“What me? I am not _____ist!”
Presented by: Erin Cross

In this interactive session, we’ll look at how existing work cultures, societal structures and norms, and how we ourselves personally contribute to dynamics that inadvertently or purposefully hinder the belonging of some of our team members. We’ll use real world examples and give you skills for your toolkit and affirm you are not alone in ongoing self-examination while making change for others to truly believe they belong.

Participants will:

• Recognize how many current workplace and societal norms (un)intentionally exclude team members based on their identities.
• Explore how each of us (un)intentionally makes some team members feel as if they do not belong.
• Obtain basic skills to begin to address personal biases and defensiveness.
• Learn a few best practices and brainstorm ideas to examine and improve their work cultures to make sustainable change toward team member belonging.

Born in Cleveland, OH; married to an amazing woman; mom to an adorable pup; proud stepmom and godmother; loves laughing; loyal to a fault; lifelong learner; striving for equity, justice, and belonging; professional queer; and someone with a great eyeglasses and sneaker game.

Dr. Erin Cross is the LGBT Center Director at the University of Pennsylvania, where she has advocated for and expanded LGBTQ+ campus supports for almost 25 years; most recently around systemic and physical plant changes respecting gender identity, inclusive healthcare and classrooms, mentoring efforts, and ongoing education of coaches and faculty about LGBTQ+ issues, among others. She serves as LGBTQ+ Faculty Working Group co-chair and increased Center ties to the West Philadelphia community through several ongoing partnerships. Outside of the Center, Erin co-founded White Educators Committed to Anti-Racism and Equity (WE-CARE) to support white employees addressing racism, convenes the campus-wide DEI group, and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Penn’s Graduate School of Education and affiliate faculty with Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies/Center for Research in Feminist, Queer, & Transgender Studies. Erin was named a member of the inaugural class of Pennsylvania’s Pride Power 100 by PA City & State, one of the inaugural Metro Philadelphia’s Pride Power 100, and has won four Models of Excellence Awards, Penn’s highest staff honor.

Erin earned her BA from the College of Wooster, MA from Penn State, and PhD from Penn. She is on the Board of Directors of A Book a Day, a child-centered West Philadelphia nonprofit dedicated to generating arts-related opportunities for children that reflect their diversity and realities through book donations, author/student dialogs, and project based learning. Although proudly from Cleveland, Ohio, Erin is now a godmother, stepmom, and dog mama who calls West Philadelphia home with her wife, Amy.

Lecture Details:

When: Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00pm ET
Cost: $25
Location: Virtual via Zoom

All attendees will receive a Zoom link to the Lecture on the morning on June 13th at approximately 9:00am ET. The link will be sent from Constant Contact to the email that you used to register.