Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

I am the creator of the Hallmark Writing Studio Vibrant Voices Diversity Blog, creating space to raise awareness, encourage honest conversation, foster connection, and affect change by sharing research, cultural insights, and the human stories and lived experiences around the lives of vastly diverse consumers.

I am also a co-creator of a creative team of writers, researchers, academics, and educators helping to inform and train employees around cultural sensitivity issues using an historical lens to help build a stronger culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and mutual respect.

I believe in the power of tender-hearted people, those people who see pain, misunderstanding, disrespect, and disconnection in the world and are called to make change.

I believe in the power of empathy, that uniquely human ability that gives us the ability to view the world from another person’s place and say, “Now, I understand.” 

I believe that empathy is the first step to understanding, respecting and caring for one another. 

I believe in starting hard but honest conversations.

I believe in the hard work of listening without fear, speaking without blame, hearing without guilt.

I believe in extending grace to one another as we stutter and stumble and work our way through.

I believe that when minds are closed we can open them and when hearts are broken we can help heal them.

I believe we can make the world better by reaching out and across difference, that it’s hard to hate or fear someone when we have done the hard work of knowing them like we want to be known. 

I believe that through honest discussions of our completely diverse and fully human identities and experiences we can come together to the gathering place of our common and collective core humanity.

I know this is hard work. I know it’s easier to turn away, to stick with who we know and what makes us most comfortable. But I know this hard work will bring the change we seek.

I’m proudly tender-hearted. I care deeply, and I believe in the power of human connection. And, I believe that extending grace and love is never wrong.

Come talk with me.

Melvina