Our beliefs at Brené Brown Education and Research Group about Inclusivity, Equity, Diversity, and Belonging
- We believe in five values that underpin all of our work, including our commitment to inclusivity, equity, diversity, and belonging.
We are called to:
BE BRAVE. SERVE THE WORK. TAKE GOOD CARE. CULTIVATE BELONGING. CREATE BEAUTY AND EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS.
Why We Exist: To study the intersection of human behavior, emotion, and thinking, and to communicate our findings in clear and compelling ways so that all of us can better understand and care for ourselves, each other, and the world we live in.
Our Passion: To make the world a braver, safer, and more loving place for all people.
How We Do It: By using research, storytelling, words, and images to teach and to connect the seemingly unconnectable.
What We Do: Research, writing, books, podcasts, teaching, speaking, facilitation communities, online resources, and media (traditional, social, and new).
- We believe the most effective way to tackle issues of privilege and systemic bias is to name them, talk about them, and take personal and collective responsibility to change them.
- We believe that doing nothing to address inequality is supporting inequality. There are oppressive systems in place, and our words and actions either support those existing systems or dismantle them.
- We believe that it is not the job of the people being targeted by prejudice and discrimination to start the dialogue, carry the emotional labor of the conversations, or grant absolution to those who are feeling shame and guilt about the pain being experienced by others.
- We believe that the greatest casualty of trauma is the emotional, and sometimes physical, safety required to be vulnerable, and that, in addition to violence and neglect, poverty, racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and other systemic forms of oppression and/or bias are trauma.
- We believe we must recognize that these systems are pervasive and be mindful that when we ask people to “take off their armor” we may be asking them to do something that is not emotionally or even physically safe in all environments.
- In reference to the above, we also believe that everyone deserves brave and safe spaces to be vulnerable; therefore, we work to both create brave, safe spaces for individuals and we work to promote social justice. It is another form of injustice to ask generations of people to forego the life-giving experiences that are born of vulnerability until our systems are equitable and just.
- We acknowledge that these beliefs only have value if they are also reflected in our practice, and we are committed to practicing these beliefs at every level – starting and ending with a personal commitment from Brené.
- We believe that shame is a tool of oppression and is not an effective social justice tool.
- We believe that love, grace, accountability, courage, vulnerability, empathy, shame resilience, and the power of story can change the world. That’s what we are committed to teaching, training, and practicing.