Compassionate Cultures

How has your organisation ensured that staff understand the importance of and how to use inclusive language? Recently, a few U.K. companies have faced legal action because of a lack of knowledge about what is and isn’t acceptable (such as calling someone the wrong name or using sexist language). Listen and share this episode to learn about what constitutes inclusive language, why it’s important, t...

In this episode, we dive into the fundamentals of cultural competence. Discover what cultural competence entails and why it is crucial in modern workplaces. Rebbecca Hemmings shares practical strategies for improving cross-cultural communication and encouraging an inclusive environment. We also explore real-world scenarios and common challenges, providing actionable insights to help you navigate c...

Join us on the Compassionate Cultures Podcast for an insightful episode defining Cultural Humility. In just 18 minutes, we unpack the concept of cultural humility and its critical role in fostering inclusive and respectful workplaces. Using afro hair discrimination in UK schools as an example, we demonstrate how the issue could have been approached using cultural humility. The episode also demonst...

How do you make change when you feel you have little or no power? Maybe you aren’t in a typical position of leadership, or you feel your influence is limited. In this episode, Rebbecca explores how she successfully uses her soft power and influence to make change. This conversation is based on a leadership insight session, where Rebbecca was asked to share her soft power experiences. Get two FREE...

Tune into this episode for exclusive access to the talk on racial microaggressions I (Rebbecca Hemmings) gave at the Health and Well-Being Show at Work in March 2024 at the Birmingham NEC. Understand the word, learn the different types of microaggressions, and hear plenty of examples. Get two FREE Lessons from our Time to Talk About Race course here: https://www.strawberrywordscourses.co.uk/free-t...

Continuing this series on undoing unconscious biases, in this episode I take a look through a section of the academic paper Follow the Science: Proven Strategies for Reducing Unconscious Bias by David Hoffman and Helen Winter from Harvard Law School. What a fascinating read!  Tune in to learn their findings on how to reduce unconscious biases on a group level. Let us know what you thought abo...

An interaction on the UK TV show The Apprentice forms the basis of this episode on undoing your unconscious biases. Using a situation that occurred between two show participants, where one displayed their biases toward the other, I talk through a method to identify, challenge and address her unconscious biases. Listen to learn how you too can discover your unconscious biases in the moment and work...

Learn how using Contact Theory developed by theorist Gordon Allport can help you to reduce or diminish your unconscious biases.   Let us know what you thought about this episode. Listen to the Compassionate Cultures Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and the Strawberry Words website. 

Many organisations find it tricky to attract ethnic minorities for projects, consultations, jobs, etc… In this episode I share my 5 top tips to consider when embarking on such a task. Make sure you’re taking notes! Learn about common pitfalls, how to change thinking around the term “hard-to-reach” and some of the best ways to find people of a global majority background with whom to connect.

This week’s guest came all the way from Arizona, US. Racial justice expert and founder of 4 Da Hood, Frank Velasquez Jr spoke ‘frankly’ and openly about the challenges faced and powerful techniques used in developing leaders from global majority backgrounds. Listeners learn why ‘asset-based’ language is the way forward in avoiding deficit-laden labels, comparisons to terminology used to describe b...

In the immediate aftermath of the recent racist and sexist comments made about the first British Black MP Diane Abbott, this episode was created to help black women process the pain felt and to offer allies ways to support them. By breaking down the meaning of the term ‘misogynoir’ and sharing key books that share explanations on how black women and often been forgotten in the feminist movement an...

One of the most frequently asked questions during training is: “How can I be an ally?”. Sharing scholar Tema Jon Okun’s 6 R’s of Antiracism, Rebbecca explains in clear terms some of the key actions that can be taken to help racialised people get justice and with the fairness they deserve. This is an essential listen for anyone wanting to adopt an antiracist identity. Let us know what you thought a...

British born Helen Gibson has been living on the beautiful isle of Ireland for over 30 years. In that time, the racial climate has changed. In this episode Helen talks about her experiences, the challenges faced by some racialised people and the effects of the migrant crisis currently taking place in Eire. Listen to the Compassionate Cultures Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and th...

Continuing the conversation from Part One, Nathan and Sipho explore the animation industry and its role communities and increasing diversity. Nathan speaks of ‘building bridges’ between communities and creativity, and the potential to address mental health issues. Listen to the Compassionate Cultures Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and the Strawberry Words website. Tell us what yo...

Having been invited to deliver antiracism training in Ireland, I had to grapple with the challenge of talking about race, racism and antiracism in an Irish context. Given the nation’s history of having to face racism themselves, this raised all sorts of issues. Tune in to find out how I navigated this challenge and to learn about the unique insights I gained while doing the research. Let us know w...

Guest hosted by Strawberry Words’ trainer and creative Sipho Ndlovu, he interviews award-winning animator and entrepreneur, Nathan Addai. They CAREfully speak about Nathan’s work as a creative, his multi-media brand and black men’s mental health in a creative context. Listen to The Mentalist Roots Podcast here: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-mental-roots-podcast-nathan-addai-FbcINZJjHyX/...

Director & co-writer of the play Wanted (produced by Gazebo Theatre) tells the hidden stories of trailblazing women. In this episode we spend time learning about Olive Morris, a British-Jamaican woman, member of the Black Panthers, and an activist for women’s and squatter’s rights, and Tonia’s reasons for writing about her. In her energetic and passionate manner, Tonia also sheds some light on...

When talking about race, sometimes I feel the need to avoid the more difficult topics and moments. Find out the 5 reasons why I do this as they may prove useful to you when in similar circumstances. Let me know what you thought about this episode: On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strawberry_wordsuk/ On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DvmenplX7BbkKRnSGTbs3 Read more about our Time to...

Faced with a microaggression, what do you say in the moment? How can you respond if you’ve been accused of a racial microaggression? Listen as I work through an incident in the park with a lady and her dog, where I didn’t say what I now wished I had said. Let us know what you thought about this episode: On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strawberry_wordsuk/ On Spotify: https://open.spotify.co...

Challenge yourself in this multiple choice quiz and learn more about suitable language to use when talking about people from ethnic minority backgrounds. This is one of the most commonly asked about topic when we deliver antiracism training. Let us know how you did on the quiz…. On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strawberry_wordsuk/ On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DvmenplX7BbkKRnSG...

Having to deal with attitudes as “Girl’ 'education is a waste of time” and “Do as the man says…” are no easy feats, but Sponsor a Gambian Girl is doing it. Co-Founder of the charity Annetta Paps-King talks about the reasons for setting it up and the challenges they face. Listen to how this small charity is helping to create compassionate cultures in The Gambia and is educating girls to create long...

Tune in to hear why I (Rebbecca Hemmings) stopped talking about race and racism for 10 years! Racial trauma is very real.   Listen here: https://www.strawberrywordscourses.co.uk/blog , Spotify or Apple Podcasts   Learn more about the Dealing with Microaggressions Training Workshop on 22nd February 2024 1-3pm GMT.  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dealing-with-microaggressions-tickets-...

Whether you are a school teacher, lecturer or trainer, these 3 tried and tested creative exercises can be used to help spark discussion about culture, identity, discrimination and so much more. Listen here: https://www.strawberrywordscourses.co.uk/blog, Spotify or Apple Podcasts Learn more about the Dealing with Microaggressions Training Workshop on 22nd February 2024 1-3 pm GMT. https://www.event...

How do you set up safe conversations? Why, when and how should you ask questions when discussing difficult topics? What approaches can you take to manage disagreements kindly? Get the answers to these questions and more in this riveting episode with psychologist, speaker and specialist in social justice, Dr Rebecca Eldredge PHD from the USA. Connect with Dr. Eldredge on LinkedIn. https://www.linke...

Take a quick look through the information-packed, well-researched and illuminating book: SWAY Unravelling Unconscious Bias by Pragya Agarwal. Learn key unconscious biases, get an overview of the book and Rebbecca’s top take-away’s. Learn more about unconscious biases, systemic racism and microaggressions in Strawberry Words’ flagship online course for individuals and organisations: Time to Talk Ab...