Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) 101, with Tayah Butler and Danya Perry

On today’s episode, Tayah Butler and Danya Perry discuss what we should be doing at Poole College of Management (and at all colleges and universities) to help grow the conversation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and how we can embed DEI into the curriculum. As Tayah looks at it, she’s like “a river guide, an expert river guide. Because when we’re trying to navigate the challenges that we encounter in diversity, equity and inclusion as both individuals, and then also as organizations, there are some smooth rivers that we can float down easily, but then there are some moments where it really is a rough ride.”  Today, Tayah and Danya look at what students, faculty, and organizations can do to navigate the sometimes choppy waters.

Tayah Butler is the first director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Poole College of Management at NC State University.  Danya Perry is the Director of Equitable Economic Development at Wake County Economic Development and the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Raleigh Chamber.

Transcript

Jenny: All right. So Tayah, let’s start with you. As mentioned in your intro, you were recently appointed Poole College’s first Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Tell us a little bit about this role and why now, more than ever, it’s important to have this position in Poole College.

Tayah: Well, thank you, Jenny, for kind of leading with that question. So, if it’s okay, I’m going to reach into a part of my identity that’s a really big deal to me, and that is from being from the Pacific Northwest. So, I’m going to make an analogy here for the role with something that a lot of us in the Northwest we would be familiar with.

And I see a role like this as a river guide, an expert river guide. Why do I say that? It’s because when we’re trying to navigate the challenges that we encounter in diversity, equity and inclusion as both individuals, and then also as organizations, there are some like smooth rivers that we can float down there. There’s some walks that are, you know, changes and things we can do easily, but then there are some moments where it really is a rough ride, and the role of a, you know, Executive Diversity Officer or Chief Diversity Officer, or in my case, College Director of Diversity Equity Inclusion. 

We are the ones that kind of know what level of situation that we’re encountering, and we are the ones that have got the tools. We’ve got the experience and we can guide right, everyone in our raft through those challenging times and not lose anybody in the process, which is probably the ultimate goal. And when we get through that, you know, on the other side, everyone looks back and say, wow, we all feel really good about this.

And we’re in a better place. So, I hope that analogy works. Right now, there’s such a high need for organizations to be evaluating their practices, their policies, their habits, their culture, and those are tough conversations and it takes some courage and it takes some resources. There are experts in this field. So, I get to be the person who brings all of those resources to table, and know what product were going to make, you know, at what point in time and in the role that I need everyone around me to play so that we can move ourselves forward.

Jenny: Wow. Wow Danya. I was reading up on your bio before we started down this path of this conversation. And it looks like you have two full-time jobs, essentially. Tell us a little bit about the work that you’re doing and how they may perhaps interact with each other.

Danya:  Yeah. Well, I, this work it it’s one of those one long continuous beautiful struggles.

Full Episode Transcript

The Poole Podcast is hosted by Jenny Hammond, and is a production of Earfluence.

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