From HU2U

Why is DEI Important? feat. Dr. Stephanie Leonard

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has become a major buzzword in the workplace. It intends to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the office, but how to make it successful depends on several factors.  According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 56% say having DEI in the workplace is a good thing. But to make sure a workplace DEI program makes people feel diverse, equal, and included takes a lot more than just checking off some boxes.  Our guest today is Dr. Stephanie R. Leonard. She is an Assistant Professor of Management in the School of Business at Howard University. Her research focuses on diversity and inclusion phenomena such as organizational rationales for diversity, antecedents for inclusive climates, race-based trauma implications for workplaces, and micro-generational differences. In addition to academia, she has experience working in Human Resources. In this episode, Dr. Leonard and host Monica Lewis cover the importance and benefits of DEI, exploring both surface-level and deep-level diversity dimensions, and the moral and business cases for DEI. Dr. Leonard provides insights into the challenges and strategies for implementing DEI programs, highlighting the necessity of an inclusive environment for leveraging the full benefits of diversity. We’ll also touch on common obstacles, the current adolescent phase of incorporating DEI into the workplace, and practical advice for individuals and organizations to advocate for and foster DEI.  From HU2U is a production of Howard University and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: How can a workplace still offer a DEI friendly environment, even if the actual number of diverse individuals is low? 15:20: Why should we care about diversity and inclusion if there aren't too many diverse employees here? For me, we still need to celebrate deep-level diversity. These are the dimensions that we cannot see: our differences in personalities, our differences in values, and our different religions. And celebrate what you can celebrate. For instance, if there is a flexible work schedule program that's working well because women are allowed to, there's childcare or things like that. Celebrate that because it's going well. And I also think it's important to plan for the arrival of your diverse employees. You may not have them now, but you still have to plan for them to come. Treating DEI as an investment in the workplace 36:51: That's how you have to treat diversity and inclusion: this is an investment. If we fail, we're going to assess what went wrong, and we're going to get back on the saddle and try it again until we get it right. And that's what you do when it's important to you, when it's at the core of your vision for the company. Neglecting diversity crisis management can lead to a downfall of an organization  19:32: Diversity crisis management: people don't know how to handle a diversity crisis. We know how to handle all kinds of crises, but when it comes to diversity crises, it takes companies weeks to come back and present to the public what is going to be done. And it's just unacceptable. And so all of those things will lead to a downfall and a failure for the organization. GUEST PROFILE: * Stephanie Leonard | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/stephanie-leonard]

The GenAI Revolution, Ep 3: Preparing Howard Alum for Big Tech & Entrepreneurship

In this final chapter of our mini-series on AI, we venture beyond campus to spotlight Howard alumni making waves in both big tech and entrepreneurship through the power of AI. Despite the persistent Black wealth gap and underrepresentation of Black professionals in technology, Howard's tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem is fostering a new generation of leaders. Host Dr. Kweli Zukeri delves into the transformative potential for young people in the tech world. We’ll hear success stories from several Howard alumni currently working in big tech and entrepreneurship, how the innovative education and curriculum support at Howard prepared them for these industries, as well as how the Afrotech Conference is creating more opportunities for Black technologists and entrepreneurs. From HU2U is a production of Howard University and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: Why now is the best time to be within the technology industry 27:03: [Sam Altman] I think this is probably the greatest time, at least since the internet, to be graduating, to be a young person. If you're interested in entering the technology industry, this is a very special opportunity that probably won't come along again for a while. You all got very, very lucky. It's at the birth of a new industry and a time of tremendous change when young people have the most advantage and the most opportunity. There's a reason that I think young people drive a lot of the technological revolutions. You all are way more familiar with AI tools than people older than you. You bring a new set of fresh perspectives. What can be created now? What just wasn't possible before this? HBCUs where culture is created 15:09: [Erin Horne McKinney] I think one of the great things about being at an HBCU is that we are the culture creators. Right at ours, there's no such thing as failure—there are learning experiences, right? And those are the things that make you grow. People are coming to us for the culture, for the experience. But one of the things you get as a minor, no matter which HBCU you go to, is that you get that grit. That hustle, learning to overcome obstacles, learning that when somebody says no to you, it’s not really no; it means you need to become a better problem solver, right? So, learning how to problem solve. On turning academic knowledge into practical skills 36:29: [Antonio McMichael] I think you get a lot of foundation from the classes that you're taking that will teach you the what and the how, the academic side of things. But you have to be able to take the academic side and turn it into something practical, like actually building things. GUEST PROFILES AND SHOW LINKS: * Kweli Zukeri | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/kweli-zukeri] * Kweli Zukeri | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwelizukeri] * kweli.zukeri@howard.edu * Coded Bias  [https://www.netflix.com/title/81328723] * State of Tech Diversity: The Black Tech Ecosystem | NAACP [https://naacp.org/resources/state-tech-diversity-black-tech-ecosystem] * AfroTech [https://afrotech.com/] * AFROTECH™️ Conference [https://afrotechconference.com/] * Blavity Inc [https://blavityinc.com/] * Simone Tyler | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoneashleywhite/] * Erin Horne McKinney | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/erin-horne-mckinney] * ERIN (Ear-in) HORNE MCKINNEY, M.A. | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinhornemckinney/] * PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship [https://hupnccenter.howard.edu/] * Black Commerce Conference [https://black-commerce.com/] * HBCU Startup Scholars - PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship [https://hupnccenter.howard.edu/hbcu-startup-scholars/] * Entrepreneurship Education Innovation Grant [https://hupnccenter.howard.edu/innovationgrant/] * Legand Burge | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/legand-burge] * Legand Burge | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/legand-burge-7806249/] * Algorithmic Justice League [https://www.ajl.org/] * Howard West: A First Step in Creating More Opportunities for African-American Engineers [https://cea.howard.edu/articles/howard-west-first-step-creating-more-opportunities-african-american-engineers] * Dr. Grant Warner [https://cbecenter.org/mentor/grant-m-warner-ph-d/] * Riana Battick | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/riana-battick-5a8864180/] * Sam Altman [https://blog.samaltman.com/] * Open AI [https://openai.com/] * Antonio McMichael | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-mcmichael/] * Coretta Martin | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coretta-martin/] * IEP&Me [https://iepandme.com/]

The GenAI Revolution, Ep 2: Howard Changemakers Leading the Way

In this 2nd episode of our AI series, Dr. Kweli Zukeri dives deep into the transformative work happening within the Howard community to make the AI revolution inclusive, accessible, and impactful for Black communities and beyond. Join us as we highlight groundbreaking projects going on right here, like the creation of an audio database of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) to revolutionize voice assistive technologies, the diversification of healthcare data to address disparities and the training of the next generation of Black data scientists. Plus, we’ll discuss an innovative speech therapy app designed with inclusivity in mind. This episode unpacks Howard’s commitment to tackling AI bias and building inclusive ecosystems—efforts that reflect the proud HBCU legacy of using cutting-edge knowledge to uplift Black communities and drive progress for society at large. From HU2U is a production of Howard University and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: On changing the narrative around AAVE 19:06: [Kweli Zukeri]: Speech is self-expression. So, being able to speak in one's own dialect of vernacular matters deeply. Reflective of the Black American experience itself, its structure has roots in the languages of West Africa and to survive despite American society's pressures to subdue it. Hence, the so-called code-switching phenomenon most Black professionals feel they must abide by to this day. Racist pressure to brush it aside or keep it in the margins can impact their own feelings and relationship to it, perhaps, subconsciously swaying us to consider it lesser than, which is a form of internalized racism. That's why I'm so excited by the Elevate Black Voices project. One's self-expression influences how effectively people get work done 23:48: [David Green]: Your ability to have your natural speech accepted and responded to allows a certain freedom in what you're able to think about and what you're able to articulate. You're not searching for certain words, you're not searching for certain ideas, and you're not trying to put on a performance of a certain kind of voice that you would think would get a better response. On creating a safe space for Black English 05:04: [Washington]: We want to create a safe space in celebration of Black English, celebrating all the different dialects, the Southern, the different kinds of ways that Black people speak, so that you don't have to code-switch or pretend to be someone else. GUEST PROFILES AND SHOW LINKS: * Kweli Zukeri | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/kweli-zukeri] * Kweli Zukeri | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwelizukeri] * kweli.zukeri@howard.edu * Announcing Howard University's Groundbreaking AI Initiative [https://president.howard.edu/from-the-president/viewpoints/announcing-howard-universitys-groundbreaking-ai-initiative] * GENERATIVE AI | Howard University Provost's Office [https://provost.howard.edu/cetla/generativeAI] * About | Howard University President [https://president.howard.edu/about] * Manning Marable [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manning_Marable]  * The Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics [https://provost.howard.edu/CADSA] * Amy Yeboah Quarkume, Ph.D. | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-yeboah-quarkume-ph-d-21bb8568/] * Amy Quarkume | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/amy-quarkume] * CORES Future Lab * Cognitive and Neurodiversity AI (CoNA) Lab at Morgan State University [https://www.morgan.edu/ceamls/research/labs/cognitive-and-neurodiversity-ai-(cona)-lab] * Gabriella Waters | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-waters-5baba77/] * Gloria Washington | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/gloria-washington] * Gloria Washington | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloria-w-39532992/] * Howard AAVE Project | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3joQ2SHs9f0] * Institute for Human-Centered AI [https://sites.google.com/view/hcaiathoward/] * Sabrina Bramwell, grad student * Elevate Black Voices, project supported by Google [https://thehilltoponline.com/2023/10/23/google-and-howard-pair-up-to-tackle-racial-disparities-in-automated-speech-technology/]  * David Green | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/david-green-0] * 1st year writing program at Howard * MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI [https://aiandwriting.hcommons.org/] * Conference on College Composition and Communication [https://cccc.ncte.org/] * Legand Burge | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/legand-burge] * Legand Burge | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/legand-burge-7806249/] * AIM-AHEAD [https://www.aim-ahead.net/] * Meharry Medical College [https://home.mmc.edu/] * HNRS 020: The Tech Reparations and Responsibility: Algorithmic Data Bias and Ethics course for Honors Students | Howard University [https://catalogue.howard.edu/honors/hnrs-020] * Worlds of Hello app [https://www.linkedin.com/company/worlds-of-hello/?trk=public_post_main-feed-card_reshare-text]

The GenAI Revolution, Ep 1: What is GenAI and Why is it Biased?

You've probably noticed how discussions about AI, particularly Generative AI, have been everywhere since the start of 2023. It's called a disruptive technology since it's rapidly and thoroughly changing how humans operate in every digital space, which of course has implications beyond just the digital world.  This 1st episode of our 3 part mini-series, The GenAI Revolution: Navigating the Potential & Peril for Howard University & Our Communities, hosted by Dr. Kweli Zukeri delves into the rapid rise and pervasive influence of Generative AI. Perspectives on AI's influence vary: some see it as a boon to creativity and productivity, while others fear job displacement and intellectual exploitation. Join us to hear from Howard University, HBCU, and tech leaders in discussion about how AI works and why it’s biased, as well as the root causes of these biases, which stem from the data and algorithms that power it. We dig into how AI biases can shape our world and what we can do to challenge and change them. From HU2U is a production of Howard University and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: Overcoming fear and seizing opportunities with AI 24:40: [Coretta Martin] Innovation is a part of life. And for people to embrace artificial intelligence, I think that there's a lot of fear right now that it's a robot, someone's going to lose their job. And, mind you, if you work in customer service or in office space, there are some studies that say there might be some impact on jobs, but there's really going to be more of an impact on the increased amount of jobs and the increased amount of opportunities. Socrates was worried about writing. Other people were worried about radio. Some people were worried about the printing press and no one being able to memorize things anymore. In 2005, when I was at Howard, they were worried about email. AI is just the next thing. It's here. It's great. There are so many uses. Get into it. Like, be into it and really figure out how you can use it in your life or how you can be a part of the movement of building it. On technology’s potential 23:52: [Sam Altman] I think critical thinking, creativity, the ability to figure out what other people want, and the ability to have new ideas—in some sense, that'll be the most valuable skills of the future. [25:12] If you think of a world where every one of us has a whole company worth of AI assistants that are doing tasks for us to help us express our vision, make things for other people, and make these new things in the world, the most important thing then will be the quality of the ideas, the curation of the ideas, because AI can generate lots of great ideas, but you still need a human there to say this is the thing other people want. And also, humans, I think, really care about the human behind something. HOW AI GIVES US BACK OUR TIME 18:18: [Amy Quarkume] Time is a great gift. It's a great gift you cannot give back, right? So, the idea that I can do something and not spend so much time gives me more time to do something else. So, as we talk about our communities, many times I would be great if I rested. I would be great if I had an assistant. I would be great if I just had time to myself. So, AI creates that. GUEST PROFILES AND SHOW LINKS: * Kweli Zukeri | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/kweli-zukeri] * Kweli Zukeri | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwelizukeri]  * Kweli Zukeri Email [kweli.zukeri@howard.edu] * Gabriella Waters | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-waters-5baba77/] * Cognitive and Neurodiversity AI (CoNA) Lab at Morgan State University [https://www.morgan.edu/ceamls/research/labs/cognitive-and-neurodiversity-ai-(cona)-lab] * Antonio McMichael | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-mcmichael/] * Amy Yeboah Quarkume, Ph.D. | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-yeboah-quarkume-ph-d-21bb8568/] * Amy Quarkume | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/amy-quarkume] * Simone Tyler | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoneashleywhite/] * AfroTech [https://afrotech.com/] * Blavity Inc [https://blavityinc.com/] * Coretta Martin | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coretta-martin/] * IEP&Me [https://iepandme.com/] * Sam Altman [https://blog.samaltman.com/] * Open AI [https://openai.com/] * Gloria Washington | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/gloria-washington] * Gloria Washington | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloria-w-39532992/] * Safiya Umoja Noble [https://safiyaunoble.com/] * Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble [https://safiyaunoble.com/research-writing/] * Safiya Umoja Noble | UCLA [https://seis.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-directory/safiya-umoja-noble] * Safiya Noble, Ph.D. | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/safiyanoble/] * Anthony Wutoh | Leadership of the Office of the Provost & Chief Academic Officer [https://provost.howard.edu/about/leadership-office-provost-chief-academic-officer] * President Ben Vinson III, PhD | Howard University President [https://president.howard.edu/about] * Anna Makanju | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-makanju-6388453a/]

A Legacy of Paying It Forward: 30 Years of Howard's Alternative Spring Break

Throughout the 30-year history of Alternative Spring Break (ASB), Howard University students have demonstrated that community service does not have to be exclusively for your own community.  When was the last time you've offered help to someone in need? Did you do it without thinking about what you might get in return? If so, you already know a thing or two about how Howard University students spend their spring break.  Traveling to different locations all over the country, Rankin Chapel's Alternative Spring Break participants commit their week-long break to serving others. The yearly event seeks to involve students in meaningful service projects to develop the next generation of servant leaders. And in this episode oh HU2U, we let Autumn Coleman take over as host, our student correspondent for University Communications.  By traveling and serving various communities across the United States, Howard students embrace the university's motto of Truth in Service. This year's theme, 'A Legacy of Paying It Forward, 30 Years of Service,' continues to celebrate those decades of impactful work. The episode features personal stories from students and organizers, including student site coordinators like Alina Britt and staff advisors like Deborah Boatwright, showcasing the program's planning, challenges, and rewards. From HU2U is a production of Howard University and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: What drives Britt to do the ASB? Alena Britt [02:23]: There were a lot of times where I was like, okay, I'm drained because it would either be during finals or midterms, and it would be a lot, but at the end of the day, I remember my purpose. I remember why. And I just kept going with that. [02:48] I had a vision for how I wanted this to go. And I want to keep in mind that it's also spring break, and I want to keep in mind that this is also a service trip. I was like, okay, people like music; people like instruments. Let's do this. So with all these ideas in mind, it's just like, whatever I want to do, we can do it. Living out ASB’s mission truth and service Melvin McLawhorn [08:12]: I wanted to create a capstone before I go out into the real world, per se, just to give back to my community. I could have spent any of my time, especially my break, maybe out partying or something, but truth and service have always been instilled in me, so I couldn't find a better way to spend my time. Howard students making a difference with Ignite Chicago Emily Summers [06:16]: Last year, you all came and helped us keep our space beautiful for our clients. We did a talking circle about college experience, and it helped expose some of our clients who were thinking about college, or still in high school, to the benefits and the kind of scope of experience that they could have in college. And today, you are helping us beautify our wonderful neighborhood of Bronzeville, which is so important because we know that if you look around and the community you're in feels cared for, you feel like you want to care for it and you want to care for yourself. GUEST PROFILE: * Howard University Alternative Spring Break | Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel [https://chapel.howard.edu/huasb] * Autumn Coleman | The Dig at Howard University [https://thedig.howard.edu/contributors/autumn-coleman-0] * Autumn Coleman | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/autumn-coleman-9763a1253/] * Alena Britt | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alena-britt-590ab3226/] * Deborah Boatwright | Howard Profiles [https://profiles.howard.edu/deborah-boatwright] * Mecca Moore | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mecca-moore-269711290/] * Ignite Promise [https://www.ignitepromise.org/] * Emily Summers | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/summerse13/] * Howard Sandifer [https://www.howardsandifer.com/] * Chicago West Community Music Center [https://www.cwcmc.org/] * Melvin McLawhorn | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melvin-mclawhorn-iii-577607234/]