Why the Essence of Equity-Centered Work Is Organizational Change — Episode 093

In line with keeping equity at the center of all we do, NRPA
recently released a suite of diversity, equity and inclusion
resources for park and recreation professionals. NRPA’s mission
of advancing parks, recreation and environmental conservation
efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people depends
on equity being central to our work. An important piece of this –
which is included in these DEI resources in the form of a very
insightful story map — is understanding how our history brought
us to the inequities in access to parks and recreation that still
exist today. In fact, we estimate that as many as 100 million
people (or 30 percent of the U.S. population) lack access to the
lifesaving and life-enhancing benefits parks and recreation
provides.


In considering how we work to close that gap, NRPA has been on a
journey to strengthen our organizational culture and practices
centered around equity. One individual who has played a big part
in some of our NRPA all-staff conversations around this work is
Mickey Fearn. Mickey has been a public servant — and parks,
recreation and conservation professional — for over 50 years, and
recently retired after seven years at North Carolina State
University’s School of Natural Resources, where he taught about
diversity and equity in parks and recreation. He previously
served as the National Park Service’s Deputy Director from
2008-2013, and was a long-time employee of the City of Seattle,
where he worked on social justice issues, access to nature and
other critical work.


Tune in to the episode below to learn more about Mickey’s
extensive career, why he’s so passionate about equity-related
work, and why he loves the Stevie Wonder lyric, “I reach out for
the part of me that lives in you.” You’ll also learn about:


Some of the defining moments of Mickey’s life and his
obsession with learning how relationships work.

How he felt after attending the March on Washington in 1963
and witnessing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech.

How his perspective and experience working in innovation,
community engagement and equity have given him a unique view of
how systems need to change in order to serve everyone.

Why he feels “your job chooses you, you don’t choose your
job.”

How park and recreation professionals play an important role
in teaching about and celebrating differences among our community
members, as well as the history of our communities.

The significance of celebrating Juneteenth (which is coming
up on Saturday, June 19) and much more!