Racial Equity 101 Summary Report
Organization: Port of Seattle
Training Title: Racial Equity 101
AREA
Please circle the comment that best describes your thoughts
Usefulness and
relevance of
Workshop Content
202
Multiple Useful and
Relevant Ideas
75%
151
At Least One Useful
and Relevant
15%
31
Somewhat Useful
Ideas
4%
15
Irreverent or Not
Very Useful
1%
3
Ext
ent to which the content is useful
and relevant for implementation in
your role.
Overall Satisfaction
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Multiple useful and
relevant ideas
At least one useful
and relevant ideas
Somewhat useful
ideas
Irreverent or not
very useful
All Respondents (202)
83%
13%
3%
1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Multiple
useful and
relevant ideas
At least one
useful and
relevant ideas
Somewhat
useful ideas
Irreverent or
not very
useful
Respondents of Color (96)
68%
17%
12%
2%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Multiple useful
ideas
At least one
useful and
relevant ideas
Somewhat
useful ideas
Irreverent or
not very useful
White Respondents (103)
All Repondents (202)
Extremely
satisfied
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Unsatisfied
Respondents of Color
(97)
Extremely
satisfied
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Unsatisfied
White Repondents
(105)
Extremely
satisfied
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Unsatisfied
Item No 11a_Attac
h_5
Meeting Date: February 14, 2023
Facilitators
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Able to present info in multiple ways and
make connections fluently
Able to convey content knowledge and give
examples proficiently
Able to give examples, but appears
flustered or unsure
All Repondents (200)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Able to present info in multiple ways and
make connections fluently
Able to convey content knowledge and give
examples proficiently
Able to give examples, but appears
flustered or unsure
Respondents of Color (97)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Able to present info in multiple ways and
make connections fluently
Able to convey content knowledge and give
examples proficiently
Able to give examples, but appears
flustered or unsure
White Repondents (103)
Shift in thinking and learning: “I used to think . . . Now I think . . .”
Staff of Color
• I used to think that it's better not to talk about race. Now I think there are ways to talk about race in a way that
can stimulate conversation and hopefully lend to change.
• I used to think that I was vocal about pointing microaggressions out. Now I think that I can improve on that and
be more active about it, as was made clear to me through the course of discussing this with my small group.
• I used to think sometimes, you have to accept /let go some microaggression as being an immigrant, Now I think
it is OK to approach/challenge/question/talk about it.
• I should not be vocal about how I feel, Now I think I have an obligation to learn as much as I can and
share/educate others accordingly.
• I used to think everyone agreed with the direction we were moving in at the Port of Seattle to try and talk with
each group individually and then come together once everyone has a better understanding of the impacts of the
past. Now I think people are antsy to know and learn more and that we are moving at a faster rate than
expected. (if that make sense)
• I previously thought of "Equality" only as a snapshot of current circumstances. Now I see that it can have a
negative connotation when discussing opportunities amongst people of different levels of
privilege/disadvantage.
• I used to think that I didn't think I said or did anything racist. Now I think I have some stuff to work on. Being
mindful to what I say.
• I used to think "marginalized". Now I think empowered".
• I used to think in a more limited capacity about race. Now I think more in depth about how race is not just a
power construct but a way to justify their actions against minorities.
• I used to think I was color blind being a military brat - Now I think it is offensive to people.
• I used to think the Port was not open to discuss and eliminate racial inequality, but believe the port is striving to
make the change in equality and equity.
• I used to think collectively as an organization we had similar goals. Now i know we have work to do.
• I used to think equality. now I think equity.
• I used to think just about race itself. Now I think about every aspect. Gender identity, sexual orientation,
physical and mental challenges. All people face bias and discrimination in different ways.
• I used to think racial equity was much more black and white. Now I think there are many layers that need to be
understood.
• I used to think it's normal for someone to ask me where I am from (among other questions). Now I think I
should take time to decide how I should answer or if I should answer at all.
• I used to think certain statements were just rude and insensitive. Now I think that they were raised in an
environment where they were programmed to think a certain way and may not even be aware of how racist
that comes across.
• I used to think it was pointless to address “micro aggressions” anytime I witness them. Now I think I should be
more courageous and mindful to address such matters in attempt to educate and or re-educate the individual or
individuals committing the micro aggressions.
White Staff
• I used to think that organizational microcosms of inequity were being overlooked. Now I think that steps are
being taken to overcome those biases for the long term.
• I used to think there would be an end to the education around equity, inclusion, cultural competence, racisms,
and one day I would just be in the know. Now I think it will be ongoing and continuously iterative.
• I used to think racial equity was impossible. Now I think that we're actually taking the steps necessary to make it
happen.
• I used to think of power mostly in relation to being a cis, white, able-bodied man and your proximity to that.
Power as a means to control decisions that impact your own material conditions.
• I used to think racism is reflected with outward actions and reactions. Now I think racism can come in many
forms.
• I had very few biases, but now I know better.
• I used to think that the Port would just all about virtue signaling and talk the talk but never walk the walk - now
after experiencing that course I feel that the Port is finally putting it's time and money where it's mouth is. I
hope that management positions and those on hiring panels go through this type of course and that they go
through it regularly.
• I used to think equity and equality meant relatively the same thing. Now I think that equality is more focused on
giving everyone and equal start or rather the same tools, but equity is making sure that everyone knows how to
use the tools and has the ability to learn how to use the tools.
• I used to think small minded. now I think constructively.
• that my empathetic comments were positive. Now, I need to be careful not to impose my own issues but just
listen and understand.
• I used to think equity was about taking away. Now I think it is building all up.
• I used to think that equality and equity were one in the same. Now I think/know that equality is everyone being
given the same opportunity, but equity is ensuring that opportunity is not singular, and it comes in many
different ways to tailor to everyone's different needs.
• I used to think joking around was acceptable but now I think that coworkers should be held accountable for their
words and actions.
• That microaggression would be obvious, but they can be VERY subtle.
• I used to think it's ok to say anything with humour. Now I think I need to be more sensitive to my audience and
how it perhaps might be a difficult topic even with humour for someone receiving it.
• i had a good understanding of micro aggression. Its more complicated
• I used to think these trainings were for an organization to check a box. Now I think this organization wants to
create meaningful change.
• I used to think statements about colorblindness were appropriate. Now I think how unacceptable they are.
• I used to think it was my job to speak up to combat racial aggressions/microaggressions. Now I think it is my job
to ensure that I am supporting the person who is being targeted first and foremost.
• I used to think I was not racist at all. Now I think we are all inherently biased and have learned racist tendencies
in our lives.
• I used to think that fighting against stigmas involved confrontation, and now I think utilizing tools such as
educating, showing compassion and understand why a person might think the way they do makes better head
way.
• I used to think race was a structured, lineated social construct. Now I think/ know that it is a fluid (although still
social) construct that even people in their own "race" are constantly changing and evolving as we work to
change how it is viewed and interpreted.
• I used to think that asking people’s heritage/background as a matter of curiosity was a good way to start getting
to know them. Now I think I will leave questions like that until I’m more comfortable with the person and have a
closer relationship with them, regardless of my own intent.
“One thing I will remember later is ___________.”
Staff of Color
• To address microaggressions in the moment and then even circle back a couple days later with conversation
• To review the resources on how to teach race to my child.
• One thing I will remember later is the distinctions between internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and
structural racism.
• One thing I will remember later is different ways to identify the microaggressions.
• Always an opportunity to learn and grow.
• One thing I will remember later is that impact vs intention.
• The deeper definition of equity i.e., equity examines systems and history and how it impacts communities and
individuals.
• NORMALIZE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS
• We all have some kind of racism (intentional or not)
• There are 4 different levels of Racism that I never knew about.
• To treat everyone with respect and be careful to use the selection of your words.
• this is an uphill battle
• People feel differently when they're abroad than when they come back. it's a drag.
• Not everyone is as thick skinned as I am.
• Interaction - seeing other perspectives is very helpful.
• Racism is a big problem in this country, and we have to work on making it less so.
• That it is valid to feel hurt by microaggressions, and valid to speak up about it.
• One thing I will remember later is that by not correcting racial remarks, I may be in the view of the racist
concurring to it. A response and action must be provided if I feel safe to do it.
• Be aware of your own bias.
• Port treats everybody equal no matter what country you came from.
• Racism is a marriage of racist policies and ideas.
• One thing I will remember later is equity is promoted at port of Seattle.
• To be mindful of how my thoughts and actions affect others.
• Microaggressions and the messages they send to be calm and not to escalate the problem further and find out if
possible, why by asking questions.
• One thing I will remember later is micro aggression was something that I overlooked but am more aware of.
• Amounts of microaggressions there are.
• Recognize microaggression and say something as appropriate.
• How to ask someone where they are from in a different way.
• One thing I will remember later is to don't think about racism, as much think that much will make you
uncomfortable.
• Everyone has a story.
• My feelings are always valid.
• Microaggressions and some of the statements that help identify how people are perceived. The background of
the person making the statement may offset the statement being made.
• what microaggressions are.
• One thing I will remember later is the Port employee story about how he experiences discrimination from the
passengers (asked someone to move to a designated smoking zone).
• One thing I will remember is respect and love can along way with everyday people.
• To be more sensitive in how I speak and communicate.
• Micro aggressions and how to respond to them.
• We are all in this together.
• the conversations around equity vs equality.
• It’s how others perceive things, not just my intention.
• how much micro aggressions are "built into” us from being young children.
• There are different types of racism that I have never realized before.
• Be aware of my blind spots.
• Use the tools in the class to identify real world scenarios in which I could help myself or others overcome
perceived racism and/or micro aggressions.
• One thing I will remember later is the difference between equity and equality.
• That systemic & institutional racism is accurate, and it is good to read into things and not take certain situations
lightly. If something feels unfair, then ask questions.
• One thing I will remember from this class is that our personal biases can influence policies that we help create
thus perpetuating institutional racism.
• I really enjoyed hearing about racial inferiority and how it affects those who experience it. It's important to
know how feeling inferior is a barrier to progression in life and it limits what can be achieved.
• One thing I will remember later is that it is important to understand another person's culture, upbringing, and
personal experiences before saying something that may offend that person.
White Staff
• Recognizing and acting to de-escalate a situation when someone is using microaggression.
• it is helpful to follow up and check back in about microaggressions.
• One thing I will remember later is the personal stories and thoughts shared by those in the group.
• The connections from the session and the chance to learn from other people's experiences.
• to be patient.
• to be mindful of microaggression
• that change can be uncomfortable and having compassion and persistence through that uncomfortable dialog is
part of a journey through change.
• it’s okay to feel uncomfortable with the conversations you may have.
• Consider others’ perceptions of what I'm saying more.
• this will take a very long time to adjust and correct.
• the training has no effect on management.
• Is that even as progressive and introspective as I think I am, I was caught off guard by not being to specify why
racial inequality was important to me personally. Not that I don't think that it is important, I just couldn't find a
way to relate it to my own personal experience in the moment. It's easy for me to recognize why it's important
for the Port or any institution or system, but I wasn't sure how to genuinely connect with the question
respectfully.
• I would say that it's important to me to see my work groups have qualified and respected individuals being lifted
up, promoted, or mentored regardless of their race. It's important for me to recognize if I am participating in any
systemic racism and find the appropriate channels to help see the change."
• One thing I will remember late is Microaggressions and the varying forms they take.
• to consider how my comments/expressions may impact others.
• The illustrations to help paint the picture of Equity vs. Equality and how we can incorporate that into our lives,
being more self-aware.
• One thing I will remember later are the TED talks by Heather and Mellody (Pre-work videos.)
• One thing I will remember later is how impactful and painful microaggressions are to the receiver, even though
they may not be seen a impactful or painful by the giver.
• How many opinions make for a better outcome.
• class disfunction isn't always perceived correctly - we're too fast to judge
• a better description of microaggressions
• Being shut down for asking questions.
• One thing I will remember later is to ask for permission if I witness a microaggression against someone else.
• One thing I will remember later is how colloquialisms can affect others also.
• One thing I will remember later is the importance of being color brave rather than color blind. It is an important
distinction.
• How uncomfortable talking about race is with strangers.
• That equality and equity are different and also I will make use of the microaggression list and watch my language
more and think about how it comes across. I especially liked that form in that it didn't just say what NOT to say.
It explained what the unspoken issues are when speaking microaggressions.
• One thing I will remember later is to always be kind, no matter how much a statement might make you angry.
Take a step back.
• A lot of the issue is internal racism. If you can’t accept yourself of course you feel like no one else will, even
though they do.
• the importance of slowing down tough conversations and honoring how people are feeling regardless of the
intent of a person's comment, etc. Microaggressions can be hard to handle. Consider if the person receiving the
microaggression might prefer to have a private conversation about what's happening vs. being a "savior" and
bringing more attention to the situation.
“One connection I made to my/our work is ___________.”
Staff of Color
• to be honest and speak up when I see and/or hear an act of microaggression.
• One connection I made to my work is now knowing the technique of asking questions, seeking understanding of
why somebody is doing something that I view as problematic...
• Working with people that all have different cultures (even sub-cultures).
• One connection I made to my work is Diversity and Equity, which my group is all about. (CPO SA group has
various ethnicity, race, and I really feel we work together:)
• This topic of discussion relates directly to my job.
• One connection I made to my work is that calm collected conversations are a must now.
• There are practical ways to implement equity in our day-to-day work. Hiring practices is a great example. In our
most recent round of hiring, we actually hid the names of the candidates to reduce bias, and we also took a
implicit bias training prior to our interviews. Doesn't eradicate bias by any means, but awareness is a great start.
• IS BE MORE VOCAL
• we are very diverse
• to be respectful and kind
• Port employees who insensitive on comments and actions to others.
• One connection I made to my work is how to respond to all the people I interact and engage with every day.
• Micro aggression, I see it sometimes but never really said anything about it. But now I will try to raise a voice
against it whenever it is necessary.
• Progress is happening.
• community, and being able to see multiple points of view.
• Opportunities not available to me, but the Port has allowed to equity during the hiring process.
• One connection I made to our work/Port of Seattle is that unconscious base still need to be addressed as
performance is still not used as an objective element for assessment for new assignments etc.
• Being more open about race with my co-worker
• we all came from different races.
• are there policies around leadership development stopping people from moving up
• The ambience together with coworkers
• It made me recognize my own interpersonal biases and microaggression.
• To be thoughtful of others in regard to intent vs impact.
• I appreciate equity moment at our department meetings.
• One connection I made to my work is I feel really comfort.
• The Diversity within the Port.
• Port of Seattle is working on being more Equitable to the Community and its Employees.
• it is affected by all departments at PoS.
• One connection I made to our work is that we have a vast division between white people and immigrates
working for the Port. Merging the two is challenging.
• Not sure how to answer this question.
• To ask permission when needed.
• Micro aggressions
• I think, I am not the only one being left behind. Blue color works, Indian American, Spanish employees should be
taken in consideration as much as black employees.
• Understanding equity better
• Remember keep my mind open and consider others colleague feeling.
• Diversity is fertile in the work environment, and I am part of it.
• The difference between equity and equality
• Knowing I wasn’t alone experiencing these different scenarios at work.
• One connection I made to my/our work is to keep an open mind when having conversations with diverse people.
• while with little group activity, we acknowledged the importance of dealing with many diverse and multicultural
backgrounds daily within our departments around the Port, Customer Service, and even Vendor Deliveries.
• Think before speaking.
• I felt the training was generalized so did not make any connections, it was great training.
• One connection I made to my/our work is that we can use our voice to share our ideas so the Port can be a more
equitable organization.
• We should always look to improve the way we do things organizationally.
• One connection I made to my work is how to confront micro aggressions
• Fairness of equality in the port
• To respect each other and accept our differences.
• One connection I made to my work is listening and understanding about one's culture and upbringing. Being an
immigrant myself, I feel that I can have a connection and/or relate to that person's life experiences.
• the importance of having a diverse workforce as a public entity serving a diverse community
White Staff
• that it is okay to not know and not understand everything about racism, equity, inclusion, and diversity, as long
as I keep working towards those goals (increasing knowledge and understanding) - I may never completely get
there but the journey is the point.
• Conversations and trainings like these for EDI are like food for nourishment. I may not learn anything new when
I cook a burrito for the 15th time, and it may not be the most exciting burrito, but I need daily nutrition just like
we need these reminders to sustain a culture of EDI.
• One connection I made to our work is looking to alternative ways to ensure people are being heard, and
recognition that their voices are valued.
• We need to continue having conversations and growing as a group.
• Being aware of our relationships with each other and the intersections of our identity. It's important to think
about who is benefiting from projects at the port. Is it creating more inequity is a big question?
• there are many resources the Port provides for learning with OEDI.
• the importance of opportunities through my work with data to support understanding of measurements of
programs related to this important work.
• The Port is working toward equity in hiring.
• One connection that I made with racial equity 101 to my work is that it's valuable and worthwhile to talk out
loud about systemic and socially constructed problems in a productive way.
• how important the Port is in impacting our local economy for ALL. I really liked the visual equity slide with the
bikes or the platforms.
• H&S is relevant to everyone. Making sure everyone gets to go home safe at the end of the day is what I'll
continue to strive for, no matter where, who, what, a person identity's is.
• I will be helping someone from my small group with ideas to improve WMBE participation in Service
Agreements.
• One connection I made to my work is the experience I shared where I was the one who committed the
microaggression and was called out on it. It was from that experience where I was told what it means to "not
see color" and from that moment on I stopped viewing the world through that color blindness lens and it was
then that I was able to notice, see and hear the many microaggressions that are said on a daily basis and could
speak up when previously I didn't see color, so I didn't see the hurt microaggressions caused.
• One connection I made to my/our work is listening to the community I am serving and help this organization
meet the needs of that community.
• the different levels of racism
• One connection I made to my/ our work is connecting with others. I do not interact with others outside my
department as I work remote.
• Recognizing employees come from various background and experiences and avoiding microaggressions will be
very important.
• One connection I made to my/our work is that there is a BIG difference in talking about and embracing the idea
of equity and creating systems that support it in real life. Coming from a company that talks a lot about DEI, but
didn't actually put words into action, I respect so much that Port of Seattle is actually putting commitment,
intention, and action toward creating more systemic equity.
• that I will listen more and try to remain supportive, but not overbearing in my approach.
• One connection I made to my work is that creating racial equity is an everyday effort and that you can never
take a day off.
• The importance of the Port's community works to help neighboring communities have access to job and training
opportunities
• Importance of continuing to identify and to remove unconscious bias from everyday work.
• The port is full of inequity. For example, represented vs non-represented employees.
• how to identify microaggressions
• how diverse our company truly is and what we are striving for
• One connection i made to my work is to evaluate my bias further and slow down if I saw something wrong.
• One connection I made to my work is the potential impact of construction on disadvantaged communities.
• One connection I made to my/our work is to show diversity in all things I do.
• As the Port community, we have the ability to make changes in areas outside the port they can't or are moving
much slower on correcting.
• feeling more connected to coworkers by hearing their perspectives.
• One connection I made to my/ our work is how certain requests that we (in security) normally make during
screening could be micro aggressions against certain groups of people.
• racial equity is important and helps us work better together.
• Its very important to realize that we need equity in the work place- you can tell the difference in the atmosphere
coming into the port, versus past experiences with jobs.
• the port does not follow its own policies
