Diversity, Inclusion, and Leadership

The United States is known as a melting pot of races, ethnicities, religions, cultures, and traditions, and has always prided itself on that description. We have only grown more diverse as a nation over time; moreover, new media has allowed for a significant increase in racial/ethnic group identity and pride, not to mention an easy and effective way to share information and organize for change (Shivers 2004).

Where are we coming from, where are we going to? Diversity and the importance of context.

If you’re reading this right now, you've probably seen images of rioting in Baltimore, or protests in Madison. You've seen cell phone videos of unarmed black men restrained, beaten, and shot. You've seen responses on Twitter, cable news, and blogs demonstrating anger, misunderstanding, confusion, and even indignance. The sheer volume of responses should demonstrate the overwhelming diversity of those involved in what is happening. And each different response suggests something else: no one is really looking at this from the same angle. And they can’t -- the whole basis of diversity is this range of experiences, beliefs, and norms. We can share some basic assumptions: that we are a society at a crossroads, that structural racism exists and that it means institutions do not serve entire groups within our society in the way they deserve. But even these are controversial, depending on your context. So where do we go from here? And is there even a ‘where’ to try to get to?

The way we've been going about this is not working. When each new event occurs – every time a black man is wounded or killed by a police officer – the response from pundits is to talk about it in one of two ways: it’s either an isolated incident with little context, or it’s a statistic. All we seem to want to do is talk about the event in itself. And that’s not the point. The point is, the system is not working for everyone, and we all interpret this differently. There is a world of context out there -- and it comes from all sides -- that no one is talking about.

Strangely enough, when this occurs, I’m struck by something said by someone few would expect to be poignant. When asked during an interview for the film, Bowling for Columbine, what he would say to the two school shooters at Columbine High School, musician Marilyn Manson made what I think is one of the most insightful comments when thinking about the violence and tragedies that our society has and is dealing with. Manson’s reply:

“I wouldn't say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say, and that’s what no one did.”[i]

As community leaders, nonprofit leaders, or even just community members, that’s what we can do. We do not all have the answer. In fact, separately none of us does. This isn't something that can be solved with a policy. You can’t break a centuries-long cycle of structural inequality with a law. But you can sit and listen -- to people telling their stories. To the context they can place it in. To what they face on a daily basis. To how they feel when they leave the house, or when a police car passes, or when a group of kids walks by them. We can try to aggregate this, but in the end, I’m not sure there are any statistics that really matter. There is really listening to people tell their stories. There is understanding that everything that happens has a context, and that context is different for everyone. That’s what it is to live in a diverse community. There is no singular experience. Everything that happens affects us differently because our life experiences have defined us this way or that. And that’s actually a beautiful and complicated thing.

In the end, we cannot possibly understand where everyone is coming from. To try to do so would be fruitless. But as a community leader, you can try to make it clear that the simple act of listening and making an effort to navigate and celebrate this diversity, to translate between groups who seem diametrically opposed, is the first step in a long, long road in the right direction. We’re going to need to know where everyone is coming from in order to try to find a ‘where’ to head towards.

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[i] Bowling for Columbine. Dir. Michael Moore. Dog Eat Dog Films, 2002. Film. 

Cultures Are Not Bumper Stickers*: Valuing Diversity and Subverting Discrimination

America has a history of cultural diversity and tension around it. Our cultures are integral to our individual and group identities – usually drawn upon identity-group lines like race, ethnicity, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Past rhetoric refers with pride to America’s “melting pot” of cultural heritage, but today you are more likely to hear the word “implicit bias” and “disproportionate incarceration” when referring to America’s contemporary diversity policies. Officer shootings of black men have turned public attention to structural racism and how we can direct our own efforts to addressing the need for more authentic action on diversity issues.

Why should you care? Ethics and economics. Many of us react emotionally, even viscerally to these issues. As far back as the U.S. Declaration of Independence we have held the belief that everyone deserves the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and in the twentieth century many cultures around the world internalized the idea of dignity as a human right (McNett 2004). That queasy, uncomfortable feeling is our internalized values telling us discrimination is ethically wrong. But beyond ethics, simple economic logic also supports the idea that society is most productive as a whole when a diverse group is allowed to question the process and drive innovation (Robinson and Dechant 2004). We care because it’s our ethical and societal responsibility to do so and we stand to gain from acting on it. 

What needs to be done? We need to move away from the models that we have used to address diversity issues and shift paradigms to truly value different cultural and individual perspectives. Common models of encouraging diversity in the past have been affirmative action-type and legacy legitimacy-type. The first employs quotas to make groups look more like society and comply with federal programs. Women and people of color are implicitly expected to blend in to the historical organizational culture. Legacy legitimacy programs seek diversity because it’s good business; they assign diverse staff to responsibilities associated with their background to gain market insight into that identity-group. Both of these approaches perpetuate discrimination. The diversity of opinions and life learning that staff members bring to the table are not independently valued; and they are discouraged from challenging how work is done (Thomas and Ely 2004). Men and women who enter companies under such diversity programs are often assigned to unchallenging positions with little opportunity for advancement (Robinson and Dechant 2004). Both styles of diversity management fail to harness the potential of a diverse workforce and perpetuate structural disadvantages.

But what can I do? Be a leader. Recognize and value differences from cultural diversity. Brainstorm ways to foster an organizational culture that makes everyone feel valued and is open to new ideas and change. Start open discussions about how workers' identity-group membership influences their experience in the organization. Above all, work to identify forms of dominance and insubordination which are often not readily visible and actively reform to avoid replicating those structures (Thomas and Ely 2004).

While the debate about structural racism in law enforcement has been the recent focus of public attention, structural discrimination runs through almost all facets of our society. Looking at law enforcement’s role in structural discrimination alone ignores the larger systemic problem and may once again create solutions like those described above where the problem is addressed where it is most visible, but not at its roots. If every organization in America - including police forces - took responsibility for how they engage and include diverse groups in their work, we would be well on our way to a more inclusive and productive society.

*The title of this piece “Cultures are not bumper stickers” is a quote from Sowell 2004

References

McNett, Jeanne (2004) “Diversity in the Workplace: Ethics, Pragmatism, or Some of Both?” Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 241-253.

Robinson, Gail and Kathleen Dechant (2004) “Building a Business Case for Diversity.” Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 228-240.

Sowell, Thomas (2004) “A World View of Cultural Diversity.” Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 27-38

Thomas, David A. & Robin J. Ely (2004) “Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity.” Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 211-227.