Chapter 9: Making Meaning Through Being

This chapter will be an engagement in authentic and critical reflection of my walk and work as a diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) practitioner. When I see the phrase “DEIA” champions, I think of individuals who are committed to and practitioners of diversity education. DEIA champions are the ones who seek out the learning, seek out opportunities to share what they have learned and are learning. These champions step forward in closed spaces to create opportunities for openness and community, and they share their mistakes as examples of the lack of being done in growing through this work. Sharing our areas of growth helps nonpractitioners understand that this is a life-long and ongoing learning process. Practitioners reflect on when to sit down and make space for others, and when to step forward to stand in the gap. In this chapter, I reflect on how I became a DEIA champion which is an interesting descriptor for me because I’ve never thought of my work in terms of being a champion. However, when I deconstruct the word champion in terms of supporting, “going in,” or being all about a specific cause, then I am indeed a DEIA champion. First, I present my origin story as a DEIA practitioner, then I discuss the current racial climate, share tips and strategies, and finally situate both my practice and research towards future liberatory work. Grounding myself in this work, I often reflect on my positionality.