DFW Sports United in Action: Blueprint for Action - Week 1

THE REARVIEW MIRROR & ROAD AHEAD

Black Sports Professionals – North Texas, Women in Sports and Events (WISE), and Dallas Influencers in Sports & Entertainment (DISE), together presented a webinar with speaker Reggie Williams, former NFL linebacker and author of Resilient by Nature, an intimate account of his remarkable journey from athlete to executive. He was interviewed by NFL columnist Jarrett Bell.

Use the below guide to take action on the discussion points from Week 1 of our webinar series, “DFW Sports United in Action: A Roadmap for Change.” More information on the series can be found here.

1. Education (Resources)

   • Purchase Reggie’s Book, HERE

   • Where is the Industry Now?

   • The Growing Impact of Diversity and Inclusion In Professional Sports

   • Diversity and inclusion redefined in the wake of police brutality, racial discord

2. Individual (Employee/Organization) – How are you building a culture of inclusivity for people to bring their true selves to work?

   • 8 Best Practices for Changing Your Culture

   • Field Studies: A 10-year Snapshot of NFL Coaching Hires

   • Seek to get to know / build a relationship with someone you don’t know, who is different from you (race, ethnicity, gender, social-economic, LGBTQ, disability, etc.) as well as practice active listening to empathize with people who have experienced things differently from you (police brutality, racial-profiling, discrimination, harassment, etc.)

   • Managers: Meet with your direct reports to identify blind spots or roadblocks for creating an inclusive culture.

   • Internal Champions: Seek out diverse perspectives by identifying your internal champions and talk to them about concerns/issues that may keep you from getting to your goal.

   • Business Practices:

     • Look at your team for hiring funnels?

     • Who are your suppliers?

     • Who are your vendors/partners?

3. Individual (Personal) – How much do you know about historical context of systemic racism and the different levels of oppression?

   • Stereotypes vs. Prejudice vs. Discrimination vs. Oppression vs. Institutional Oppression

   • Self-Reflect, Diversify Your Educational / Knowledge Sources, Embrace Discomfort

   • Follow: Your Black Friends are Busy, HERE

   • Read This Post: Systemic vs. Systematic, HERE

4. Community (Outreach/Social Justice) – Are you taking accountability for your individual voice and volunteering your time?

   • Register to Vote and VOTE: Check Voter Status @ Rock The Vote

   • Volunteer Your Time:

     • How to Contribute to Social Justice Reform in North Texas

     • Mavs Take Action

• Visit: Say Their Names Memorial @ Klyde Warren Park (Now-Sept 17)

---

You can watch Week 1’s webinar and share it with your friends and colleagues via our YouTube Channel.

We hope you will join us for Week 2 on Wednesday, September 30 at 2pm CT. More info and the link to register will be posted to our events page.

Share how your organization is taking action to fuel change using #UnitedInAction