Lilian Green (@northstarforwardconsulting) Founder of North Star Forward joins us on the PDX Black Rose Podcast for a great conversation about the importance of community, dismantling systems of oppression, and more. If Lillian Green has a phrase, it would probably be “follow the North Star.” Lillian found inspiration for the name of her company through Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and the narratives of those who were escaping to “free” territory in the north. North Star Forward is a diversity and inclusion consulting firm that seeks to support communities and institutions of color while disrupting structural oppression inside of institutions that need to do the work. Green says The North Star represents that institution’s guide to the change that they want to see one day in their institution. Green’s hope is that although the institution may not know how they’re going to get there, with Green’s help and clear vision more institutions of oppression can be changed or dismantled.
A Portland native and educator by trade, Green comes from a background of education and advocacy. Both of Green’s parents were educators and instilled the qualities of giving back to the community into Green and her sister who was an educator as well. Although Green says that it may be easy for groups to forget about the equity and inclusion work that they’ve committed to before the pandemic, it’s important more now than ever to stay committed. Green wants those in positions of privilege to ask themselves “how they are decentralizing their privilege during this time?” Whether it’s childcare, working from home, or access to medical insurance some people just don’t have that, and to Green that’s important to think about and strive to change.
Time Stamps:
2:00 Business Owner, North Star Forward Consulting, how am I serving my community, started making face masks
3:45 Diversity and Inclusion consulting firm, support communities of color, institution and structural disrupting, chancing policies, practices and procedures to create systemic change in institutions
5:30 Parents worked in PPS, wanted to be a teacher and go into education, taught in DC, New Mexico, started thinking about curriculum and equity intersect
7:35 Dismantling systems of oppression
Diversity: People are there ; Equity, Ensuring individuals are at the table; Inclusion: Perspectives are influencing the outcome
10:30 North Star, using community voices need to be involved, org’s that say we want to do something about these injustices
14:06 Training, EDI Assessments, face to face contacts, how are you best meeting with communities, face to face is important
15:30 Are we looking at numbers to see if diverse communities are accessing funds for vivid-19
20:30 Oregon Department of Education: Recognized tribes of Oregon, Rural Areas woman: “I can walk 24 hrs straight without reaching the next town. When they move medical service over to that town and don’t have reliable transportation”
Key Links:
Website: www.northstarforward.com
