A Letter from Déja Fitzgerald, CAP's New Equity and Inclusion Advocate
Hey CAPians,
My name is Déja Fitzgerald (She/Her) and I am incredibly excited to be CAP’s new Equity and Inclusion Advocate. In the past few weeks, I have been often asked why I chose to pursue this particular role with this particular organization. As a Black queer woman, my lived experience serves as the foundation that guides my work as an equity practitioner, community advocate, and educator. As I have experienced microaggressions, discrimination, and harassment due to my marginalized identities, the challenges of privilege and prejudice within the lens of intersectionality were very apparent. Whether it was navigating my queer identity in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina or navigating my Black identity amongst my queer friends in the Pacific Northwest; I have been regularly reminded about the intricacies of holding marginalized identities within dominant spaces and the workplace was far from an exception.
In pursuit of equity, inclusion, and liberation, I have always committed myself to interrupt narratives and systems of injustice, prejudice, bias, and oppression. In my work as an educator, I facilitated community symposiums and training workshops that explored bias, intersectionality, barriers to resource access, allyship, and more. In my work as a researcher, I worked with Martinez Organizational Consulting to support Partners in Diversity’s Workforce Diversity Retention Project, which was a project that sought to better understand the experiences of BIPOC professionals in Portland and what factors impact BIPOC employees’ decision to stay or depart from their places of employment. In the community, I facilitated educational workshops on hip-hop advocacy and continue to serve on the executive board for MusicPortland as an equity-focused board member. And while all of my work was worthwhile, I began to grow frustrated when I realized that much of my equity work was “in addition to” my work responsibilities and not the work that I was able to do every day. So, when I found this opportunity, I could not have been more excited.
In my work as your new Equity and Inclusion Advocate, I am committed to supporting each and every member of the CAP Community. The road towards equity is a challenging process but it is not an impossible one. Together, we will not only strive to increase our knowledge of how can interrupt systems and narratives of oppression, but we must also take action to integrate equity into everything that we do. Throughout the interview process and conversations with you all since I began, you all have shared an incredibly transparent and honest take on the CAP experience. And from what I have learned, it isn’t enough to just be better, we must also do better.
And while I am thrilled to support the advancement of CAP’s culture, I cannot do any of this without a partnership with all of you. So, this is my open invitation for each and every one of you to connect with me. I want to dedicate my time to learn about your stories, your experiences, and your perspectives. My work will always be informed by your lived experiences to improved your lived experiences, so please feel free to email me (dfitzgerald@capnw.org) and we can find a time to connect.
In Community,
Déja Fitzgerald
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is now the oldest and largest HIV-services and LGBTQ+ health provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, with more than 100 employees working across four locations. Our organization seeks to prevents new HIV infections; support low-income people living with HIV; and provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community. Through our vital health, housing, and other social services, we help ensure the well-being of more than 15,000 people each year. More information can be found at www.capnw.org.
