More than 40 students, faculty and staff filled the Johnson Room of the J. Eugene Smith Library to become diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) ambassadors through an engaging "DEI Change Agent" workshop. Sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Equity at Eastern Connecticut State University, the three-part workshop took place over the course of the semester and tackled a series of issues under the DEI umbrella.

The workshop was hosted by Joelle Murchison, founder and CEO of ExecMommyGroup, an organization that provides diversity and inclusion consulting. In her workshops, Murchison engaged attendees through activities and speeches that emphasized the importance of recognizing personal biases as a critical first step in promoting DEI. 

“The first way to sort of address bias is to acknowledge that we all could have certain levels of it,” said Murchison. “Being an inclusive, excellent organization requires us to stop and ask: Are we living our values out loud and ensuring everyone can thrive?” 

Murchison defined microaggressions as unconscious actions stemming from internalized biases. Using herself as an example, she told an anecdote where she once initially held an unconscious bias towards people with neck tattoos. After confronting these initial feelings, Murchison stressed the need to self-examine these implicit biases and respond to them accordingly. 

“I had to come to the conclusion that just because someone has something like a tattoo, that has no connection to their character at all,” she said. “Unconscious biases come out of our minds and actions, often without us recognizing them as harmful.” 

Murchison discussed the necessity of cultural humility in DEI work, noting that no single perspective holds the absolute truth. “Cultural humility means entering conversations knowing your identity isn’t the only lens and being open to learning from others,” she said. 

Murchison urged attendees to persevere in acknowledging and implementing DEI despite societal pushback, particularly in sociopolitical contexts. 

“As much as it would be wonderful to hide under a blanket, we must face challenges and lead,” she said. “I used to think if this diversity thing didn’t work out, I’d work at Blockbuster. But now there’s no Blockbuster, so we must make this work.” 

Murchison encouraged attendees to envision the big picture: the long-term impact of progressive efforts and the role they play will contribute to the butterfly effect of creating a more equitable and inclusive future for marginalized groups in and out of the work force. She concluded the final seminar by underscoring the influence one person can have in fostering change.  

“One person matters. Those moments when one individual felt empowered by what I do stay with me,” she said. “There’s life ahead, something optimistic, but we don’t know what’s over the crest. That’s the journey of inclusive excellence.”