26 Mar 2021

Diversity Lens - Issue 69

Diversity Lens - Issue 133 Diversity Lens - Issue 132 Diversity Lens - Issue 131

Mar 26

Diversity Lens - Issue 69

Welcome to Diversity Lens.
Diversifying your news consumption.

Are you feeling burned out?

As we pass the one year anniversary of the first UK lockdown, monotonous routines and long hours are truly taking their toll. Harvard Business Review has dubbed it a 'burnout epidemic'.

Scroll down for some practical solutions to beat burnout provided by HBR themselves to help yourself, and those working alongside you.

OUR STORY OF THE WEEK

'How AI lets bigots and trolls flourish while censoring LGBTQ+ voices' www.mic.com

Thiago Dias Oliva studies anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech online. He has conducted studies into the artificial intelligence tool Perspective which assigns text a 'toxicity' rating. His results found major flaws in the software which identified a Black, gay drag queen's tweets as more 'toxic' than a white nationalist, or Donald Trump.

Queer activists and creators have long maintained that their content is 'over-policed' while a whole host of considerably more harmful content is under-policed.

"Hate speech and harassment are all about context", says Jillian York, citing how the oppressed often turn insults into empowerment speech. AI possesses the nuance to account for this - but with the tech industry still struggling with diversity, it so often fails to accommodate these contexts.

Forward

In Other News...

Young lesbians most likely to be lonely in lockdown

9 in 10 young lesbians have admitted to feeling lonely and separated from people that they are closest to during the pandemic - a report from Just Like Us has revealed. 1,140 LGBTQ+ secondary school pupils were asked how they have felt on a daily basis since the pandemic began. Although lesbians are the most affected, this report speaks to the broader issue of young people's mental health.Read more... (2 minutes)

Black history lessons to be made mandatory in Welsh schools

Wales is the first country in the UK to make Black history teaching mandatory in school curriculums. The clause comes after 35,000 signatures called for the histories of people of colour to be included in the education system. Professor Charlotte Williams has stated that the new curriculum would make a 'significant change' and enable 'every child to learn about contributions that have shaped the Welsh nation.'
Read more... (5.5 minutes)

Video of the Week...

How can we help end hair discrimination?

At least 93% of black people with afro hair in the UK have experienced micro-aggressions.

This Week in D&I...

Steps to take when you’re starting to feel burned out
"Challenges that were formerly manageable feel insurmountable." Sound familiar? Whether through excess emotional labour or lack of resources and support, burnout has become the norm for many. Whether you're noticing it in yourself or your employees, don't ignore burnout but take steps to address it.
Read more... (6 minutes)

Pride in Education 2021: Open call for contributions

Pride in Education is a bi-yearly gobal virtual conference which focuses on LGBTQI+ inclusion in all aspects of Education set up in June 2020 to support people through the pandemic. The first conference was launched by Bonnie Greer and Sir Derek Jacobi and attracted over 1000 people. The next event will kick off on Friday 11th June, and you're invited to submit a presentation. Deadline 6th April.

Upcoming Events...

Applying for the Racial Justice Lead role at Amnesty International?

Sign up to join an online session on AIUK’s new strategy 2022-2030. Learn more about AIUK’s commitments to anti-racism, insights into the role, and gain the opportunity to ask any questions related to your application!