Coffee Talk Replay: Continuing to Center Equity in All We Do — Episode 101

Today, I’m excited to once again be sharing a replay of one of
the Coffee Talks I hosted during the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference
back in September. As you may know, last week NRPA released a new
resource – the Equity Language Guide. We know that words matter
and that language has the power to uplift as well as marginalize
– but sometimes finding the “right” words to use can be
difficult. The guide serves as a glossary of terms to help park
and recreation professionals develop a common language around
diversity, equity and inclusion. It also provides guidance to
help people become familiar with terms they may not be aware of
and best practices for making your writing accessible. I highly
encourage you to download the guide and consider the ways you can
begin using more inclusive language.


With that being said, I thought replaying my Coffee Talk with
Autumn Saxton-Ross, NRPA’s vice president of education and chief
equity officer would be relevant for today’s episode. We
discussed Autumn’s first year with NRPA, how she’s been
approaching NRPA’s equity work in the field of parks and
recreation, and how NRPA is continuing to center equity in all
that we do. Please note this conversation was recorded prior to
the release of the Equity Language Guide, so Autumn describes it
as an upcoming resource – but, you can access it here now.


You’ll also notice that Autumn and I ask listeners to share ideas
in the “discussion forum” throughout the conversation – since the
discussion forums were part of the original Coffee Talk at the
conference, I’d invite you to leave your ideas in the comments
below, share them with me on our Open Space Radio Instagram page,
or email them to me at openspace@nrpa.org.


I hope you enjoy this conversation, and I hope it inspires you to
continue to center equity in all that you do, as well. You’ll
also learn:


How we can ensure that parks and recreation is accessible and
inclusive for the whole

How NRPA is supporting its members in achieving more
equitable outcomes in their communities.

Small, but impactful, ways you can begin implementing more
equitable policies at your agency.

What resources and opportunities NRPA members can expect in
the future.

How you can get involved in the conversations around
developing equity-related resources for the field, and more!



Resources discussed in this episode:


NRPA Equity Language Guide

Equity in Parks and Recreation: A Historical Perspective
(Story Map)

Other NRPA equity resources