Johnson DEIA Day Explores Dimensions of Diversity and Inclusive Actions

by Linda Grimm | 2024-04-08

On March 27, 2024, the NASA Johnson Space Center’s commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) was on full display, during the center’s first DEIA Day. Hosted by Johnson’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO), the event highlighted various aspects of DEIA with an emphasis on successful tools that can empower all employees to thrive and contribute to advancing NASA’s mission.

The event began in Johnson’s Teague Auditorium with a recorded welcome message from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “A mission for all humanity needs the talents of all. When our workforce works together for everyone, it makes us even better at what we do,” he said. “We can solve a problem if we see it from every perspective.”

Center Director Vanessa Wyche greeted the audience next, noting the event was inspired by the agency’s DEIA Strategic Plan, which reaffirms NASA’s commitment to caring for its workforce and contractors and facilitating an organizational culture that provides equitable opportunities for all. “It is very important for our mission to make sure that all of us can come to work every day and be our full selves. It is also important for us to utilize all of the talents, backgrounds, and capabilities of individuals and teams,” she said. “This allows us to create and maintain a work environment where diverse ideas are highly valued and viewed as critical to effective and innovative solutions. In turn, individuals can reach their full potential and maximize their contributions to our agency’s strategic goals.”

A Black woman with short hair and black-rimmed glasses and a white blazer stands behind a wooden podium. — NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche provides opening remarks at the center’s DEIA Day event on March 27, 2024. **Credit: Robert Markowitz**

ODEO Director Regina Neal-Mujahid referred to the sizable body of research that has shown more diverse workforces lead to higher performance outcomes. She highlighted key center and agencywide goals such as strengthening the ability to recruit, hire, develop, and promote and retain the nation’s talent and removing barriers to equal employment opportunities. “We must be a model for DEIA where all employees are treated with dignity and respect,” she said.

Following an overview and discussion of the agency’s Equity Action Plan provided by NASA Senior Advisor of Engagement and Equity Shahra Lambert and Senior Advisor of Engagement and Equity and Joeletta Patrick, DEIA Day attendees enjoyed a thought-provoking keynote presentation by Demetria Miles-McDonald, the founder and CEO of Decide Diversity.

A black woman wearing an orange suit and white blouse stands in front of a large video screen delivering a presentation. — Demetria Miles-McDonald, founder and CEO of Decide Diversity, delivers the keynote presentation during the NASA Johnson Space Center’s DEIA Day on March 27, 2024. **Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz**

Miles-McDonald focused on the concept of intersectionality, or the combination of marginalized and privileged identities that make each individual and their interactions with different systems unique. She observed that many of today’s DEIA solutions focus on one siloed identity at a time and view different dimensions of diversity as additive – you can add a Black man’s experience to a White woman’s experience to understand a Black woman’s experience, for example. Miles-McDonald encouraged the audience to think about diversity like chemistry instead. “When you study at advanced levels of chemistry, you learn about compounds and how the combination of elements creates a unique compound,” she said. “Why don’t we think about diversity in the same way?” She introduced attendees to a Table of Diversity that, similar to the periodic table, contained different elements of diversity that can form an identity, and led the audience through several exercises to help them understand their own intersectionality. “Identity is not binary. Identity is a spectrum,” she said.

Two panel discussions followed McDonald’s presentation. One, titled “DEIA in Action,” focused on why DEIA is important for NASA, but also the broader community. The panelists included Jennifer Scott Williams, assistant to the center director for technical integration; Raul Blanco, Crew and Thermal Systems Division chief; and Nicole Jordan, manager of the Commercial Crew Program’s Spacecraft Office. Director of External Relations Arturo Sanchez III was the panel moderator.

A diverse group of four individuals sits on chairs on a stage. — “DEIA in Action” panelists Nicole Jordan, manager of the Commercial Crew Program’s Spacecraft Office; Raul Blanco, Crew and Thermal Systems Division chief; and Jennifer Scott Williams, assistant to the center director for technical integration, on stage with panel moderator Arturo Sanchez III, director of external relations. **Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz**

The other panel delved further into the connections between DEIA and Johnson’s Dare|Unite|Explore commitments, exploring how diversity supports mission objectives and maximizes center capabilities and assets. Representatives from Johnson’s employee resource groups (ERGs) underscored the stressors that can divide us, evoked the things that unite us, and explored what connects everyone to a shared mission. Employee Assistance Program counselor Anika Isaac led this discussion with Andrea Browne, African American ERG chair; Margaret Kennedy, former Emerge membership secretary; Livette Santiago Cardona, GROW chair; and Kent Kalogera, Out & Allied ERG chair.

A group of five diverse individuals sits on padded chairs in a recording studio. — Johnson Employee Resource Group representatives participate in a panel discussion about DEIA and the center’s Dare|Unite|Explore commitments. **Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz**

During breaks in the formal program, employees had opportunities to engage with the ERGs and Miles-McDonald at tables set up in the Teague lobby. The Hispanic ERG’s mariachi group provided lively lunchtime entertainment while attendees enjoyed refreshments from several food trucks.

Side-by-side photos show a mariachi band playing in a building lobby and people visiting exhibit tables.

DEIA Day concluded with a Dimensions of Diversity Privilege Walk led by Chasity Williams, Johnson’s lead human resources specialist, and Robert Blake, ODEO deputy director. A privilege walk is an activity in which all participants start by standing next to each other in a horizontal line. Individuals take steps forward or back in response to statements made by the facilitator, such as “Take one step forward if you are a White male.” The activity is designed to promote awareness and understanding of the various privileges or disadvantages different people encounter in their daily lives.