What’s all the commotion about High Tech in Silicon Valley not having a diverse workforce? What’s more important; great products that define the world around us, with much thanks to Google, Facebook, Apple, or Twitter or the racial and gender makeup of these companies? Do those that own an iPhone 6s really care about who made it, the economic disparity of what an engineer makes versus a line worker in China? So why all the sudden interest in talking about diversity? Is it the recent shootings between ‘White’ Police officers and ‘African American’ males over the last year or inequality with pay for females in the workforce reasons that make diversity a hot topic?
I know that as a youth growing up the majority usually ruled whether that is in the political arena, educational setting or workforce. Whereas today it seems that the vocal minority is taking over whether that be in the area of same sex marriage, pro-life vs. pro-choice debate or politics with the emergence of the ‘Donald’. As someone that has worked in the nonprofit arena most of my life we talk a lot about ‘best practices’ that would be based on having leadership that is reflective of the community in which you serve. The difficulty is that up until recently most of the leadership whether that is in big corporations, local companies, the church, nonprofit sector or educational systems were primarily ‘White’ males.
It shouldn’t be any surprise that the American populace has always been a diverse group over the centuries that we have existed as a nation. The more recent issue with immigration and the reality that America is becoming more brown than white is now a concern for some. The issue of a flag in a southern state shows that there are sentiments on both sides of the issues that would like to make a case for their racial superiority or at least the history and legacy of the other group. There are others that want to expose racism and see significant changes in our society to give everyone an equal opportunity to experience life to it’s fullest.
The challenge and opportunity before us is the admission that not everyone has equal access to opportunities to help them experience life to its fullest. Yes, growing up with two parents that were college educated did give me certain advantages for my sense of purpose and place in the world. Having worked around at risk population for the last decade I see the disparity between those that have opportunities given to them almost on a silver platter and those that have to fight for everything.
So why is it the case that being an advocate for diversity and multiculturalism should become a priority for everyone from Silicon Valley High Tech to the local school board or leadership in my neighborhood church? What should cause me to care about the plight of an at risk youth growing up on the street versus my child that attends one of the best schools? I think one of the typical ways of avoiding the issue is the excuse that I didn’t cause this disparity and it’s really not my problem to cause me to lose sleep. Yet, one day I will wake up to the fact that I’m the minority that will be at a disadvantage and few will care what I have to say if I’m not willing to make racial reconciliation a priority.
So is the pursuit of diversity in the workforce a necessity that will benefit everyone regardless of race, religion or gender? I so much appreciate Martin Luther King’s heart as he simple states the obvious, ‘We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.’ I will be the first to admit that to pursue diversity in any context requires real work and involves taking a huge risk. Is it possible for White people to work alongside people of color? What happens when my team at work all speak Spanish and I don’t have a clue about what they are saying behind my back?
It’s time to engage the culture around us and see the blessing of having multiple ethnic groups come together as a family and not as a race riot that sees neighborhoods destroyed. I believe that the pursuit of diversity in the workplace can’t be a fad but a fact of life that will define a better future where everyone will have more opportunity to experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!
No comments:
Post a Comment