I am an African American woman, over 65 years old, born and raised in the
South, and at some point in my life I have been helped, thwarted, and/or
advanced by some form of diversity initiative or affirmative action, but I am
so much more than my individual “DEI Hire “parts or the righteous sum of
them.
I visited a graduate school fair in the 90s and one of the recruiters loudly
whispered “You’re a woman and a Black—I’d ride that as far as I could if I
were you.” That day I was in a great mood and unwilling to waste energy
explaining how stupid those comments were as I pondered when would be
a good time to “ride” some of my other options. I seethed for a day or two
then went on about my business.
Then a phone call came from a woman I had met the year before. She
went on about how impressive I was and how I would be a perfect fit for her
school’s journalism department. I was proud and feeling pretty special so I
almost missed “…and we need your kind, meaning a Black and a woman.”
She talked for another seven minutes but I have no clue what she said. I
was hurt at first, then I got angry. So, all the time and energy I expended
striving to be at the top of my game, traveling hundreds of miles for
advanced degrees—none of that mattered—it was just about checking the
damned boxes?
I applied and got an interview. When the department chair asked about my
current salary, I smiled and changed the subject as I pondered if this was
the my kind-ride the recruiter was referring to.
I have often asked workshop participants “Who are you and what makes
you valuable?” Not once has anyone answered that their age, race, gender,
sexual orientation, or ethnicity was what made them valuable. As I have
studied difference and “otherness,” I realized that diversity, inclusion, equity
conversations and discussions are probably more important than ever
considering the climate of our United but divided States.
Whether the words are clearly defined or implied, our difference is what
makes us strong, interesting, special, brave, powerful, something worthy of
appreciation and celebration. We are all shades and hues, multi-faceted and interesting, complex and amazing, and together we make a perfect picture of a world we couldn’t concoct if we tried.
Where and how we live, what we eat, wear, believe, cherish, and know is
rich indeed, and when we learn to appreciate—not tolerate—each other
and listen and learn, we all win. We all want to be treated fairly, have
access to the American dream, be respected, seen and valued for our
whole selves.
What initiatives, laws, and conversations related to DEI did was simply
open the door to women and others to spread their wings and taste
possibilities never before known or imagined. We are not a melting pot but
rather a chef salad where we enjoy lettuce, tomatoes, chopped eggs,
turkey, croutons, cheese—and celebrate each ingredient for its distinct
texture, feel, and value.
“DEI hire,” is a new term for me but is one being tossed around
dangerously, often by folks who have privilege they got simply by being
born in the right place, to the right parents, who attended the right schools
or as one writer put it “folks born on third base but acting like they hit a
home run.”
We must stop hurling mean, hateful/hurtful labels when there is so much
we’d love about each other if we’d only take time to listen and hear each
other’s hopes and dreams. There’s nothing weird or dumb about that…
Cynthia A. Bond Hopson, Ph.D., is a best-selling author, podcast host,
and thought leader. She lives in Cordova, TN.
