Competency Checking and the Struggle for Equality with Shari Dunn

In this episode, Marina Franklin hosts Shari Dunn, author of ‘Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work,’ and comedian Kenice Mobley. The conversation covers the backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, competency checking, and the pervasive assumption of black intellectual inferiority.

Shari Dunn is a polymath, an accomplished journalist, former attorney, news anchor, CEO, and university professor. She is an American Leadership Forum Fellow and has been awarded the prestigious Executive of the Year Award in 2018, the 2019 Women of Influence Award (Portland Business Journal), the Associated Press Award for Best Spot News, and the Wisconsin Broadcasting Association Award for Best Morning News Show. Shari has written for Fortune Magazine; her work has been cited in the Wall Street Journal and quoted in Ad Age and the Chronicle of Philanthropy, among others. Shari is also a sought-after speaker. She holds a BA in philosophy from Marquette University and a JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Shari is the author of ‘Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work’ published by Harper Collins business available February 25th everywhere you buy books.

Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show. She has appeared on Comedy Central, Netflix, and HBO and was named to Vulture’s list of Comedians You Should and Will Know. Kenice’s debut comedy album Follow Up Question, was on Paste Magazine’s list of best albums of the year. After it’s Edinboro Fringe Festival debut, she’ll be performing her solo show Don’t Kill Yourself Yet at this year’s 6th Annual Black Women in Comedy Laugh Fest in New York on February 27 at Caveat.

Always hosted by Marina Franklin – One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS’s The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO’s Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.