By definition, roundtables are designed for inclusion. These are the places where all are welcomed to share their insight, which creates an equal flow of ideas and thoughts. No right answers, no wrong answers, just open discussions about the prevailing items of the day.
The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG) has created and hosted a few roundtables to discuss the topic of equality and fairness for the Black community. Led by Chairperson Jasmine L. Felix, the AAERG roundtables evolved from trying to further a conversation about understanding the civil unrests existing in today’s world.
“With all of the protests and issues surrounding the Black community my board got together and decided to host an open discussion with the workforce,” said Felix, a Mechanical Engineer for the HM&E Data Acquisition & Information Systems branch. “Ultimately someone who doesn't identify as Black made the suggestion to create that type of event in order to learn more about the different issues and thus the roundtable was born.”
“We thought the roundtable discussions were a good forum to both continue the conversation and also learning more about the Black experience. The roundtables are held monthly via virtual platforms. We welcome the entire NSWCPD community to join and contribute to the discussions,” added AAERG Secretary Ed Carter, a Combat Support Systems Mechanical Engineer.
The AAERG Roundtable discussions complement the Many Voices – One NAVSEA: Candid Conversations on Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement event that occurred on Aug. 19, 2020. The live stream directly supported “Task Force One Navy” that is designed to address the issues of racism, sexism and other destructive biases and their impact on naval readiness.
“I think we are helping to create some exposure to some of the many voices in NAVSEA by highlighting some of the issues that directly affect the Black community this year,” noted Felix.
“I feel that the roundtables have been a great opportunity to discuss what sometimes can be difficult topics, in a positive and safe space. I look forward to exploring more topics and listening to others thoughts and experiences,” said Carter.
THE ROUNDTABLES
During a typical AAERG Roundtable, the group decides on a topic or item to read/watch, then together they discuss it. Due to COVID-19, the discussions went virtual.
“I think we had about 10-20 people from various backgrounds participate in the first virtual call. We have a guided discussion where the floor is open for anyone to comment, but there are talking points and questions prepared to help move the discussion forward,” said Felix.
The AAERG virtually hosted a another roundtable on July 23, 2020 about the Netflix documentary “13th”, which explores the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States; it is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
On Aug. 20, 2020 the AAERG presented a roundtable discussion about the movie “Hidden Figures”, which highlighted the crucial work of three female African-American mathematicians working at NASA during the 1960’s at the time of the Space Race.
“These roundtable discussions are absolutely essential providing the opportunity to have open and candid discussions about important topics,” said Tom Perotti, NSWCPD’s Technical Director. “Efforts like these are a powerful tool for continuing the conversation fundamental to functioning as one team.”
The next AAERG Roundtable is scheduled for Sept. 30 and will feature the documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” based on the work of the late James Baldwin.
LOOKING AHEAD
Virtual roundtables are the new normal now, and the AAERG wants to expand them as much as possible. They are continually requesting the NSWCPD staff’s input in determining content and topics along with achieving more participation.
“The AAERG board has a lot of things we think the workforce needs, but we want to hear from the workforce directly. So reach out to any of us and let us know what you all would like to cover and discuss,” said Felix.
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel doing research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service logistics engineering for Navy ships. NSWCPD is also the lead organization providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.