The Token: Common Sense Ideas for Increasing Diversity in Your Organization - Paperback

by Crystal Byrd Farmer (Author)

Meet the new Black friend you never had

As a Black organizer, community, business, and organization leaders often ask: "How do I get diversity in my group?" The thing is, the work is real, but it's a minefield out there. And even progressive leaders can still, perhaps unknowingly, be racist and uphold oppressive systems.

In The Token, your new token Black friend, Crystal Byrd Farmer, acts as the bridge between majority white organizations that are dedicated to social justice and "diverse" people in community they want to recruit, across identities of race, LGBTQ, education, socioeconomic status, and disability.

With a blunt style that pulls no punches, Crystal tells you how it is, calling you out on tokenism, while extending a hand to help your organization make real transformative change toward diversity and inclusion. Coverage includes:

• What marginalized people experience and what they need to feel safe and comfortable in order to succeed
• Doing "The Work" - how to have deep conversations with your membership about the reality of bias, privilege, and microaggressions
• Practical exercises and discussion questions
• How to choose appropriate meeting locations and establish ground rules, when to bring in outside help, and how to recruit support within your organization
• Strategies on how to talk to friends who are resistant to progressive ideas.

This no-nonsense, provocative, humorous, and accessible guide is for all well-meaning people leading progressive organizations who acknowledge the need for diversity but don't know where to start.

AWARDS

• SILVER 2021 Living Now Book Awards Social Activism / Charity

Front Jacket

MEET THE NEW BLACK FRIEND YOU NEVER HAD

An excellent resource for all those who are committed to equity.
-- PAUL KIVEL, author, Uprooting Racism

This is the book that is going to save you from theory and guilt trips.
-- AKILAH S. RICHARDS, author, Raising Free People

COMMUNITY, BUSINESS, and organization leaders often ask: How do I get diversity in my group? The thing is, the work is real, but it's a minefield out there.

With a blunt style that pulls no punches, your new token Black friend, Crystal Byrd Farmer, acts as the bridge between majority white organizations and "diverse" people across identities of race, LGBTQ, socioeconomic status, and disability.

Crystal tells you how it is, calling you out on tokenism, while extending a helping hand. Coverage includes:

• What marginalized people experience and what they need to succeed
• Doing "The Work" - how to have deep conversations with your membership about the reality of bias, privilege, and microaggressions
• Choosing appropriate meeting locations and establishing ground rules
• Practical exercises and discussion questions and when to bring in outside help
• Building support within your organization and talking to resistant friends.

This provocative, humorous, and accessible guide is for all people leading progressive organizations who acknowledge the need for diversity but don't know where to start.

Honest and unfiltered--a treasure trove of tools, stories, and resources.
-- JOE COLE, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies

Not sure what The Work is? Don't worry, Crystal Byrd Farmer is here to help.
-- CYNTHIA TINA, Co-Director, Foundation for Intentional Community

CRYSTAL BYRD FARMER is an engineer turned educator, organizer, and speaker who focuses on cohousing, Black, and polyamorous communities. She lives in Gastonia, NC.

Author Biography

Crystal Byrd Farmer is an engineer turned educator. She has been an organizer and speaker as part of the cohousing and polyamorous communities. She is the website editor for Black & Poly, an organization promoting healthy polyamorous relationships for people of color. She also serves on the Editorial Review Board of Communities Magazine published by the Global Ecovillage Network-United States and is passionate about encouraging people to change their perspectives on diversity, relationships, and the world. Crystal lives in Gastonia, North Carolina.