Welcome to Jess’ DEIA Corner 🙂 I’m Jessica Lin, C’23 and E’24. During my time at Penn, I was previously the DEI Coordinator and Tech Chair for PAC Exec and part of Glee, iNtuitons, and TAC-e.
This is a space dedicated to sharing engaging books, podcasts, TEDTalks, films, and articles that are relevant to DEIA. My hope is that these resources can spark change on the individual level through reflection and then impact the way we show up for our groups, the performing arts community, other Penn spheres, and in our personal lives in general.
Enjoy your backstage pass to all things DEIA! Feel free to reach out to me with feedback or your thoughts on the suggested content at jesslin@sas.upenn.edu.
“Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds” by Adrienne Maree Brown In this book, Adrienne Maree Brown uses elements found in nature to convey ideas like resilience, interconnectedness, and change. The author mentions how “change is constant.” The world is always changing around us and we must be flexible and adapt
“The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World” by Jamil Zaki Empathy is in short supply and we need more of it. Jamil Zaki, professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, explains the benefits of empathy and how we can
“Building Community Through Listening” by Johnny Trinh Johnny Trinh, an artist and poet, speaks about his time as an artist-in-residence at Connective (previously called John Howard Society ) in partnership with the Community Arts Council of Vancouver (CACV). In his work, he goes into communities and helps them create art
“Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice” by Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow In this book, Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow (founders of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law) provide a guide with practical tools on how to
“Your Identity is Your Superpower” by America Ferrera America Ferrera (actress from Ugly Betty and Barbie) details how in her journey of auditioning, she was constantly put in a box. She’s shares an anecdote about how she was asked, “Could you do that again but this just time sound more
The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias: How To Reframe Bias, Cultivate Connection, and Create High-Performing Teams by Pamela Fuller and Mark Murphy with Anne Chow “The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias” by Pamela Fuller is a comprehensive resource offering leaders practical strategies to navigate and mitigate unconscious bias in the
The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging by Charles Vogl (Penn Libraries) (Amazon) “The Art of Community” by Charles Vogl explores seven principles for fostering a strong sense of belonging within communities. Vogl emphasizes the importance of invitations in making people feel genuinely welcome and defines community as “mutual
Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. Cohen What does it mean to belong? Cohen delves into the science behind creating this sense of belonging and explores research showing how individuals’ beliefs about belonging can influence their behavior, academic performance, and relationships. Cohen discusses practical