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Can
We Talk?™ History (Back)
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In August, 1997, Black Career Women (BCW) initiated a 2-day National Issues Forum to address workplace relationships between women, especially black and white women, whose interactions at work impact each other and other women of color directly or indirectly, and either help or thwart our collective efforts toward career advancement. BCW believes that race, and our attitudes about race, permeate workplace interactions among all women. BCW believes that it is fundamentally important that we have formal, candid dialogue with diverse women on this subject and develop action plans to strengthen communication and collaboration. We also believe that this is a first for a black women’s organization to initiate a national forum of this kind.
The first Can We Talk?™, was launched as part of BCW’s 20th Anniversary series of events in 1977, to commemorate our 20 year history and to forge new alliances for the 21st century. BCW is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that addresses the professional development needs of black women. Headquartered in Cincinnati, our BCW members and network are national. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, has been a speaker at past BCW programs.
Marcia Gillespie, Editor-in-chief of MS Magazine was the keynote speaker for the first Can We Talk?™. Ms Gillespie was the first editor of Essence Magazine and now heads up the oldest and only national, feminist publication that is published without advertising and distributed across the United States.
New York based Catalyst, the leading research organization for women’s issues in the workplace, distributed a ground breaking survey instrument to obtain information on the experiences of women of color in corporations. Katherine Giscombe, Ph.D., Lead Researcher for this project, asked to be included in Can We Talk?™ to expand the range of diverse corporate women participating in this first, large scale, two-year study and agreed to present their findings at the next Can We Talk?™ Forum. Participants were quite pleased to contribute to this national research project supported by over 20 major U.S. corporations.
An innovative Chat Room on the Worldwide Web was also a part of our first National Issues Forum - Can We Talk?™. This technology allowed women from across the country to participate in the dialogue with us. An Internet Lounge was set up at the conference for further inclusion by those women interested in this topic, who could not physically join us in Cincinnati. They accessed us via our Web Site at
http://www.bcw.org.
Over 1000 participants were in attendance at the first Can We Talk?™ National Issues Forum presented by Black Career Women.
The second Can We Talk?™ Forum was held in Cincinnati in 1998. A diverse committee of women managers from corporations and organizations, with actual experience in addressing the issues that women workers face, comprised a 30-member committee who designed and implemented this 2nd forum.
The keynote speaker was Bobbie Guttman, Vice President for Global Diversity at Motorola. Ms Guttman’s dynamic luncheon presentation received high praise from participants.
Catalyst, the leading research organization for women’s issues in the workplace, presented their findings from their corporate sponsored national two-year study at the second Can We Talk?™, The Women of Color In Corporations Project, the first, large-scale, research project to examine the career mobility of women of color in corporations, proved to be extremely important research. The findings have been published in numerous publications and presented at national conferences. This research documents the persistence of racism in the workplace and women’s roles in perpetuating it. This research has further clarified how racism thwarts the career progress of women of color and ultimately, workforce productivity.
The second forum included substantive information and workshops led by a diverse, skilled group of facilitators who focused participants on the “difficult dialogue” and strategies for inclusion and more meaningful collaboration. The second forum was only one day and attracted over 500 participants.
At the conclusion of the 2nd forum, volunteers were already asking to be a part of the next Can We Talk?™ which would not be held until September 2000, to allow participants to act on some of the
learning's and insights gained from the previous forums. Black Career Women is pleased to continue to impact the contemporary workplace issues affecting diverse women workers through its now nationally acclaimed series, Can We Talk?™. The next Can We Talk?™ is scheduled for September 16th & 17th, 2004. For more information, contact BCW at 513/531-1932 or
http://www.bcw.org.
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(back to Can We Talk?™
Overview)
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Legacies
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BCW remembers our Black History throughout the year, by recognizing our
Legacy Messengers and those career achieving contemporary black women making
history, today and tomorrow, across the United States.
BCW respects and recognizes the historical legacies
for black women that these special icons represent
| Legacy
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National
Council of Negro Women: -
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