These days, I’m thinking in terms of permaculture and sustainability. So when I feel like complaining that a beautiful, unique variety of plant would come thrive in my environment but IS NOT HERE, I can’t sit around wondering why it doesn’t come, without doing some work.

What are its requirements? What does it need in the soil? Are there some things in my soil, or the biome, or the other plants thriving here, that are actively repelling it? Is it perfectly happy where it is? Do I want it because it would beautify MY surroundings, or for reasons that mutually benefit us all?

I have seen several types of posts on social media responding to the article that came out on keynote speaker trends. Each of these reaction posts includes voices that count, and many of them would not have been heard if we only read peer reviewed publications. There have been personal responses to the topic; discussions of the current state of injustice; brainstorming on why the problem exists and ideas about better metrics to use. What about actionable suggestions by academics ourselves?

Note that I barely count in this regard; one of my dissertation advisors cautioned me, “once you get out of academia good luck getting back in” as I pondered a position providing behavior analysis across the lifespan with people on Medicaid waivers and diverse genetic diagnoses. But I’m glad I didn’t listen, because my life has been richer given that diverse clientele who taught me so much across hospitals, nursing homes, and their vocational sites. That is mine to keep although I had very little time (and sometimes not enough discretionary money) to publish (and no backing institution). However, I still held (and still hold) certain privileges and advantages as a white, Ph.D. level person with certification.

So instead of a treatise on my personal feelings, my thoughts on who I would like to hear from at conferences, or ideas for a better more inclusive metric on who should be selected, here are actionable items for others.

Treat this as a call-in and focus on what we can do about it, since we (e.g., the people with academic degrees, histories, and/or publishing experience) have a pivotal role in changing the landscape. (Thanks Paulie Gloves for the idea on how to treat this opportunity). I think the question is whether we actually want to. If you do, here are my 10 suggestions.

1. Acknowledge our privilege when publishing. Self-reflect on how this creates and informs biases, see item 1.07, and assess how those biases change our perspectives. Ask others what we are missing.

2. As we acknowledge our advisors and labs when presenting, acknowledge also the people who inspired our ideas, who informed the work, and provide examples of ways to support it and them.

When given invitations to present or speak, ask ourselves how we could and whether we should platform others. Some of the ways I have done this include:

3. When being asked to speak on a topic, consider someone else who may be much less known but whose expertise and lived experience would be valuable to the listeners. Whether the venue selects the person I point out is up to them, but I can put them on someone else’s radar.

4. When asked to speak, invite someone on the platform with you.

5. When asked by a journal editor for suggestions on people to review an article, consider perspectives that would be important and overlooked. (But be transparent; being invited may add to someone’s burden of time and it is unpaid labor others may not have the luxury to accept. I invite anyway, because I do not want to ASSUME someone’s circumstances and presume I KNOW whether they would or would not want or be able to prioritize such labor and experience.)

6. Consider whether you could be a part of creating platforms (like topic-driven conferences that honor diversity and lived experience, that are not bound by the rules other organization-driven opportunities are). There are several wonderful examples of these.

7. If you attend one of those experience-driven conferences and are inspired, consider calling in the speakers who would not have otherwise been able to publish, and see whether this kind of work is a goal of theirs. Provide opportunities for collaborative writing if they are interested.

8. When paid for speaking that only you could have done, consider whether your fees could go back to the community you are trying to help, or work with a financial advisor to create such a path for some of your fees.  

9. In systems (as company owners), please wait to get into the business until you can afford to fully staff your clients to the extent that your staff can (a) prioritize actions aligning with their values, and (b) stay healthy and buffered themselves. If they are overworked they will never have time to attend a conference, present a poster, participate on writing an article, or explore their ideas about a topic they learned and want to apply in meaningful ways to your shared clients.  

10: Amplify others’ messages in your own circles. There may be a temptation to agree in public but behind closed doors, to continue to engage in the lower-cost actions that perpetuate the system as is. If we really wanted to see and live in a different landscape in 10 years, what would it take for you to do THIS YEAR to nudge those shifts?

What’s next? those of you who have served in additional capacities on editorial boards, performed roles in companies, and published extensively know that there is more to the story and you have additional suggestions that would make an impact. I know you do. Let’s hear them.