DEI – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Open Letter Supporting Trans Women and Girls: Click here 

Notes from DEI Monthly Meeting on Zoom: March 26, 6:00 pm

The meeting focused on AAUW’s upcoming vote to determine whether the degree requirement for membership will be dropped. To learn about this important vote to open up AAUW membership and why we think it’s important to move toward being more inclusive, click here.

 The DEI committee and the DAW branch board support more open membership and encourage members to vote YES on this initiative and break our own membership barrier!

Our Branch DEI goals:
        by Teresa Cheung, Branch DEI Officer

  • Support the DAW branch to advance learning and expand commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).  There is an emphasis on increasing DEI awareness, engagement, and branch participation in DEI efforts, with particular attention to connecting and collaborating with organizations that promote and embody DEI.
    For AAUW’s “Diversity Statement”, click here.
  • Share promising and innovative practices related to DEI.
  • Become familiar with National AAUW resources. For AAUW’s DEI toolkit, click here.
  • Identify and engage like-minded organizations for potential collaborative opportunities. 
  • Provide resources to Board and assist board and committees in the development and implementation of DEI goals with strategies and materials to accomplish efforts. 

If you wish to participate and have DEI ideas to share, please contact Teresa at aauwTeresa@gmail.com.

Refer to Past Branch DEI Meetings and DEI Information:

To read notes from past branch DEI meetings – click here

To see presentation slides defining the branch DEI committee’s purpose and providing strategies for handling “microaggression” – click here

From the AAUW California DEI Committee:

DEI Statewide Chat – View our statewide chat held in October, 2022, that explores AAUW’s efforts around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The webinar features an intimate conversation with national leaders at the time – Julia Brown, AAUW Board of Directors Chair, and Melissa LaDuke, AAUW DEI Chair.

Learn about the DEI issues our organization faces and National’s efforts to address them. Leave with what we can do individually and collectively to strengthen our understanding and commitment to this work. Click here to see the video.

“The Kindness of Color” – For a DEI inspiration, check out the new “Kindness of Color” program from AAUW CA. Two families: one Japanese American and one Mexican American. Two true stories of their separate battles with racism, incarceration, and school segregation in the WWII era. Unexpectedly, their lives intersect, paving the way for a landmark court decision in California. Join author and descendant Janice Munemitsu for the intimate story of how the kindness of friends and strangers provided hope and strength to persevere against unjust treatment. To view the recorded webinar click HERE.