Meg O'Connell, PHR’s Post

Your perceived weaknesses are your greatest strengths. Whether you're Black, Hispanic, Asian, have an accent, are a woman, feel awkward on camera, introverted, overweight, too old or too young – or anything society says doesn’t fit in – embrace it. People are searching for real, genuine voices to follow and buy from. There’s a tribe out there waiting to connect with you. Stand out by being unapologetically yourself. 🌟 Comment the Word: START If you want my Studio Gear List sent to you to help you get started. #AuthenticityMatters #EmbraceYourUniqueness #DiverseVoices

Hands up if you love Bluey 🙋♀️ And so you should. Bluey is one of the most successful Australian pop culture exports, with over 20 billion minutes streamed on Disney+. But it's rise to success is down to more than just its playful storytelling, vibrant animation, and memorable musical scores. There's actually 3 much deeper points that earn its position as a family favourite around the world: 🤷♂️ It guides fathers on how to connect with their kids:  Pop culture often shows extreme ends of fatherhood, but Bluey demonstrates the value of a fairer division of care 💃 It makes mothers feel seen and heard: Australian mums find Bluey’s mum Chili aspirational, so much so that InStyle Australia magazine used a headline to ask mothers, ‘What Would Chili Do?’ 👨👩👧👦 It showcases accessibility and representation for the whole family: Around 25% of Australians feel poorly represented onscreen, with 36% attributing their feelings to the lack of ethnic representation and 68% with a disability feeling poorly represented. Bluey has been lauded for introducing children and parents to disabilities including Dougie the deaf Cavapoo who uses Auslan (Australian sign language). There are so many actionable insights to glean from the show - from creating locally relevant content that resonates, to platforming awareness of people’s struggles and anxieties. Thankfully Canvas8, with the help of Liz Giuffre and Ella Chorazy have broken it down for you in their latest report. Get in touch today if you want to learn more!

🌟✨🌟 Curious Reflection 🌟✨🌟 In a recent conversation with another parent of young adults, the topic of the American Girl Doll franchise came up. My daughters received the doll Addy, a character from the Civil War era who was enslaved in North Carolina. "Buying" an enslaved doll just doesn't sit right with my spirit. As I reminisced about the countless trips to the American Girl Doll store for Addy's salon visits and lunches, it suddenly hit me like a ton of 🧱 bricks. What was I thinking? Addy, an enslaved girl, would never have had the opportunity to partake in the same luxuries as her fellow dolls like Kristen, Felicity, or Elizabeth. How could I have overlooked this glaring disparity? 🤦🏽♀️💭 As a matter of fact they wouldn't be able to play together, attend school together...Addy wouldn't be able to eat vanilla ice cream 🍦. It's a sobering realization, and I owe my daughters an apology for perpetuating this lie. Let's strive for awareness and inclusivity in all aspects of play and life. 🌍💕 #InclusivePlay #DiversityMatters #LearningAndGrowing Let's spark conversations and reflections that lead to positive change. 🌟💬 What are your thoughts on this? Share your insights below! 👇🏽 #CuriousReflections #AmericanGirlDollLegacy

Unveiling the Shadows of Colorism in Beauty Standards Do you reach for fairness creams or talcum powder, perhaps subconsciously hoping for a lighter complexion? Have you ever paused to ponder what drives this inclination? More importantly, do you realize that in doing so, you might unwittingly contribute to the perpetuation of colorism? Colorism, the ugly sibling of racism, thrives in the shadows of our beauty concepts, subtly influencing our choices and perceptions. Yet, have we stopped to question why movies consistently cast lighter-skinned actors and actresses, even for roles meant for darker-skinned characters? What lies behind this hegemony of skin color in our media and society at large? It's time to peel back the layers and confront the uncomfortable truths lurking beneath the surface. Let's delve into the nuances of colorism and its pervasive influence on our collective consciousness.

Take a look at the portrait right behind me in this picture, what comes to mind???? 🤔 I know you probably find it hard to figure out the interpretation, well I am not surprised as it took me almost a year to also figure out the interpretation. So, don't beat yourself up if you are unable to do so at a glance 😊. Now, let's analyse the portrait together. The first thing you should know is that the portrait is a Save our Soul message as boldly written on the girl's headband (SOS). It is a portrait that highlights the series of violence perpetrated against the girl-child in our today's world. Behind the girl wearing the SOS headband, there are different faces representing the different girls crying out for help and hoping that someday someone will come to their rescue. The blood stained razor represents Female Genital Mutilation, while the blood beneath the young girl who bowed her head represents rape. Let's talk about the apple. The apple represents love, however, a deep look at the apple shows that it is worm-infested. While someone handed out the worm-infested apple to the girl, another person was pushing her to accept it against her wish even though she was in tears. This signifies the manipulation, violence, coercion, abuse, and exploitation the girl-child is being subjected to on a daily basis. The sweets, biscuits and ice cream look good and attractive from the surface, but deep down they represent the deceit used to mask the pains of the girl-child. Now, I have shared this to remind us that we are in a world where the girl-child is being subjected to numerous struggles by the virtue of her gender and there is a need for us to constantly make the world a safer and better place for women and girls to thrive and lead fulfilling lives. This should be our daily mantra 💪. I hope you find this piece insightful? If you do, give it a thumbs up and do well to drop a comment. #girlpower #girlsrights #girlsempowerment #Saynotoviolence

***TRIGGER WARNING: cartoon of people practicing cultural appropriation, transphobia, and ableism depicted as Haloweeen costumes.*** There’s a reason why blackface and then yellowface were deemed inappropriate in entertainment, Hollywood, for example And then we have all seen the photos of famous people and politicians who dresssed in blackface for a Halloween party Or in “frat drag” which is heterosexual men wearing women’s clothes, wigs? And make up for a night which is disrespectful of trans and TGI people and women! And there’s a reason why these people get in trouble—it’s super offensive! And celebrates a history of slavery, exploitation, hatred, and colonialism in the US and elsewhere The same applies to the examples below 👇🏽 I suggest: 🚫Don’t make a joke out of someone’s identity this Halloween 🚫Don’t desiccate someone’s cultural clothes, skin color, or abilities for a night with the excuse it’s Halloween 👎 Because underneath that “costume” you will be seen as a racist, or a transphobic “jerk,” as they said in the photo And thoughtless ableist. Photos on social media (and yes, when they are leaked) aren’t just for one night They last forever. I suggest, just don’t do it! 🚫 #Halloween #culturalappropriatism #disabilityrights #trans #racialequity

One thing about life is to surround yourself with the right people who understand your vision and passion. Ever since I started this journey of creating awareness and enlightening society on the negative impact of masturbation and pornography, I have faced criticism and discouragement, even from friends whom I thought would support me. However, I have also received words of encouragement from some key individuals who truly understand my vision. I would have liked to acknowledge them here, but I prefer not to. In due time, I will have to express my gratitude for their efforts and words of support, which they offered when I felt like giving up. As I mentioned earlier, in your journey of creating impact, you will face several challenges, criticism, and obstacles; your ability to withstand them gives you the strength to push forward. As a young and growing youth, I have identified these problems - masturbation and pornography - and it is my desire to ensure that they are solved by creating awareness and offering the necessary help to those addicted to these harmful practices. If you have any suggestions or ideas to share on how to accelerate this project, I am open to learning, and your input will go a long way in helping this Foundation. As a foundation, we remain committed to creating a sustainable society free from masturbation and pornography. We trust the process. Don't give up yet. 💪 #raisingsocietalstandards #antipornactivist #betterlife #refomerfoundation #YouthAdvocate

As an unconventional leader in tech, I'm deeply invested in dismantling harmful stereotypes that disrupt progress toward genuine inclusivity and fairness. In my most recent analysis, coined the Manic Pixel Dream Girl 👾, I explore how tokenization, much like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope in film, undermines the complexity and agency of marginalized individuals: https://lnkd.in/gzc7naW6 From my own experiences navigating the tech industry, I've observed how the potential for tokenization reduces individuals to checkboxes, disregarding their unique skills and contributions. Just as female characters are often relegated to supporting roles in films, minorities in tech can experience tokenization, sidelining, and undervaluing. By shedding light on the parallels between these phenomena, I aim to spark conversations about the massive benefit to genuine diversity and inclusion efforts in tech. It's time to move beyond surface-level representation and prioritize the empowerment of all individuals, regardless of background. 🔖 Subscribe to my Substack: https://lnkd.in/dhsHFMPQ 🔖 Follow along on Instagram: https://lnkd.in/gU7CpcAx #diversityandinclusion #techindustryinsights #representation #impostersyndrome #tokenization #manicpixeldreamgirl

"The Eternal Question: Is She Pretty? 😂" Discover the hilarious differences in perspectives between men and women through this fun cartoon! Each scene highlights the contrast between detailed questions from a woman and a man's single-minded response. 😆 Leave your creative title for this image in the comments below! 😊 The person with the funniest comment will win a valuable prize! Read the full story and enjoy more laughter here: [Insert Medium link] #humor #comics #relationships #funny #cartoons

https://lnkd.in/djCNixb2 The Colorblind Effect In this very short video, Kevin P. Henry's discuss the pitfalls of the "color blindness" mentality and why it's essential to see and appreciate the full spectrum of people's identities. By claiming to be "color blind," we risk dismissing significant aspects of individuals' backgrounds, faiths, and lived experiences that shape who they are. Kevin shares personal anecdotes and practical advice on how to break out of your bubble, diversify your interactions, and engage more deeply with those around you. Whether it's visiting new neighborhoods or having meaningful conversations, these steps can help you appreciate the rich tapestry of human experience and combat the subtle prejudice that "color blindness" can perpetuate. #Diversity #Inclusion #Empathy #ColorBlindness #HumanExperience