As the number of religions globally, nationally, and in our community continues to grow, understanding and appreciating our differences from a spirituality perspective will increase our sense of community and respect. During this session on January 13, 2021 participants learned about the major observances of diverse religious communities, with a focus on those in the central Pennsylvania area. Our goal will be to determine how we support religious differences in our community in a way that allows everyone to feel accepted and welcome. The presenter for this session will be Dr. Jeffery D. Long, professor of Religion and Asian Studies at Elizabethtown College.
Watch a recording of this presentation on our YouTube channel.
November 11, 2020 Hershey Area All Things Diversity marked Veterans Day by talking to three local veterans who discussed their experiences serving our country, as well as returning home. They provided a unique perspective for community members who have not served in the military and may not be familiar with the difficulty of this transition, or know how to respond to someone suffering from PTSD. Watch the powerful conversations with Veterans Tom Fosnacht, Jan Yupcavage and Lt. Tim Roche, who also serves the Derry Township Police assistant chief of police. Click this link to view the video.
September 23, 2020 “Race Relations in Hershey,” features Dr. Samuel Richards, an award-winning teaching professor and sociologist at Penn State University, who instructs the largest race and cultural relations course in the United States.
Heteronormativity and cisnormativity may not be words or concepts many know about, but they are ideas that affect our daily lives a lot more than we may be aware. Todd Snovel’s “Creating an LGBTQ-Inclusive Community in Hershey and Beyond” presentation on March 11, 2020 discussed the problems of heteronormativity and cisnormativity, and he gave attendees both big and small ways to fix these issues in the community.
Snovel, who works for the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, was previously the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, and defines these concepts as a “norming phenomenon where heterosexuality and/or being cisgender (identifying with the gender identity that is culturally associated with your bioloigcal sex) is woven into the fabric of culture and society as the expected and normal.” He says that this phenomenon affects how we see the world and how the world is advertised and promoted to people. It can also make people of the LGBTQ+ community feel unwelcome.
In order to become a more diverse and welcoming community, this issue is something we should not only recognize but also try to do our part to change.
The beginning of Snovel’s presentation focused on why talking about this issue is important, certain phrases that are good to know, and how heteronormativity and cisnormativity can be seen a lot in advertisements.
He explained that talking about diversity is important because being aware of how our culture can affect people is how we get one step closer to becoming diverse and welcoming. To reach this point, we have to be aware of the problems different communities face.
Homophobia/transphobia, heterosexism/cisgenderism, and heteronormativity/cisgendernormativity are three categories and terms that Snovel describes as big issues that LGBTQ+ communities face. “We know that when these ideas pervasively creep into systems and into groups of people, this can then lead to effects like discrimination, violence, and victimization,” Snovel said.
He also gave examples of types of advertisements that feed into these negative influences on culture, such as an image of what a “normal” family is expected to look like that may be different from many actual families. He showed ads for couples’ Halloween costumes that focus on heterosexual couples—such as a male doctor costume and a female nurse costume. He also discussed how the press can sometimes cover stories about LGBTQ people differently than heterosexual and cisgender people, as in the case of media coverage of a gay athlete kissing his partner after a competition. Heteronormativity has affected all these areas, and Snovel recommended that people try to make their advertising inclusive of all communities rather than only straight, cisgender, white families.
Snovel then went on to talk about The Gender Unicorn, which is a helpful infographic that describes the wide range of identities. The Gender Unicorn has five parts to it: Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Sex Assigned at Birth, Physical Attraction, and Emotional Attraction.
Snovel talked about the more biological part of the Gender Unicorn first, describing the three different kinds of Sex Assigned at Birth. Those three kinds were male, female, and other/intersex, which are all solely based on what body parts and specific chromosomes you were born with. He describes that the rest of the categories did not have to line up with the sex assigned at birth, and that one can identify their gender identity differently than their sex, one can express their gender differently, and be emotionally and/or physically attracted to whoever they want.
When talking about the Gender Unicorn, Snovel describes that “where we start to get tripped up and make mistakes is when we make assumptions in any category other than the one we know. If you happen to know that someone is a biological female, you don’t know anything else about that person in any of the other categories.” It is important to make sure you do not assume in order to avoid making mistakes about someone else’s identity.
To read more about the Gender Unicorn, click here.
Finally, Snovel discussed how doing little things like watching one’s language can go a long way, and how an individual could go about doing that.
“It’s really hard, but we have to check ourselves,” Snovel says when talking about watching our language. This specifically means watching which pronouns we use, as using the wrong ones can be what Snovel calls a microaggression to the misidentified individual. Assuming that someone who is biologically male in turn identifies as being male and uses he/him/his pronouns can be a harmful mindset. Because of this, Snovel suggests watching yourself when using pronouns to make sure you do not wrongly assume someone’s identity. He addressed that while some may deem these ideas unnecessary, it could hurt the individuals being misidentified a lot more than one realizes.
Snovel emphasized the importance of the difference between intent and impact. Even if you didn’t intend to offend someone by identifying them incorrectly, the impact could go a lot further than you think. That is why Snovel believes watching your language can be very important.
He ended the presentation with a checklist on how one can be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and then answering questions. The checklist included things like using inclusive language, not assuming everyone is heterosexual and/or cisgender, and educating others on these issues. Snovel hopes to help make our community more accepting of people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and to educate everyone on the issues this community faces.
Hershey Area All Things Diversity is led by representatives from Derry Township, Derry Township School District, Downtown Hershey Association, The Hershey Story Museum, The Hershey Company, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts and Penn State Health. For more information, follow them on Facebook.
January 15, 2020, 5:30-7:15 p.m., Hershey Middle School Facilitated by: Dee Stalnecker, LSW, BCBA, School Social Worker, Derry Township School District
November 13, 2019, 5:30-7:15 p.m., Hershey Story Museum
We all have a role in making each other feel safe and valued in our community and that starts with understanding each other’s boundaries at home, school and in the workplace. This was the topic of the November Hershey Area All Things Diversity session as Joyce Lukima, chief operating officer of The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) interacted with approximately 100 event attendees.
“Respect, safety and equality are all parts of the puzzle that make us feel safe and affirmed,” said Lukima. She suggested that preventing any kind of harassment, even if it’s unintentional, can ultimately help reduce instances of sexual abuse.
Lukima asked the crowd how they show respect to people and how they look for respect in return. Audience members shared the importance eye contact, engagement, name recognition and understanding a person’s space or boundaries.
We know about the Golden Rule but Lukima offered that we all need to follow the Platinum Rule of treating people the way they want to be treated.
She reminded attendees that what is funny or conceivably innocent to one person can be highly offensive to another. “Your actions and comments are about the impact and not the intent,” Lukima said.
Lukima shared some scenarios and asked the audience to hold up red or green cards to note if the scenario was OK or not OK. There were mixed answers which even further supported the point that what is appropriate for some is not for others.
The speaker said it’s sometimes difficult to know what someone’s boundaries are so the best way to find out is to simply ask.
To foster a safe, welcoming community, we all need to work to promote equality and respect. Audience members suggested that a welcome can start with simple acts such as a smile and kind word.
Ms. Lukima is experienced in individual and group counseling as well as the supervision of counselors. She has worked to support survivors and prevent sexual harassment, assault and abuse for more than 30 years.
Starting with the January 15, 2020 session, Hershey Area All Things Diversity is changing locations to the Hershey Middle School to accommodate the growing attendance.
That session will feature Dee Stalnecker, who will be presenting “Poverty in the Hershey Community.”Ms. Stalnecker will examine poverty and available resources in the Hershey community. The event is free and a light supper is provided. Registration is required to reserve your spot.
Hershey Area All Things Diversity is led by representatives from Derry Township, Derry Township School District, Downtown Hershey Association, The Hershey Story Museum, The Hershey Company, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts and Penn State Health. For more information, follow them on Facebook.
By Lynette Chappell-Williams Chief Diversity Officer, Penn State Health
The Hershey All Things Diversity 2019 2020 program kicked off with the session, “The Importance of Stories in Understanding Each Other.” Facilitated by Dr. Paul Haidet of Penn State Health, and attended by more than 80 local community members, participants engaged in understanding the impact of people’s life stories and how our understanding of those stories or experiences impact our ability to interact with each other effectively.
Paul Haidet
The first interactive opportunity was an opportunity to role play a physician treating a Latino woman with a number of health challenges, who had also been wrongfully evicted from her home. Participants had the opportunity to discuss how to talk with the patient during her first visit, based on what she had shared.
Dr. Haidet then shared the Ted Talk, The Danger of the Single Story, in which Chimamanda Adichie shares the challenge of only knowing one story or one perspective. “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”
TED Talk Video Link
Following the video presentation, participants had the opportunity to think about a time that they had reduced a person or group of people to a single story (or perspective) but were able to break out of the pattern.
Dr. Haidet closed with challenging participants, at their next social gathering, to go through the evening without telling anyone anything but to instead only ask questions to gain a better understanding of each individual, and to ask additional open questions to deepen their understanding of each individual. The goal: open their minds to understand multiple narratives about others to build more inclusive, respectful relationships.
The Next Hershey Area All Things Diversity session will be November 13 from 5:30 – 7:30 at the Hershey Story Museum. The topic will be Understanding Boundaries in the Me Too Movement, with a focus on establishing respectful interactions based on what we have learned from the initiative on increasing awareness of sexual harassment.
“Addressing the Needs of Individuals on the Autism Spectrum” was the topic for discussion at the Hershey All Things Diversity session held on May 8 at the Hershey Story Museum.
Nathaniel Reed Geyer and Dr. Nancy Patrick presented a program that emphasized the importance for a community to make a place for everyone to work and contribute.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States today, according to Autism Speaks, an organization founded in 2005 to assist with the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support.
The Autism Speaks website explains, “There is not one autism but many subtypes, most influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently.” (www.autismspeaks.org)
“Several factors may influence the development of autism, and it is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and attention issues.”
“Indicators of autism usually appear by age 2 or 3. Some associated development delays can appear even earlier, and often, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. Research shows that early intervention leads to positive outcomes later in life for people with autism.”
Nathaniel Geyer was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a child. He holds a Doctor of Public Health, a Masters in Epidemiology, and a Bachelor’s in Biology. His experience includes public health research in the areas of cancer, obesity, HIV, epilepsy, public health workforce, and Vitamin D ancestry, and he is currently in the process of publishing key manuscripts on his studies.
Despite Geyer’s high intelligence and vast education, he is underemployed. “National data indicates that the vast majority of adults with autism are either unemployed or underemployed, with estimates ranging to as high as 90%.” (www.autismspeaks.org)
Dr. Nancy Patrick is a Professor of Special Education and Director of the Graduate Program in Education at Messiah College, and has extensive experience teaching Autism Spectrum Disorders and Assessment, and Instructional Strategies for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Dr. Patrick told a story about a boy she knows who was given a preschool diagnosis of autism. He completed a Bachelor of Arts and was placed through an agency as a patient greeter in a psychiatric hospital. Because he struggled with anxiety, Dr. Patrick said, “The position tapped into all of his weaknesses and he had to leave the position. That was six years ago, and he has not reentered the workforce.”
Autism Speaks explains, “These poor outcomes are not due to an inability of people with autism to perform job tasks. We know many adults with ASDs who are demonstrating their competence in a wide variety of industries and at all ranks within businesses around the world. But for the vast majority, these job opportunities are not being made available to them.” The right match between job responsibilities and employee strengths with minor adaptations can benefit both the employer and employee, explained Dr. Patrick.
Geyer said that his method to learning was through trial and error. “If it doesn’t work, try something else”, he said. He feels that it’s ok to fail if you try and that it’s important to encourage children to work hard and to keep at it. He stressed the importance of encouragement from your family and mentors. He told the audience that he needed help with third grade math, but later advanced to calculus and organic chemistry. He said, “There’s hope at the end of the tunnel.”
Patrick and Geyer answered questions from the audience and the following advice was provided on how to address the needs of individuals on the Autism Spectrum:
“Treat people with kindness and dignity. Get to know one another.” “Reasonable accommodations should be given to everyone.” “Find similarities with others in life. It’s something to discuss and more forward.” “As we get older, we recognize how little we know.” Autism is a social disability.” ”Try to provide a sensory-friendly and child-friendly environment. “We learn social rules as we are growing up. They are your rules and values, but how tight do you hold on to them?” “Step back, understand, and accept.” “Realize there are differences. Do not judge too quickly.” “Be an advocate for a child. Be a self-advocate.” “Being chronically misunderstood results in chronic anxiety.” “A valid response is an adaptive response.” “Make decisions on content, not perception.”
Imagine a community that applies this advice to everyone we encounter. Look at a situation through someone else’s eyes and try to understand, relate, and provide the same response or reaction that you would want some to give to your child or someone who you love.
“We spend 84% of our life in adulthood. School is to teach children adult roles”, said Dr. Patrick. Being able to contribute and utilize your education and training is essential to your happiness. If you own a business or make hiring decisions and are interested in providing an opportunity for an individual on the autism spectrum, the Vista School, located in Hershey, provides adult services that foster employment relationships to help teens and adults with autism find a job they will love with employers that desire reliable, hard-working individuals. Visit the Vista School website https://www.vistaautismservices.org/employment-services/ to form an employer partnership and match your business with the candidate best suited to meet your needs.
Visit the our YouTube page to see a recording of the “Addressing the Needs of Individuals on the Autism Spectrum” presentation.
Shaashawn Dial-Snowden, a professional in leadership, diversity, inclusion, and social justice, the founder and owner of Voycetress Media, LLC, providing training to individuals and organizations to affirm and empower, Director of Social Equity & Affirmative Action for the City of Harrisburg, Chair of the Board of Directors of the LGBT Center of Central PA, and author of numerous books, was the presenter at the March 27 Hershey All Things Diversity session held at the Hershey Story.
Rather than mention her many successes and accomplishments in her opening remarks, she went through a list of complimentary and insulting, encouraging and deflating, collection of descriptive adjectives in rapid fire that she has gather about herself throughout her life and experiences. As the audience smiled and cringed as they heard the “words” that Snowden used to identify herself and learned more about her.
The title of her presentation was Promoting Social Justice and Equity and Creating Multi-identity Embracing Brave Dialogue. She “showed up, shared, and created trust”, three things that are necessary to open dialogue on social justice and equity. She said, “Don’t just give credit to your education. Lived experience is a credential.”
She encourages others to choose to embrace equality and showed a picture of individuals of different heights standing on a box or boxes to see over a fence to demonstrate the challenges of equality, the reality of equality, and the liberation of equality. “In order to build a community that creates a space to embrace all our identities, we have to talk about it. We must be willing to practice active listening which can mean sitting uncomfortably with awkwardness, and defensiveness, to have dialogue.
She told the audience that none of us are bias free even when we have good intentions and explained that there are four levels of change in building a community: Institutional change, organizational change, community change, and individual change.
“Language and words have weight. Choose your words to be as inclusive as possible. What are you encouraging people to do or not do? Think about what others need and share to make others comfortable,” she said.
She wants individuals to do their own work and to learn about others. “Be in the community – show up,” were her parting words to the audience.
The program is underwritten by Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine, The Hershey Company, and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts.
Dr. Ali Michael was the presenter at the January 23, 2019 Hershey All Things Diversity Session held at the Hershey Story Museum. Michael, an educator and author, is addressing micro-aggressions and is working to create an understanding to help to change racial and social injustice.
Dr. Michael shared that she was raised in a white suburb in Pittsburgh and explained that her family did not talk about color. “We were to act colorblind and not talk about it because my parents felt that it was rude,” she said. When she attended college and was asked to participate in discussions, she found it difficult because she was being asked to do something that she had never done. She came to realize that to understand bias, she had to “study whiteness.”
She provided a definition by Dr. Derald Wing Sue on micro-aggressions, “Racial micro-aggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color. She talked about her experience entering a school for a meeting and how she was treated and how differently her black, lesbian colleague was treated.
Audience members discussed scenarios to determine the intent of the described micro-aggression and the impact that it made. Dr. Michael told a story about a medical student which clearly demonstrated both intent and impact. The medical student was with a group and gave a synopsis. When she finished, the physician, based on the color of the student’s skin, said, “You speak English so well.” The student thought, “I was born in America and don’t know any other language.” The intent of the physician was to say something nice; however, the impact caused the student to be distracted the rest of the day because the cumulative effect and larger message was, “You don’t look like you belong.”
How can we as a community try not to offend others when we don’t realize when something that is said is offensive and hurtful? Members of the audience were reflective and honest and shared times when they made comments that were not intentionally hurtful, but they understood how they may have been received.
We can lessen the effect of micro-aggressions by being honest with ourselves about how we feel and look at things and have compassion and understanding on how others may feel.
Dr. Michael reviewed actions that can be taken when a micro-aggression occurs:
Be responsive to feedback. Apologize.
Acknowledge micro-aggression. Try to understand the hurt.
Address the underlying message.
Make changes to address the underlying bias.
Do not dwell. We all have guilt, learn from it and keep moving.
She explained the following points to consider when you receive a micro-aggression:
Deciding to do nothing will take a psychological toll.
Ask “What did you mean?”
Share the impact. Explain why it was hurtful.
Most micro-aggressions are not intentional and are not meant to harm.
Many micro-aggressions are based on assumptions, lack of knowledge, and unconscious bias. “Majoritarian defines what’s normal,” she said. Dr. Michael also pointed out that a change that is made for the benefit of one can result in an improvement to many. She explained, “When we accommodate for a small group of people, it results in benefits that serve a larger population.” She explained how this happened when handicapped ramps were new for those with physical disabilities, but also helped those with strollers, bikes, hand carts, and anything with wheels.
During Dr. Michael’s presentation, she said, “It’s not about being politically correct, but about understanding and being kind.” She also shared two meaningful and impactful quotes:
“We want to build a beloved community, which is what we build together when you stand up for me and I stand up for you.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Meet hate on the other side with love.”
Unnamed friend of Dr. Michael’s
Ali Michael, Ph.D., is the co-founder and director of the Race Institute for K-12 Educators and teaches in the mid-career doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, as well as the Graduate Counseling Program at Arcadia University, and holds the Davis Visiting Professorship at Ursinus College. She also sits on the editorial board of the journal Whiteness and Education.
Dr. Michael’s works include the following:
Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Inquiry and Education (Teachers College Press, 2015), winner of the 2017 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award
Everyday White People Confront Racial and Social Injustice: 15 Stories, co-edited (2015, Stylus Press)
The Guide for White Women who Teach Black Boys (2018, Corwin Press)
What do White Children Need to Know About Race?, co-authored with Dr. Eleonora Bartoli in Independent Schools Magazine, winner of the Association and Media Publishing Gold Award for Best Feature Article in 2014
