Andrea Baron and Linda Rosen from the WNBA (Women's National Book Association of South Florida) have implemented a Zero tolerance policy that is hurtful and harmful, exclusionary, and an example of systemic racism. And has the unfortunate consequence of alienating minority groups. The policy has to do with their refusal to extend Mic night for 5 minutes to accommodate members. Open Mic Nights, a platform on which writers can read a snippet of their work. Each reader is allowed 5 minutes. I invited my African American niece to read on a dark night on COVID on July 17th. She wanted to be a writer and had a small poem on George Floyd ( my nephew was stopped many times during stop and frisk in Harlem in New York City.) My niece was thrilled, but because we did not sign up in time, Ms. Baron and Ms. Rosen refused to extend the meeting by 5 minutes to accommodate us. Five minutes! I was shocked and ashamed that this organization had attracted me with happy happy words like promoting women's voices, protecting women's vision when this was clearly not the truth. I did not know what to tell my niece I still don't, but that policy traumatized a young girl and stung her with the thorn of racism. The fact that two white women were enforcing the policy in a group of all white women with similar cultural backgrounds makes it impossible to accept the fact that this policy does anything but promotes systemic racism and alienates marginalized communities at the same time using magical words like inclusivity and empathy to attract members and secure grants. Whether or not Ms. Rosen and Ms. Baron knew my niece was black, this is an example of a systematically racist policy.
Ms. Rosen and Ms.Baron further clarified their position when on Open Mic night my niece was denied 5 minutes because of a zero-tolerance policy. Then to add insult to injury in an act of hypocrisy they extended the meeting for 10 minutes violating their own rules. The announcements could have just as easily been emailed. I was disgusted and that's what triggered my further investigation.
We reached out, asked for dialogue, discussion, a chance to explain our position and change the policy, and we were met by silence and derision, and physical threat. In an internal email, I secure Ms. Rosen writes that "she will not consider extending Mic night no matter who what or where." She also went on to confess her body "twitches" because of me and "she will not control herself when she sees me." In another email, I was accused of harassing her, wasting time, begin aggressively having a threatening tone; I was accused of being politically manipulative and promoting fake news. My membership was revoked, and I was no longer welcome. All of this because I want to open a discussion to change a policy that WILL alienate and cause harm to people who come from cultures in which time and times are negligible. THE WNBA refuses to change this policy.
I live in Delray Beach and our sister city in Haiti, and I would like to implement a recruitment program I will not introduce then to a group where 5 minutes will be denied because they did not sign up in time., They come from a culture where time and timing are different. By refusing to change the policy, refusing to discuss, or even offer an apology reveals a rule of law mentality designed to be systemically racist.
And then I read a short story written by Ms. Rosen posted proudly on her website that most would agree is overwhelmingly and racist about a black man that she described as " having a body odor so pungent that smelt of armpits and cigarettes which was so horrible that she could not clean his (stench) from her furniture." Ms. Rosen refuses to rewrite or take the short story down. How are minorities supposed to want to join a group with a writer who is a leader who allows a short story to be published?
Although the WNBA of South Florida is a nonprofit organization, there is no information on the grants they receive, nor will they supply private donors with a tax receipt. Any appeals to the board cannot be fairly arbitrated because Ms. Rosen holds two positions that of Vice-President and Director of Programming and uses that platform to promote her own agenda,
THE HORRIBLE NIGHT
I invited my African American niece to a Zoom open mic meeting which took place on June 17th, 2020, to read her poem during the dark time of COVID. Because of internal policy. Ms. Rosen and Ms. Baron refused to extend the meeting by 5 minutes. Linda Baron wrote to me in an email that my niece could be on standby., There was only one other reader waiting. So to accommodate everyone the meeting would have to be extended by a total of 10 minutes. It was hard enough for me to explain to my niece that two white women who present themselves as promoting woman voices, especially women of color during could not make an exception and let her read her poem. Even during the cultural revolution, in the darkest time of COVID and with young back men and women being killed, it would be even harder to explain that to our Haitian community of writers. Culturally time and timing can be interpreted differently in varied cultures. There is no way that their policy would not be construed as racist if people of color are turned away from reading because they did not sign up in time.
The Women's National Book Association was established in New York City in 1917 to give women a voice in the book industry. What has propelled their success into the future is their commitment to the culture of inclusion. The WNBA created a mandate to inspire with four components; Learn. Think. Empathize. Act. Unfortunately, the Chapter in South Florida under the direction of President Andrea Baron and Vice-President Linda Rosen are not moving that mandate forward in any meaningful way. Instead, they defend the status quo – a self-serving world of corporate-speak and excuse mongering.
I have tried to sit down with them to discuss, enlighten and make changes to the policy not only did they refuse, but I was called politically manipulative, a time-waster, with a threatening tone. In an internal email, I received Ms. Rosen threatened me physically if she should ever see me.
It maybe true that both women worked tirelessly to form a chapter of the WNBA and have grown the organization into something special. Baron is committed and conscientious, while Rosen is a hurricane of self-promotion. But on June 17th, they made a conscious executive decision NOT to move the mandate forward. There was no attempt to learn, think, empathize. Act. In fact, it was quite the opposite; I experienced actions that were unashamedly exclusionary and silent. And so during this climate of demanding change in institutional structures, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and take the time to call out the South Florida Chapter of the WNBA in hopes that they educate themselves on what transparency, inclusion, and communication look like and understand those goals are non-negotiable.
They refused to sit down with me instead threatened me verbally, calling me over 13 names, which included harasser, fake news.
Here's what went down.
On Wed, June 17th, 2020, our chapter Zoomed a Mic Night from 6:30 to 7:30. It's an event many members and I look forward to. Not only because writing is isolating but particularly now, during the menacing days of COVID. To share and listen to other authors was a white light in so much darkness and pain.
Enter my niece, a young black writer 21 years old who very much wanted to test the waters and meet other writers. And since she was not yet a WNBA member, I figured I'd read a bit of her poem and finish off with mine in the time allotted. A TOTAL of 5 minutes. Two for her. Three for me.
I sent an email to Linda Rosen to request a spot but was informed there were no spots left and that I would be second on a waiting list. It didn't pass the smell test to me. Eyebrow arc. Sounded lawyerly. Refusing one looks exclusionary, but two? Not so much. Honestly, I was shocked and surprised at her lack of empathy. I sent another email to Rosen asking, "How could FIVE more-minutes matter? I was ignored. Me… a lonely flea to be pushed away crushed if necessary and put in "my place." End of discussion.
My niece kept bugging me, and I told her it wasn't possible, and no one understood why it wasn't possible. Me, my husband, her mother, father, any rational person. And my ah-ha moment. Something was simmering in the board's "power struggle pot." It was inconceivable that an organization that nurtures women writers was making a ten-minute restriction an issue. "Oh," I thought to myself. And the mantra repeated in my head; "rule of law, the rule of law says not 5 MINUTES MORE.
Where had I heard that before?"
And I was ashamed of the board that represented me. Even behind a backdrop COVID, of black men being executed in the street, the horror on my nieces face, our fear for her brother my nephew, and the tragedy of her giddiness with the possibility that her work might be read in front of some solid professional women writers. The "rule of law" the hour restriction was summarily enforced without a smidgen of learning, thinking, empathizing, or acting. Well, "acting" not so much. They "acted" by THEIR Rule of Law. And to add insult to injury, Baron arbitrarily extended the meeting by 10 minutes to make announcements.
And I thought, maybe it was because I said I wanted to run for president, perhaps I wasn't the right religion or have a similar cultural background, or maybe the WNBA of South Florida was suddenly following "the rule of law" culture, and I just clued in. I thought back to the task I was assigned last year. I was to book a dinner for 30 members, which seems easy enough, except the restaurant didn't take reservations, and so if we got there and there were no tables, it would be on me. And Baron knew that before I was assigned the task. I crazy called-the restaurant every day, frantic with the possibility that there would be no tables left! Didn't happen, but it could of. Mean or mistake? Humm. Unnecessarily stressful? Yes.
But this wasn't about me. It was about my niece and the white woman who made the rules and a white Aunt who informed her of them. So we sat on the sidelines while wonderful writers read their wonderful words. The meeting ended at 7:40 instead of 7:30, with President Andrea Baron quickly explaining that adhering to the hour time frame was of utmost importance. So my niece and I both recoiled, disappointed, and hurt, and she turned to me and said, "Auntie Kay, don't be sad. They're just mean girls. I'll read to you, and you read to me," and we did.
Because of the lack of kindness and tolerance that trickled down from the top too long from those in a position of power, a kind group of women writers has become blemished as intolerant exclusionary, and unkind.
What happened to Learn. Think. Empathize. Act?
And guess what? Ms. Rosen was first up to read, promote her book. Eyeroll.
In this new cultural climate of organizational change, here's how that could have been handled. First, no question in my mind that the 5 MINUTE extension should have happened regardless of color.
OR
Baron who shamelessly broke her own "rule of law" and added a sacred 10 minutes for announcements when she could have sent an email with that info and given the members extra minutes.
OR
Maybe with an announcement that those attendees who could not take more than an hour without having a nervous breakdown could exit the meeting at their leisure.
OR
Vice-President Rosen should have given her spot to a member (having another reading the next day).
OR
How about a simple apology, an acknowledgment of an error or judgment to myself and the members. It could have gone something like this; The board apologizes for refusing to extend the meeting 10 minutes. We didn't have a valid reason. It came across as petty, mean, and flew in the face of the WNBA mandate. So we would like to reschedule another mic night for July 15th. Thoughts?
You guessed it. Not even an effort was made.
Maybe it's time to require board members of all the chapters to get some training on what it means to: Learn. Think. Empathize. Act. Because the South Florida Chapter not only missed the boat, they kicked it away from shore.
And it gets better. The excuse they gave? Enter the corporate-speak world. Baron stated that in her experience conducting a Zoom meeting over an hour was tiring."
Ok…which made me wonder how Baron come to that conclusion? How many meetings had Baron attended and asked that question? Ouch! Smack on my nose. Then came the blame-mongering. Pointing the finger. It was my fault. I should have signed up sooner. And finally, the most abusive corporate technique of all. Make a wall of silence, identify an upstart, and shut her down.
And then came the snub. What? End of discussion? My emails were not answered. My request was ignored. I was politely afforded an insulting placating promise to let me read at an undetermined time at an undetermined date. But I am a determined writer, "ends of discussions" never sit well with me because it's a way of keeping people "in their place." That creates a culture of "power struggle." In this case, Baron and Rosen have the power, and I have the struggle to fight to be respected and heard. As a paying member, I have the right to influence change, be open and transparent, engage in discussion, and point out flaws (including my own) with the optic of creating a better environment, a nurturing and positive, and inspiring environment as a women writer who practices a lonely craft. In other words: Learn. Think. Empathize. Act.
Power struggle. This is a prime example of what the "systemic" part of racism means how it functions within board structures, purposely ignoring mandates put in place to avoid this. And although I am not black or brown, I was excluded and could be explained away as a "troublemaker me" or, better yet, "if you don't like it leave." But my niece is black, and I wanted her to know her aunt has her back.
Although the South Florida chapter of the WNBA is a microcosm of where power struggle exists, I feel Baron and Rosen have shown a concerted commitment to propagate and preserve a cultural mentality that promotes exclusion and isolation. This subtle yet effective method is what the Black Lives Matter Movement is railing against. It is systemic, whether that be racism or sexism or anything else that excludes others subtly through archaic institutional structures, and there are catchphrases and buzz words and clues dressed up as future promises, no open dialogue, no apologies, and the effective "end of discussion." To live in this historic moment means that it is all of our responsibility to root it out, cut it to the quick whenever we see it, in whatever minor form because systemic communication that is left unchecked will overflow into the wonderful new world that so many of us are striving to reinvent.
Out with the old in with the new. This unstoppable tsunami terrifies many organizations and exhilarates others. Diversity and inclusion is the first thing that the South Florida Chapter must commit to. The average age is 60 ish, and all the members (that I have seen) are white with a cultural majority. This is NOT a reflection of the members. This comes from the top. The members are a group of women who could be extraordinary mentors and teachers to writers in our community. The fact that Delray Beaches sister-city is Haiti, there is ample opportunity for them to impact the future of women writers in an awesome way. There is more than enough money to sponsor young women with scholarships. As it stands, the board is not identifying, encouraging, or opening any dialogue with its members on outreach strategies. I feel that occurs because Baron and Rosen have secured themselves on-board positions as entitlements or steppingstones to promote their personal books and agendas rather than tend to the "minor" needs of minor paying members like myself.
Here's my take:
Writers are a group that will claw their way to the top (no shame in that) and for which Rosen has a particular talent. I feel it’s a conflict of interest for her to be Vice- President and use that platform for self-promotion and to sell books at a local bookstore using her status instead of promoting members. Furthermore, she is also Secretary of the National Association, where she was recently a guest on a writer's panel promoted nationally. Ethical questions swirl. Favoritism, nepotism? Appearances matter. The fact that Rosen holds two positions on two boards within the same organization should not be tolerated (there must be some by-laws about this). She should resign immediately from at least one and commit to promoting members' needs over her own.
And Ms. Baron? She should reexamine her role, engage in training and education on how to act in tandem with the national mandate. Is she capable of pushing the organization forward?
Just aside:
Before I published this article, I made a point of trying to "learn" about the reasons that Ms. Baron And Ms. Rosen made their decision. I thought about why they chose that route, and I empathized with them. It may be an educational issue that requires internal training and a weekend workshop. And I've acted by publishing this article and reaching out to Baron and Rosen only to be dismissed. I've also acted with suggestions on how moving forward, the South Florida Chapter of the WNBA can be an example of fortitude, courage, inclusiveness, and love for young writers.
Learn. Think. Empathize. Act.
