My friends had very few conduits to report the mismanagement that were ‘safe.’ They didn’t feel like they could talk to board members without the risk of being ‘ratted out’ to the Executive Director who had a reputation for firing people for lesser offenses. It made me realize we need to reform nonprofit board governance to ensure we’re holding nonprofit executives accountable to the mission, inclusive of staff feedback.

Many of the board practices we use today were inherited from institutional practices designed to protect whiteness. We need to adapt nonprofit practices to embrace changing workforce needs. As the US shifts its demographics more POCs will enter nonprofit workforces, a good thing. And we need to recognize a lot of nonprofit leaders come from dominant trait backgrounds. I’m being purposeful in saying dominant trait backgrounds, since many POC leaders may fall into these categories – college educated, English literate, able to navigate bureaucracies and power structures, access to powerful networks of people – which helps leaders gain success. The danger comes when leaders are not accountable back to the staff and clients of an organization.

Many people will say staff and boards shouldn’t interact with each other. I believe there is a fallacy in there. Good relationships based on trust and professionalism can be healthy. Care needs to be taken to ensure both sides understand their roles and how to process conflicts and disagreements in productive ways. There will be a few cases where a disgruntled employee may have choice words to share, but I also believe reasonable people can figure out which feedback is valid and which is bogus. Such as if there is a pattern to the complaints is there something to pay attention to? Is the complaint personal or pointing out systemic failures within the organization? Have the staff tried to resolve the problem at lower levels and escalate it to the board because their problems have been ignored?

I also want to note there will be times when POC staff will bring up concerns that are racialized. It is extra important that these complaints are not ignored. They need to be handled promptly. If your board receives these complaints and is unsure how to handle them, ask for help from professionals (while maintaining the confidentiality of the staff member who brought you the complaint).

Boards also need to be ready to actively listen, investigate fairly, and manage an executive when negative feedback arises. Too often boards are loyal to an executive and explain away bad behavior rather than coach, manage, or if needed terminate an executive. I’ve seen a lot of nonprofits lose a lot of momentum and clients suffer because boards did not act quickly enough to manage executives who were poor managers. The staff, clients, and cause suffered unduly.

Instituting practices such as 360-Reviews, creating and promoting confidential ways for staff to provide feedback or report misconduct and have it acted upon, and other practices can help to ensure there is accountability of executives.

In order for nonprofits to evolve boards need to evolve with them.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

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If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawaii; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

Hi All, I had a pretty important error in the original post. Lunar New Year for 2023 is Sunday, 22 JANUARY –two days away. Thus, I’m republishing the post so it lands in your inboxes with the correct date.

It is Lunar New Year (LNY) – Sunday, 22 January. Lunar New Year is one of my favorite not-holiday holidays. It is one of the few times a year Asians get to publicly celebrate our Asian-ness and be full-out Asian.

Several Asian friends (Chinese and Vietnamese) let me eavesdrop on their LNY conversation. I’m Japanese-American, and most Japanese don’t celebrate LNY as heartily as other Asian ethnicities; Japan follows the Gregorian calendar of new years beginning 1 January. I like to celebrate LNY in solidarity with my other Asians.

Here are some LNY things to do and not do:

First Lunar New Year – It has nothing to do with white men walking on the moon or feeling like they conquered it (h/t Carrie). It is an ancient/old practice rooted in many communities, especially Asian communities – do not colonize the moon or lunar new year.

Do:	Don’t:
Celebrate Lunar New Year	Don’t schedule meetings on this day and treat it like a normal business day
Call it Lunar New Year or if referring to a specific ethnic group’s celebration their name for the day: Chūn Jié in China, Tết in Viet Nam, Losar in Tibet, Seollal 설날 in Korea	Don’t assume everyone refers to the day in the same way. In the US saying Lunar New Years is a good way to encompass many Asian LNY traditions. Pay attention to regional differences too. In Hawai’i we referred to it as Chinese New Year because of the heavy influence of Chinese in Hawai’i, Seattle it is more commonly referred to as Lunar New Year.
Do learn some LNY greetings. Here is a helpful link for Chinese greetings Vietnamese greeting Korean greeting	Don’t ignore the day or just grunt. When in doubt say Happy Lunar New Year and mean it.
Do give red envelopes filled with crisp money	Don’t give crumpled or dirty money. Don’t give white death envelopes.
Do give money in red envelopes in even numbers	Don’t give in denominations of four — $4, $40, $400. Four is associated with death.
Do give out red envelopes	Don’t ask for red envelopes, very bad form
Do celebrate with live flowers (potted flowers) or in Vietnam peach (Hoa Dao) or apricot (Hoa Mai) blossoms.	Don’t put out dead flowers, duh. Chinese do not believe in giving cut flowers since they are traditionally used in funerals.
Do clean your house before LNY	Don’t sweep or take out the garbage on New Years day, superstition you’ll sweep or dump your luck away
Do eat lucky foods on LNY	Don’t eat porridge for breakfast, you don’t want to start the year eating ‘poor people’s food.’ Along with this don’t eat meat for breakfast out of respect to Buddha
Do get a haircut and wash your hair BEFORE LNY	Don’t use scissors, knives, or wash your hair during LNY. It is considered bad luck.
Do give gifts	But not these gifts (Chinese) – shoes, dolls, knives, and pears, see the link for the full list.
Do visit friends and relatives	But do it respectfully. A friend said her family practice in Hong Kong was to not visit on the third day, that was a day to rest so you didn’t argue with family. A very wise and practical practice.
Do remember many will celebrate with firecrackers to ward off evil spirits (or go watch other people’s firecrackers)	Do not call the police reporting the noise or saying it is gunfire, put that Karen-ism away for LNY

Please remember there are many ways to celebrate LNY and different ethnic groups practice it differently. Some of the practices listed above skew more Chinese, so please don’t assume they are universal for all Asians celebrating LNY.

Happy Lunar New Year! Happy Year of the Rabbit (Chinese) and Year of the Cat (Vietnamese).

h/t to the side eye dog owners for prompting this post — KY, PCW, and BN.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex, Alexa, Aline, Alison, Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy, Amy P., Amy R., Andie, Andrea J., Andrea J.B., Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Aya, Barb, Barbara B., Barbara M., Barrett, Beth, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad B., Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C, Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine S., Catherine S., Chelsea, Christa, Christina B C., Christina S., Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Dana, Danielle, Danielle, Danya, Darcy, Deb, Debbie, Denyse, Diane, Ed, Edith, Edith, Eileen, Elizabeth K L., Elizabeth U, emily w, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Gail J., Genita, Gene, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H., Heather M., Heidi and Laura, Heidi S., Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jackie J., Jaime, Jake, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jelena, Jen C., Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F, Jessica G., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L., Jordan S., Julia, Julia S., Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelli, Kelly, Kelly S., Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, Kymberli, LA Progressive, Laura B T., Laura G., Lauren, Laurie, Laurie, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, lisa c., Lisa C., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, MaryBeth, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Mike Q, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Natasha, Nicole, Nora, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Reiko, Risa, Rise Up for Students, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah H., Sarah K. B., Sarah O., Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, Shannon, Sharon B., Sharon Y., Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan M., Susan U., T W, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, tash, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., virginia, Vivian, Wendy, Will, Willow, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawaii; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.

I learned last year this annual list of dates is a valued part of the Fakequity blog. Last year I didn’t publish it in early January and multiple people reached out to ask if it would return. I heard you and this year I made sure to make it the second post of the new year. If you value this post (and other blog posts), please consider becoming a Patreon subscriber and financially supporting the blog, and hit the subscribe button on the right sidebar (desktop/laptop computers) to have the blog delivered to your inbox — they help to keep the blog going.

Since it is a new year it is time to pull out your calendars and mark these significant dates. This is a list of culturally important dates for different racial, ethnic, religious, or other groups that often don’t show up on Western dominant calendars. I purposefully do not include common dates that show up on Western calendars (i.e. Valentine’s Day, Christian Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas). Those dates are easy to find and this list was designed to purposefully center POCs and in some cases other groups who are often overlooked.

This list was compiled with the help of friends, my social media feeds, and basic internet research. It is biased towards US West Coast populations (where I live and have relationships with people and groups). Please check the dates with your local communities to see which ones are important to them and WHEN and how they celebrate, there are often local nuances to these dates. If you have corrections or see omissions please email fakequity@gmail.com.

2023 Dates

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – 1/16/23
• International Holocaust Remembrance Day — 1/27/23  – annual date 1/27
• Lunar New Year (Chinese) – Year of the Rabbit/ Tet (Vietnamese) / Seollal (Korean) – 1/22/23
• Setsuban, end of winter start of spring (Japanese) – 2/3/23
• Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) – 2/18/23
• Mardi Gras – 2/21/23
• Hinamatsuri – Girl’s Day (Japanese) – 3/3/23 – annual date 3/3
• Holi – 3/6/23 sundown, ends 3/7/23 sundown
• Ramadan – 3/22 (sundown) – 4/21/23 (tentative dates, dependent on the sighting of the moon. Follows the lunar calendar.)
• Eretria Easter, Coptic Easter – 4/16/23
• Baisakhi / Vaisakhi (Sikh New Year) – 4/14/23 – generally celebrated on 13 or 14 of April every year
• Orthodox Easter – 4/16/23
• Ethiopian Orthodox Easter – 4/16/23
• Pesach / Passover (Jewish) – 4/5 (sundown) – 4/13/23 (nightfall)
• Eid ul-Fitr – 4/22/23, the date may vary due to local practices, 4/22, 4/23, 4/24. US date is 4/22/23.
• Children’s / Boy’s Day (Japanese) – 5/5/23 –annual date 5 May
• Vesak / Vesākha / Vaiśākha / Wesak/ Buddha Jayanti / Buddha Purnima / Buddha Day (Buddhist) – 4/8/23, 5/4/23, 5/5/23, 5/6/23, 5/19/23, 6/2/23, or 6/4/23 (follows the lunar calendar)
• Kamehameha Day (Hawai’i) – 6/11/23 – annual date 6/11
• Juneteenth – 6/19/23 – annual date 6/19
• Shavuot (Jewish) – 5/25-5/27/23 [corrected 1/26/23]
• Summer Solstice (northern hemisphere) – 6/21/23 @ 7.57 a.m. PDT, 14.57 UTC
• Hajj (Islam) – 6/26/23 (starts evening) – 7/1/23
• Eid al-Adha – 6/28/23 (sundown), or 6/26-7/4, 7/10, or 7/29/23
• Tish’a B’Av (Jewish) – 7/26-7/27/23 [corrected 1/26/23]
• Liberation Day (Guam) – 7/21/23 – annual date 7/21
• Enkutatash – Ethiopian New Year – 9/11/23, annual date 9/11
• Mid-Autumn Festival / Mooncake Festival – 9/29/23
• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) – 9/15- 9/17/23 (starts sundown)
• Yom Kippur (Jewish) – 9/24 -9/25/23 (starts sundown)
• Sukkot (Jewish) – 9/29-10/1/23, 10/2-10/6/23
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – 9/13 – annually recognized
• Prophet Muhammed’s birthday (Palestine) – 9/27/23
• Lotu Tamaiti – White Sunday (Samoa) – 10/8/23 – Second Sunday of October, public holiday
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day – 10/9/23 – observed the second Monday of October
• All Saints Day – 11/1/23 (annual date 1 Nov)
• Día de los Muertos – 11/1/23 (annual date 1 Nov)
• All Souls Day – 11/2/23  (annual date 2 Nov)
• Diwali / Deepavali / Dipavali / Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikh) – 11/12/23
• Transgender Day of Remembrance – 11/20/23 – annual date 11/20
• Bodhi Day (Buddhist) – 12/8/23- annual date 8 Dec, or 1/18/24 for lunar Bodhi Day
• Human Rights Day – 12/10/23 – annual date 10 Dec
• Las Posadas and Noche Buena (Christian Latin American) – 12/16-24/23 – annual dates 16-24 Dec
• Simbang Gabi (Filipino) – 12/16 – 12/24/23
• Winter Equinox (northern hemisphere) 12/21/23, 7.27 p.m. PST
• Hanukkah / Chanukah – 12/7-12/15/23 (starts and ends at nightfall)
• St. Nicholas Feast Day (Orthodox) — 12/6/23, some observe the date as 12/5/23
• Kwanzaa – 12/26-1/1/24 – annual dates 12/26-1/1
• Orthodox / Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas / Eritrean Orthodox Christmas (Note: Not all Orthodox celebrate Christmas on this day, many celebrate Christmas on 12/25, the 1/7/24 date follows the ‘old calendar’) – 1/7/24
• Korean American Day — 1/13/24, annual date 1/13

For a complete list of Jewish holiday dates, please consult this list.

New Years Dates

• Orthodox New Year – 1/14/23
• Lunar New Year (Chinese) / Tet (Vietnamese) / Seollal (Korean) – 1/22/23
• Losar / Tibetan New Year – 2/21/23
• Tsagaan Sar/ White Moon (Mongolian) – 2/21/23
• Persian Nowruz / Iranian New Year – 3/20 – 3/21/23
• Naw-Rúz / first day of the Baháʼí calendar – 3/20-21/23
• Nyepi Bali Hindu New Year – 3/22/23
• Ugaadhi / Telegu and Kannada New Year – 3/22/23
• Baisakhi / Vaisakhi (Sikh) – 4/13/23
• Thingyan (water festival) / Burmese New Year Festival – 4/17/23
• Aluth Avurudda (Sinhalese New Year, Sri Lanka) – 4/13-4/14/23
• Songkran (Thailand) – 4/13-4/15/23
• Khmer New Year – 4/14-16/23
• Bun Pi Mai (Lao) – 4/13 – 4/15/23
• Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh – 4/14/23
• Matariki, Maori New Year (New Zealand) – 6/14/23
• Al-Hijra / Muharram (Islamic/Muslim), Islamic New Year (Palestine) – 7/19/23
• Enkutatash / Ethiopian New Year – 9/12/23
• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) – 9/15- 9/17/23 (starts sundown)
• Diwali / Deepavali / Dipavali / Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikh) – 11/12/23
• Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikh) – 11/30/23

Monthly Recognitions

• January – none
• February –African American History Month, Black History Month
• March – Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Deaf History Month (March 13-April 15)
• April – Arab American Heritage Month
• May – Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month
• June – LGBT Pride Month
• July – Disability Pride Month
• August – Black Business Month
• September – Hispanic Heritage Month (15 Sept – 15 Oct)
• October – Disability Employment Awareness Month, Filipino American History Month, LGBT History Month
• November – Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month
• December – Universal Human Rights Month

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex, Alexa, Aline, Alison, Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy, Amy P., Amy R., Andie, Andrea J., Andrea J.B., Angelica, Angelina, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Aya, Barb, Barbara B., Barbara M., Barrett, Beth, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad B., Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C, Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine S., Catherine S., Chelsea, Christa, Christina B C., Christina S., Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Dana, Danielle, Danielle, Danya, Darcy, Deb, Debbie, Denyse, Diane, Ed, Edith, Edith, Eileen, Elizabeth K L., Elizabeth U, emily w, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Gail J., Genita, Gene, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H., Heather M., Heidi and Laura, Heidi S., Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jackie J., Jaime, Jake, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jelena, Jen C., Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F, Jessica G., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L., Jordan S., Julia, Julia S., Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelli, Kelly, Kelly S., Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, Kymberli, LA Progressive, Laura B T., Laura G., Lauren, Laurie, Laurie, Leah, Lily, Liora, lisa c., Lisa C., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, MaryBeth, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Mike Q, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Natasha, Nicole, Nora, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Reiko, Risa, Rise Up for Students, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah H., Sarah K. B., Sarah O., Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, Shannon, Sharon B., Sharon Y., Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan M., Susan U., T W, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, tash, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., virginia, Vivian, Wendy, Will, Willow, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawaii; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.