Zippy shares how she was born in Kenya and was educated learning there. She noted she was taught that marrying a white man brings prestige. She said she did marry a white man and came to Canada, became a teacher, a settlement practitioner, and completed a master's degree in social work. She suggests the importance of the courage to do inner work to reflect, challenge prior assumptions, and discover where she is (and where others are) on the learning journey.
Zippy Greenslade (she/her) is a Kenyan-Canadian, living in amiskwaciwâskahikan/Edmonton. She is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Manager at CASA Mental Health. She also facilitates EDI courses at the Centre for Equitable Systems Design at the University of British Columbia. Zippy is passionate about human centred EDI and anti-racism approaches that create a culture of calling in and moving from defensiveness to learning and action. As a conversationalist and storyteller, she invites courageous conversations that connect historical foundations with current social inequalities and envisions today’s actions as shaping the future. Her approach seeks to motivate authentic individual changes and meaningful leadership committed to creating truly inclusive organizations and communities. She draws from her lived experiences as a divergent human, immigrant, teacher, settlement practitioner, lifelong learner and in the gift of walking the truth and reconciliation journey. She gives back to her community through mentorship, advocacy and creating spaces for engagement.
