Strategic Framing for Racial Equity & Belonging

Course 1 of the Racial Equity & Belonging Leadership Foundations Series

Course Summary

Purpose: To develop leadership skills building shared language, awareness, conceptual frameworks, and practices to build a culture of racial equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging

Audience: All-Staff, with emphasis for leadership and teams seeking to put concepts into application

Format: Digital course #1 of 4 of self-paced courses in series: "Racial Equity & Belonging Leadership Foundations"


Connect your core values to more effectively advance racial equity and belonging at work

Distinguish between equality and equity approaches and apply targeted universalism principles

Define and differentiate diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging in organizational contexts 

Identify how racism operates at four interconnected levels and analyze workplace disparities

Recognize historical patterns in organizational approaches to diversity and their current manifestations

Apply intersectional racial equity frameworks to benefit all communities you serve within your sphere of influence

The ROI of Inclusive Leadership & Collective Wellness

Transforming Equity from a "Check-the-Box" Task into a Strategic Advantage


Organizations today face unprecedented challenges with staff retention and leadership fatigue.
This course provides the frameworks necessary to move beyond buzzwords into actionable, sustainable leadership practices.


1. Drive Measurable Organizational Performance 
 
Investing in inclusive leadership is not just a moral imperative—it is a business one:

Boost Productivity:
Organizations that prioritize wellbeing and inclusive leadership report up to 20% higher productivity.

Enhance Innovation:
Inclusive teams are 73% more likely to drive innovation and 50% more likely to make better decisions.

Financial Success:
Companies in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity are 35% more likely to see financial returns above their national industry medians.

2. Reduce the High Cost of Turnover 

Eroding trust, toxic culture and a lack of belonging are primary drivers of employee attrition
 
Retention Advantage:
Strategic diversity, equity and belonging initiatives can lead to a 50% reduction in turnover risk.

Psychological Safety:
By leveraging the "Race-AND" approach and Targeted Universalism, leaders learn to address inequities without judgment, fostering a culture where staff feel safe to engage and stay.

3. Build Momentum and Combat Burnout through Strategic Framing

One of the greatest causes of leadership burnout is the exhaustion of navigating difficult or uncomfortable topics without a clear map.
 
Clarity Over Confusion:
This course replaces "buzzword fatigue" with strategic clarity, helping you define and deepen clarity about Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging in a way that aligns with your core values.

Compassionate Delivery:
Unlike high-stress training, this series is delivered with a mindful and compassionate approach, ensuring the learning is sustainable and successful for busy professionals.

Course Curriculum

Testimonials

"This course helped me understand the inequities that others might face and how I can use my power to try to address it at work." 

"I think many people would benefit from this course, especially those who want to engage in equity work but aren't sure where to start... It didn't just focus on definitions or policies, but also on how we show up as people and partners in this work.

That balance of personal and professional insight was both refreshing and challenging in a good way."

"I appreciated the mix of videos and personal reflection. The diagrams and the descriptions of topics made it very easy to understand and engage with."

Course Author

Nathan Baptiste

Mindfulness Guide | Mindful Leadership for Collective Wellness, Equity & Belonging

As a certified mindfulness meditation instructor and team development specialist for equity and belonging, I guide leaders, professionals, and care-takers who are dedicated to serving others to cultivate mindfulness skills that reduce stress, strengthen connection, and build individual and collective wellness.

Drawing from 25 years of practice, I've developed a framework - called the C.A.L.M. Method™ - that helps to make mindfulness accessible and practical to slow down from the chaotic pace of busy professionals to act with greater calm, clarity, and connection. The emphasis is on compassion—especially self-compassion—as a key ingredient for sustainable wellbeing.

My purpose is to support leaders, caretakers, and change-makers who give so much of themselves to others, in order to find balance and renewal through mindfulness practices that benefit both individual and collective wellness.

     Testimonial

    Nathan embodies leadership by expertly leading difficult conversations involving multi-issue, multi-party trainings.   As someone who studied facilitation and negotiation in multicultural settings and used these skills, I can personally attest that this training is vital in the knowledge it provides and practical for the skills you will develop to increase your performance and inner peace.    For approximately 10 years, I have been involved with anti-racist work, advocating for diversity, and working with youth. In this span I have attended countless trainings for leadership, skills development, and others. Nathan's training stands out because his approach has a cadence that allows one to learn and grow in a group training.    This training impacted me in such a way to embody the values of DEBI and to be intentional of how I communicate and operate through this lens. I believe this training is valuable for professionals who are serious about doing DEBI systems work by leaning into intrapersonal and interpersonal reflective practices, in addition to small group communications and organizational operations."
      [Live series participant: REDI Foundations, 2025]

    Course Pricing

    Individual Professional Plan: RE&B Course 1

    $399 USD

    • 1-Year Access Professional Development: Digital Course 2 of Racial Equity & Belonging Series (RE&B)

    Buy Now

    2025 OYCR Plan

    Free

    • Course free of cost to OYCR Employees (limit 25)

    Enroll Here