Right Within Discussion Questions

About the Book: Right Within

What does it really mean to deal with racism at work? How do you heal from moments of racial trauma?

In workplaces nationwide, women of color need frank talk and honest advice on how to deal with microaggressions, heal from racialized trauma, and find relief from invisible workplace burdens. Right Within offers strategies for women of color to speak up during racialized moments with managers and clients, work through past triggers that may cause pain, and reframe past career disappointments as opportunities for growth towards a new path.

Be sure to check out our conversation between Minda Harts and book club host Arlan Hamilton about healing from trauma, promoting better allyship, and helping the workplace work for everyone. Referred to as the “anti-gaslighting manual” by Arlan, Right Within is a book, and a conversation, you can’t afford to miss.

Discussion Questions

1. In Chapter Two, Minda Harts describes a racialized workplace experience. How do you think this experience changed the author? Have you ever had (or witnessed) a moment like this?
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2. The author discusses what a good workplace looks like to her—what does a good workplace look like to you?
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3. When you experience trauma in the workplace, how can you rewrite that story for the future of your career? Why is that important?
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4. Have you ever attended therapy after experiencing trauma in the workplace? How did it help you heal from that experience? If you haven’t, do you think you would attend therapy to help you deal with a traumatic work experience? Why or why not?
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5. How have you seen healing take root in your life—either in the past or right now? What benefits have you seen from going on a healing journey?
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6. Do you have triggers from workplace trauma (racialized or otherwise)? If you’re comfortable sharing them, what are they? How can you be more aware of your own triggers or the triggers of people around you?
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7. The author discusses the idea of having “freedom in the workplace”. How would you define that phrase? What would that look like in your current workplace? How would you like to see it take shape throughout your career?
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8. If you’ve experienced trauma, in work or in life, what would it look like for you to redistribute that trauma? Why is that an important thing to do?
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9. How does hearing the stories of others inspire your healing journey? If you’re comfortable, share an example of a story that helped you heal.
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10. What did you think about the “Healing Pledge” in Right Within? How would you implement this in your own life, and do you think it would help you heal? Why or why not?
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11. What did you think about the “Racial Mosaic Framework (RMF)”? What role will this framework play in your life?

About the Author: Minda Harts

Minda Harts is a Workplace and Equity Consultant. She is also the bestselling and award-winning author of The Memo and Right Within. Her third book, You Are More Than Magic: The Black and Brown Girls' Guide to Finding Your Voice, will be released in the Spring of 2022. Minda is a Professor at NYU Wagner. She is a frequent guest on MSNBC and featured on ABC News, Forbes, Fast Company, and Time Magazine, and hosts a weekly live podcast called "Secure The Seat." Minda is a highly sought-after speaker for companies such as Liberty Mutual, American Family Insurance, Nike, Google, Pepsico, and Salesforce.

Watch Minda answer the above questions in our exclusive author Q&A.