Open Door Conversations

Ep 40: White Supremacy and Cultural Intelligence with Shiva Roofeh

Episode Summary

In this fascinating episode, you’ll learn to question the cultural codes that have been ingrained as “right,” why white supremacy is a global issue, and why it has less to do with skin color than you might think. You’ll also understand how cultural intelligence can foster more understanding and elevate the way you lead. Cultural intelligence expert Shiva Roofeh joins Akua to talk about how she’s spent her life negotiating between cultures and how she helps people understand their own culture, what they’ve inherited from their families and societies, and the deep-rooted beliefs that affect their ability to love and lead with equity. As an Iranian-American, Muslim-Jewish Agnostic living in Spain, Shiva encourages people to reflect on societal constructs and realize there isn’t one “right” way to be in this world.

Episode Notes

In this fascinating episode, you’ll learn to question the cultural codes that have been ingrained as “right,” why white supremacy is a global issue, and why it has less to do with skin color than you might think. You’ll also understand how cultural intelligence can foster more understanding and elevate the way you lead. 

Cultural intelligence expert Shiva Roofeh joins Akua to talk about how she’s spent her life negotiating between cultures and how she helps people understand their own culture, what they’ve inherited from their families and societies, and the deep-rooted beliefs that affect their ability to love and lead with equity. 

As an Iranian-American, Muslim-Jewish Agnostic living in Spain, Shiva encourages people to reflect on societal constructs and realize there isn’t one “right” way to be in this world. 

Highlights in this episode: 

• Shiva describes her experience as a third culture kid growing up as a refugee in Queens, New York.
• Shiva describes how 9/11 was a personal wake-up call to overt racism in America and why she felt more at home in the UK. 
• Discover why white supremacy isn’t all about skin color and why it’s important for leaders all over the world to understand it.
• Learn how reframing expectations can help you acknowledge others in more meaningful ways.
• Why the idea of “unconditional love” is rooted in privilege, and why many US immigrant families don’t subscribe to this construct.
• Shiva describes how she has worked through white supremacy and how she works with others to break down expectations and force people to look at the “why” behind the way we live and lead. 
• How the values of capitalism lead us to overwork, and how the cultural values of the West are being exported globally, leading people to believe there is only one way to do things in order to be successful. 
• Learn why the idea of “unconditional love” is rooted in privilege and why many US immigrant families don’t subscribe to this construct.
• How an Out of Office Response is helping Shiva value quality over quantity. 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Article by Shiva Roofeh: “Mom, Dad, We Don’t Believe In The Same Things” 

Connect with Shiva Roofeh:

Website:  www.shivaroofeh.com/
Instagram: @shivaroofeh 

Connect with Akua Nyame-Mensah:

Instagram: @akua_nm
Website: www.akuanm.com
LinkedIn: @Akua Nyame-Mensah
Twitter: @akua_nm
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