“To brand” — by its ancient roots — means to burn. Marking livestock with a red-hot iron has been around for centuries. Some suggest the word ‘brand’ comes from Old Norse.

In recent years, especially in digital creation, digital writing, and online influencers the phrase “personal branding” gets vomited out everywhere. However, it has little connection to the ancient, or even more modern roots of the word, or the practice of branding. Or does it?

August 2003, I began the 3rd leg of a bike ride in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. Two years after starting in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. A little under 5000 km done, and that much ahead. Things go different than planned.

I had a 10,000 km route planned, reaching Los Angeles in 6 months. I'd raise money and give talks along the way. Simple...

In April 2002, I started the 2nd leg of a bicycle ride in Los Angeles. I intended to ride 8,000 km north to the Yukon. Finishing what I started in 2001. Life unfolded differently...

The ride was called: 'Wild Salmon Cycle'. I had chosen Inuvik in the north and L.A. in the south, as this is the range of wild Pacific salmon in N. America.

In July 2001, I started a long bike ride. I started in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and planned to ride to Los Angeles, California in 6 months. Things did not work out that way...

The challenge with perception is that when things have been experienced in certain ways... those thoughts cannot be un-thought. We generally use thinking to back-up judgements, not explore.

Universities and colleges probably have highest per capita employment of Doctor and Masters-level educated individuals.

Shouldn't they be shining examples of equity, rights, and diversity?

Through many years connected to post-secondary, I puzzle regularly at how poorly most fare on diversity, inclusivity, equity, etc.

'Privilege' is not a bad word; having it does not = 'bad person'. The word arose from Latin privus ("individual") and lex ("law"). Some things to ponder in the knots.

How do we make meaning out of experience? How can experiences shift meanings we make of them? Informative and transformative learning play key roles.

To IN-form means to 'give form to'.

To TRANS-form means to 'go beyond the form; to change.'

For education initiatives, these differences are critical.

When education is designed to "raise awareness"- say of: biasses, or different cultures, or anti-racism, or data, or a new policy on diversity, equity, etc...

- this is IN-formative learning.

"The uneven distribution of responsibility for racial equality can be considered a mechanism for reproducing that inequality" - Sara Ahmed, critical feminist scholar in her 2012 book.

Tasking diversity, inclusion and equity offices with responding to racism, probably reproduces it.

Diversity shares similar etymological roots as “divert”. At the core of both words is ancient root: *wer: “to turn, bend”. When we use the word diversity, what might we be diverting? (Perceptions?)

Diversity is a ‘happy’ word; a smiling black box that colonizes all the tough words.

The burden of respon­sibility to promote social justice (antiracism, equity, etc.) should fall more heavily on those who benefit most from their complicity - than those who benefit less.

This is a sentiment Bob Pease shares in his 2019 book “Facing Patriarchy: From a violent gender order to a culture of peace”. It's a sentiment shared by many; and, also not popular with many.