Speaking

Rooted in a shared understanding that racism is prevalent in our society, the 3-part Speaking Series "I’m NOT a Racist", explores the ways we have all been complicit in sustaining racism.  Leading by example, Rumina shares with her audience examples of how anti-racism, particularly anti-Black racism, is showing up in our everyday lives.  By encouraging similar reflection, participants will gain an awareness of how to recognize and interrupt unconscious bias in themselves and others.

Rooted in a shared understanding that racism is prevalent in our society, the 3-part Speaking Series "I AM a Racist", explores the ways we continue to perpetuate racism in our daily lives so we can do things differently.  By looking at the roles we play, Rumina highlights ways in which our unconscious biases result in behaviours that are frequently overtly or covertly racist. Audience members will develop strategies on how to recognize biases in themselves and others. 

This invigorating presentation takes the audience on a journey towards the intersection of experiencing racism, the resulting trauma, the impact on health, and the path towards healing. Rumina uses her clinical social work background, her trauma certification, her lived experience, and her expertise in anti-racism, to bring audience members to a shared understanding of how racism affects mental and emotional wellbeing. 

As our collective anxiety increases as a result of the current Pandemic, so has our isolation from others. How then, are organizations supposed to keep up with the wellbeing of their employees, when there are so many competing demands for businesses? This presentation allows the audience an opportunity to reflect on how to be intentional about anti-racism, equity and inclusion during a time when self-preservation feels more urgent. With a “people first” philosophy, Rumina speaks across organizational levels on how to prioritize inclusion and promote self-care in a remote world in real time.

Our biases lead us to make assumptions and determinations about people’s behaviours based on our own lived experiences. In this engaging talk, Rumina teaches her audience to go from seeing things only from their perspective, to considering another’s viewpoint. Unlocking this awareness creates a shortcut to identifying when our judgments and assessments are grounded in bias rather than truth. Using three key words, Rumina will offer participants a simple, easy-to-use method to enhance empathy and compassion for themselves and others to use towards anti-racism in their personal and professional relationships.

In this sought-after presentation, Rumina shares insights on how to engage in race-based conversations. Regardless of your racial identity, age, gender, or role, if you bring up the topic of racism, all of those are at play. Whether you are addressing problematic behaviour of an employee, or raising microaggressions in the workplace to your employer, tact and diplomacy are required. There are ways to enter those discussions to reduce the risk of unintended harm and increase the likelihood of a shared understanding. Rumina will guide participants through the parallel process model while encouraging humility and grace when discussing race.