NHBSR's DEI Basecamp
"Everything I've learned... came from trying to figure out how to raise five Black children in a society not designed for them to thrive."
Dr. Atyia Martin
CEO & Founder, All Aces, Inc.
The Mission
To unleash the invisible power every person and organization has to intentionally act to disrupt oppression. The focus is on moving from reactive stances to intentional action.
Key Philosophy
Culture isn't "squishy." It is a reflection of espoused values, day-to-day habits, and how those habits align with collective goals in practical areas like recruitment and onboarding.
Organizational Dichotomy
Toxic Culture
- • Lack of respect & emotional safety
- • Top-down decision making only
- • Defensive denial of racism
- • Breeding ground for oppression
- • Internal competition & silos
- • Microaggressions: 'Death by papercuts'
- • Performative allyship (hiring for a face, not a role)
- • Culture of 'Covering' (hiding differences)
People-Centered Culture
- • Relationships are prioritized over hierarchy
- • Respect for employee humanity
- • Shared decision-making processes
- • Clear connection between task and mission
- • Safe space for growth and feedback
- • Managers as shields, not stressors
- • Vulnerability and transparency
- • Focus on long-term sustainability
Navigating Our "Messiness"
Dr. Martin emphasizes that human dysfunctions are "features, not bugs," but we must manage them to show up as our best selves.
Defensiveness & Denial
We are wired to seek comfort and protect our self-identity when confronted with mistakes.
Bounded Rationality
Our rationality is limited by urgency, complexity, and cognitive capacity (fatigue, bias, stress).
Impact vs. Intention
Focusing on "being a good person" rather than the actual impact on the marginalized person.
Active Listening
"If you're listening and it doesn't feel like you're working hard—like you're not a little tired afterwards—you weren't really listening."
Personal Resilience Factors
Self-Awareness
Understanding one's own emotions and triggers in real-time.
Earned Self-Esteem
Confidence built by navigating hard situations and learning from them.
Critical Thinking
A process to bypass natural mental traps and biases.
RE Literacy
Social justice and racial equity literacy—knowing history and context.
The Worldview Component
The more unsophisticated our worldview, the less we are able to handle complexity. Managing our "inner narrative"—the critical inner voice—is essential for moving beyond binary thinking.
Transformational DEI Framework
External connections to community. Not just hiring, but pipeline development (e.g., architectural firms supporting minoritized students).
The actual onboarding and process-level integration. Making sure rules are on paper and followed fairly.
Continuous growth. Providing the knowledge, skills, and tools employees actually need to succeed.
Crucial Shift: Process vs. Interpersonal
If an employee isn't getting promoted, don't just see it as a conflict between manager and employee. Look at the process. If the process exists but people are "getting off it," the structure is the problem.
Real-World Application: Case Study
Large International Company Assessment
During the Q&A, Dr. Martin shared a concrete example of transitioning a company from a toxic environment to a people-centered one. This engagement focused on a site with a large population of Black employees where leadership initially assumed poor performance was an interpersonal issue rather than a structural one.
The Investigation
- • Conducted deep assessments, including exactly 14 focus groups across various employee shifts.
- • Spent the first 6 months purely analyzing the focus group and survey data to reframe the context for leadership.
Findings & Action
- • Revealed issues were structural: employees lacked necessary knowledge and tools due to an inequitable promotional process keeping them out.
- • Addressed severe HR violations by holding toxic managers accountable (via demotion and retraining).
- • The full engagement took 2 years to implement the necessary structural and cultural shifts sustainably.