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Today, I’m excited to once again be sharing a replay of one of the Coffee Talks I hosted during the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference back in September. As you may know, last week NRPA released a new resource – the Equity Language Guide. We know that words matter and that language has the power to uplift as well as marginalize – but sometimes finding the “right” words to use can be difficult. The guide serves as a glossary of terms to help park and recreation professionals develop a common language around diversity, equity and inclusion. It also provides guidance to help people become familiar with terms they may not be aware of and best practices for making your writing accessible. I highly encourage you to download the guide and consider the ways you can begin using more inclusive language.

With that being said, I thought replaying my Coffee Talk with Autumn Saxton-Ross, NRPA’s vice president of education and chief equity officer would be relevant for today’s episode. We discussed Autumn’s first year with NRPA, how she’s been approaching NRPA’s equity work in the field of parks and recreation, and how NRPA is continuing to center equity in all that we do. Please note this conversation was recorded prior to the release of the Equity Language Guide, so Autumn describes it as an upcoming resource – but, you can access it here now.

You’ll also notice that Autumn and I ask listeners to share ideas in the “discussion forum” throughout the conversation – since the discussion forums were part of the original Coffee Talk at the conference, I’d invite you to leave your ideas in the comments below, share them with me on our Open Space Radio Instagram page, or email them to me at openspace@nrpa.org.

I hope you enjoy this conversation, and I hope it inspires you to continue to center equity in all that you do, as well. You’ll also learn:

• How we can ensure that parks and recreation is accessible and inclusive for the whole public.
• How NRPA is supporting its members in achieving more equitable outcomes in their communities.
• Small, but impactful, ways you can begin implementing more equitable policies at your agency.
• What resources and opportunities NRPA members can expect in the future.
• How you can get involved in the conversations around developing equity-related resources for the field, and more!

Resources discussed in this episode:

• NRPA Equity Language Guide
• Equity in Parks and Recreation: A Historical Perspective (Story Map)
• Other NRPA equity resources

Listen to the episode for the full story.