1. Diversity is not about exclusion; diversity is inclusive. Diversity embraces all of us, insiders and outsiders alike. By framing diversity in this manner, diversity issues cease to be about “us” versus “them.” Rather, diversity is simply about us, all of us.
2. Diversity requires us to move beyond tolerance. Tolerance is an important first step, but it is only a start. The dictionary defines tolerance as “putting up with.” To be tolerated and to be embraced are two very different things. Tolerating diversity implies an unequal relationship. Dr. King wanted us to embrace, respect, and view each other as equals.
3. We are all interconnected. As a sociologist (his major at Morehouse), he understood that we as individuals are connected to social forces, in our immediate environment and beyond. As Dr. King wrote, we are all “caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
4. People are people, in spite of our diversity. In the process of respecting our diversity, we need to be aware of our commonalities and our common humanity, for we are all children of God.
5. Diversity is not only a challenge, it is an opportunity not to be taken lightly. It is an opportunity to reach out and learn and grow. A hymn, sung at the funeral of Dr. King, echoes this sentiment:
“If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song; If I can show someone that they’re travelling wrong, Then my living shall not be in vain.”
I believe Dr. King was a true pioneer of diversity. He did not look at the outer person or consider the visible differences. Instead, he viewed each of us as one body, created by God. I was a child during the Civil Rights movement but clearly remember my parents’ reaction to the speeches, sermons, and different marches led by Dr. King. My father had a sixth grade education and struggled to keep food on the table for a family with five children. He was encouraged by the forward thinking of Dr. King. He looked at it as an vision of hope and truly believed the efforts of Dr. King and others like him would eventually make a difference.
Diversity is still a challenge for those who are not affected by discrimination, prejudice, inequality, or stereotyping. There are those who will never view people as having “commonalities.” Our social class and backgrounds continue to separate us as a people. There will always be economic disadvantages and poverty because of the individualist society we live in. We continue to ‘look out for number one,’ which is selfish and we continuously forget about the persons without; without descent housing, food, clothing, and other basic necessities, to name a few. There is still an atmosphere of tolerance but the barriers of prejudice and discrimination continue even today, where we work, where our children play and go to school, and where we live.
Dr. King saw us as interconnected but society continues to have a different view. I would love to see my grandchildren grow up in a world where skin color, gender, sexual orientation, and religious preference are not a stumbling block. I want them to be able to go to schools where education is equal and affirmative action is unnecessary.
It is difficult to not have the ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality when I view the effects social class has on what opportunities are afforded to some versus others. There will always be the ‘have’ and the ‘have-nots’, which invariably brings me full circle to the ‘us’ and ‘them.’ Diversity consciousness begins with each individual who proclaims they want to make a difference. It has to be a desire and not forced upon anyone. It is more than making a company policy to ‘embrace diversity’ and send employees to training courses to show-off the company’s diversification. It is more than getting ranked ‘best’ overall for diversity efforts, when the majority of your employees only ‘embrace’ it because it has been attached to their MBOs, bonuses, and merit increase.
I will continue to visualize Dr. King’s dream of “one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” Until such time this dream becomes a reality, I will not allow the social class I was born in, the cultural differences I face daily, nor the lack of diversity consciousness of this industrialized nation, be the dictator of my final destination as a member of society.
Powerful, thanks for sharing. You capture both the challenge and promise of diversity consciousness.
For our culture to become diverse, I agree that diversity has to be embraced. If you just tolerate someones else’s culture, that means that there is still an issue. There will be an issue until you can accept everyone for who and what they are. No questions asked.
I like Pat’s comments about the Civil Rights Movement. I too remember that time, but it was scary stories on the evening news to me. I remember watching my father for his reaction so I could gauge what mine should be. A middle class working man, he would watch the stories of conflict and oppression unfold on TV and clench his jaw in disgust at the stupidity of these incidents. To him it was unforgivable to persecute a man for the color of his skin. My father was white, but instilled in me that we are all the same. “They put their pants on one leg at a time just like you and me” was his favorite saying about inequality.
I agree, we need to be a society that embraces diversity. For example, and in most part in contradiction to Susan’s post concerning her early experience of obtaining a value system that looks beyond an individual’s race, religion, and age. I was not so fortunate to have a father figure that embraced diversity. Through the years, he continues to comment “white people are becoming the minority”. Motivations in the words we use have an impact on our personal views. My father didn’t embrace or provide learning opportunities that encourage a spirit of providing an opportunity for all people. However, an individual can gain diversity consciousness through other social and community interaction. I am fortunate to have this awareness due to my professional career and education.