Thread by @drlucymichael

Since last summer, there has been a really welcome growth in the number of organisations looking to engage positively with questions around equality, diversity and inclusion. This week I've had a really interesting set of discussions with colleagues of all backgrounds about how

we choose the organisations and events we engage with. This is an area where we are all learning constantly, and as the landscape changes (and many things stay the same), having a plan for how to assess your approach with new organisations is crucial.

Earlier I shared a short list of questions with some peers often invited to speak on diversity issues. I am a white woman, so those questions are crucial to me trying to get it right when I take a platform (I don't always get it right, and have sometimes got it very wrong).

Amongst those peers are a woman who is racialised, who has spoken vocally about racism and the need for diversity in her industry, but who, like so many others like her fighting for inclusion, is concerned about tokenism at public events and lack of follow-through.

Another racialised woman has taken on a high-profile position in her sector, and suddenly received loads of invitations to speak to organisations that have not been very visible in their equality and diversity efforts to date.

Both of them found these questions helpful, and I share some below in the hope they will help both those invited to speak, and those doing the inviting, to think about what speakers on 'diversity' add, and how to best use that platform for panellists, keynotes & respondents.

Who did you invite first? Why did you want to hear my voice particularly on this issue? Who would you invite if I said no?

What would be the most challenging thing for your audience to hear right now? Who was the last speaker in your organisation on diversity? How was their message received?

Is there buy-in from senior leadership on these issues or are you hoping my talk will help push them to commitment?
Who is the group in your organisation most resistant to change? Why?

There are no perfect answers to choosing how and where to use our platforms. I keep a list of speakers that I can suggest to organisations and use it and update it regularly. I've mentored people who I want to be able to take up platforms but needed confidence to do so.

We are all still learning, and as I said above, we all get it wrong from time to time. Sharing good practice and the challenges is one way up. I hope this thread will encourage some of you to pick up conversation with me, privately or publicly, about how we do better. Thanks.

Two more things I've tried that worked. 1. Black and ethnic minority women are persistently underpaid and underemployed. Press for speaker fees and parity for all invitees. 2. Single speaker events can be turned into dialogues between 2 speakers. Share the platform.