On October 28th, the University of Utah Alumni Association hosted "Diversity in the Workplace," a live, virtual panel on YouTube featuring School of Dance alumna Natosha Washington, Charlotte Miller, and Nav Dhaliwal, moderated by James Jackson.

Natosha Washington BFA'04 teaches at the Now and Next Dance Mentoring Project and co-directs the Utah-based dance company RawMoves. Her choreography has been seen on many professional, collegiate, and secondary school companies in Utah, Virginia, and Texas. As a voluptuous black woman raised in an LDS southern family, making her way in a white dance community, Washington has a multifaceted lens; she negotiates stereotyping, privilege, and identity every day in her work and loves the challenge the issues present.

The panel covered significant ground: challenges they face as professionals, how mentors played a role in their individual successes, steps organizations can take to be more inclusive and encourage retention of a diverse community, and how emerging leaders can be pioneers of change. 

Watch the entire discussion below! 

"Never think that what you are doing to create inclusivity is too small. Every little thing you are doing matters...Meet people that are different from you, have conversations, don't put up walls or barriers, be willing to be open, be okay sitting in the discomfort. These conversations are not easy. I feel like our society has told us that we are supposed to feel good all the time and that's not true. We learn the most when people make us have to think and reflect." 
Natosha Washington

"Diversity and inclusion is not a marathon, or a sprint, or a destination — it's a journey, and it's an adventure. It's going to constantly evolve, and so it's important that we stay connected and we continue to evolve as well so we can grow in our welcoming in each of our industries." 
James Jackson