Wendy Amengual Wark

Mission Forward: Leading People, Purpose & Progress

Are you ready to strengthen your leadership for the future? * How will you navigate the future of DEIA within your organization? * How can you lead proactively and strategically during chaos? * How can you empower all members of your organization to realize your mission? Join us in person to explore how

News Featured

This is Inclusion Strategy Solutions, a brand new site by Wendy Amengual Wark that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!

Rights

What Do You Stand For?

Election day is four days away in 33 U.S. States. This annual democratic rite always causes me to reflect. I want to ask each candidate, “What do you stand for?” I do research on every candidate on my ballot, regardless of the position that they are hoping to be

ADA

Protecting College Students from Hate: New York State Version

Cut the Confusion Employers, and the rest of us, are understandably confused these days about what the rules are, how to enforce them, and how to carry on and stay calm. There are those who ascribe to the belief that chaos is necessary to create a new and better society.

DEIA

Perfection: A Barrier to Success

Perfectionist I have been called the “P” word more than once. I am not necessarily proud of this. I have striven to attain perfection more than once in my life. I am not necessarily ashamed of this, either. Maria Muldaur singing “I’m a Woman,” or Helen Reddy’s “I

Voting Rights

Women’s Equality Day

Suffrage In 1995, as Program Director of the New York City Commission on the Status of Women,* I had the honor of coordinating “Women’s History: Promises to Keep,” a photo-journal exhibit celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women

Constitution

Protection Racket

Right of Refusal Alan Dershowitz has made the headlines by threatening to sue a food vendor at the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market on Martha’s Vineyard[1][2] for refusing to sell him their pierogies. The vendor allegedly based their decision on Mr. Dershowitz’ words and actions. Subsequently, Mr.

Access

Rational Fear Defined

Fire. Poison. Sharp knives. Guns. Being fearful of these things, especially in certain circumstances, is quite rational. I am afraid of re-breaking bones damaged in the past, for example. That is a wise thing to be. Irrational fears or phobias, on the other hand, are usually the result of some

Access

Independence Day – In Context

These are challenging times. Many of us are discouraged and even feeling despair in the face of our current political, economic, and cultural situation. An effective method for overcoming feelings of discouragement or despair is to encourage others. Even the process of searching for the right words, tone, and examples

Access

Defending DEIA: The Power of Evidence and Numbers

“Costco is looking like the big winner after Target's DEI rollback.”¹ “We make our decisions at Princeton based on our values and our principles.”² “More Than 500 Law Firms Sign Onto Perkins Coie Amicus”³ “New York Public Schools Uphold DEI Policies Despite Federal Threats”4 These headlines provide

Access

Just Say NO!

Just Say NO! My personal mission is to make manifest the value of all people. What that means is to make it obvious that Black lives matter, that no human is illegal, and that all of us—regardless of our gender identity or expression—all of us—have the right

DEIA

What Can I do to Save DEIA?

As the number of organizations gutting, shuttering, and micromanaging DEIA programs increases, many of us—experts, practitioners, employees, customers, students, members, et al—wonder what can we do to stop the dismantling of initiatives that protect rights, empower diversity, and encourage inclusion? The overwhelming barrage of negative information and disinformation

Abuse

Surviving Predators

Trigger Warning This post includes references to the of abuse of a child and to attempted suicide. Without Hope As an abused child, there were many days when I was without hope. Without hope that tomorrow would be better than today. Without hope that anyone could save me, as those

Diversity

Gratitude

Thanksgiving is historically challenging as it reminds us that those who get to tell their story have the opportunity to be heard, regardless of how accurate or honest that story is. I study history. I study people. Our collective story is messy, brutal, and fraught. However, it is also a

Caribbean

La Historia

I have been ranting about the importance of history—of knowing history—for years. Learning the history of Puerto Rico and its diaspora have been central to my understanding of my own story, my father’s story, and the story of millions of others whose ancestors endured the ravishes of

Denial

The Art of Denial

Am Not! Picture two siblings, perhaps eight and six years old. The argument may be over a toy, or a game, or who sat on whom, or any other rival-based competition. It may go like this: “You’re a liar!” “Am not! You are!” We used to say, “I’m

healing

Peace Talks

Can We Talk? Once upon a time people could guess fairly accurately what another person’s political position was by their appearance. During certain periods throughout history it was also possible to determine one’s tribe based on their attire, hairstyle, and mode of transport. This was valuable information as

Access

How and Why DEIAB?

How and Why DEIAB? The vast majority of the attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) initiatives and programs, use anecdotal examples of poorly executed workshops or other strategies to dissemble and discredit the entire field and its raison d’etre. This is an old (see ancient Greece)

Stealth Inclusion

Stealth Inclusion Revisited

In October of 2014 (almost ten years ago!) I wrote a blog post titled "Stealth Inclusion” wherein I argued that one way to overcome resistance to DEIA programs, especially by members of the C-Suite, is to call them something else. I received push back by a reader who interpreted

Access

We Are Not Alone

Each year I endeavor to start anew with a fresh, positive outlook. I wish that for you, as well. Each of us has to navigate our private, personal struggles as well as the macro challenges that we are confronted with as a community. War, death by guns, food insecurity, climate

Access

A Declaration

A Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was signed 247 years ago by 56 white men, 34 of whom kept other human beings in bondage denying them the very freedom they themselves demanded. Currently, in the United States, there is a small group of people who are impacting our rights,