IBCF Board and Staff Begin DEI Training with Tanorria’s Table

IBCF board members and staff stand around a kitchen counter, preparing ingredients for the night's roasted chicken dinner.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation board members and staff met with Tanorria Askew for the first of many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training sessions.

A passionate home cook-turned-chef, Askew was a 2016 contestant on MasterChef hosted by Gordon Ramsay, ultimately finishing in fourth place on the show. Having since moved on to pursue her passions, Askew is currently a personal chef, food creative, public speaker, podcast co-host and racial injustice change-maker who works to amplify the intersection of food and social justice through her business, Tanorria’s Table.

Upon arriving at the home of IBCF board member Stephanie Jackson-Colbert for Saturday’s DEI training session, IBCF board members and staff were given a walking/descriptive tour of the house, before enjoying some light refreshments. Next up, IBCF board members and staff split up into pairs and got to work on preparing the night’s main course – roasted chicken with herby parmesan risotto — under the guidance of Askew and her team.

Tanorria Askew stands on an outdoor patio as she addresses IBCF board members and staff. While the main course cooked, Tanorria led IBCF board members and staff in a DEI discussion, clarifying the definitions of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, while also laying out the groundwork for what individuals can expect in future DEI training sessions with Tanorria’s Table. Following this introductory conversation, IBCF board members and staff then enjoyed the main course they had prepared, before topping the night off with a delicious desert of pumpkin bread pudding.

The IBCF board and staff are working to engage in open DEI discussions to better understand racial injustice, implicit bias, and inequities related to our mission and the community we serve. We are excited to continue working alongside Tanorria Askew to become more inclusive and ensure equity is at the forefront of all our decision making now and in the future.

Thanks to the following supporters for supporting IBCF's capacity building efforts which include strategic planning and DEI trainings over this next year.

- The John and Shirley Woerhle Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana
- Edward Jones
- Steven and Linda Crane
- The Carmel F. Klein Charitable Fund, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation