Antionette D. Carroll and Managing Director of the Civil Society Fellowship Nike Irvin explore the complexities of equity, liberation, justice, and leadership in today's society.

They stress the importance of reimagining civil leadership and decision-making through a lens of equity and liberation and share their experiences of being part of selection committees for executive roles while exploring the weight of their decisions, particularly when it comes to long-term impact and legacy. Nike shares some actionable steps for building empathy and understanding, such as writing with your non-dominant hand to challenge accepted norms and bring awareness to societal imbalances.

The conversation culminates with a future-focused discussion, urging listeners to be more curious and empathetic. Nike envisions a future where humanity has evolved to become more equitable, embracing diversity as a superpower rather than a checkbox. Both Antionette and Nike agree that the quest for a more equitable and liberated society is a continual journey that requires constant rethinking, reimagining, and redesigning of systems and norms.

About our guest:

Merle McGee is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Everyday Democracy. Merle brings over 25 years’ experience in non-profit settings fighting alongside historically marginalized and excluded communities for dignity and racial, gender, and economic justice. Before joining Everyday Democracy in May 2022, Merle served as Chief Equity and Engagement Officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, where she led organizational transformation through community engagement initiatives and by conceiving and implementing Reviving Radical, an initiative to reckon with the organization’s history and build accountable relationships with communities of color.

Prior to her work at Planned Parenthood, Merle served as Chief Program Officer at YWCA of the City of New York and taught non-profit consulting and Race and Identity in Organizations at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. Merle earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from the New School. She is also co-facilitator and leader with the Anti-Racist Alliance and the co-founder of the The BIPOC Project, an antiracist collective committed to building solidarity among people of color. Merle received the inaugural Planned Parenthood Federation A.P.P.L.E Justice award for Reviving Radical and was named City & State’s 50 over Fifty Influential New Yorker in 2021.

A brief introduction of the podcast by Antionette.