Does “professionalism” mean not expressing your feelings at work, preventing your children from being seen or heard in a Zoom, or having a white person hairstyle?
Meanwhile, the word “amateur” describes an awful lot of good work, such as most childcare. But it is rude to say it about somebody’s work. What’s the deal with that?
You’re invited to a hastily-convened zoom chat on what “professionalism” means in 2021 on June 18 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m, New York Time.
If you’d like to come along, please sign up here.
I’m keen to hold space for this conversation after donor whisperer Rachel Collinson shared a link on from ‘the party at the end of the patriarchy’ – a virtual conference organized by Mazarine Treyz of Wild Woman Fundraising. This was Rachel’s favorite session, shared with permission: Decolonial feminist alternatives to mainstream professionalism.
“For decades I’ve been troubled by the use of the word ‘professional’,” Rachel wrote. “People seemed to use it at me or others to mean all kinds of things, few of them helpful. Most meanings felt like punching down, but I didn’t have the words to explain how.”
In response, Natasha Adams shared this piece from Showing Up for Racial Justice on the characteristics of white supremacy culture. And it really got me thinking.
Now I’m very keen to listen to smart people talk about this stuff as part of my own professional growth and figured you might be interested to join the conversation, too. It’ll be very amateur and informal. Aka very professional. Aka worthwhile. However you choose to describe it!
