Stand Up for Diversity
This coming Wednesday, November 17th, I have the honor of being recognized by the Kaplan Educational Foundation with their “Stand Up for Diversity” award.
When Nancy Sanchez, Executive Director of KEF called me to ask if I’d accept the award, my initial response was “Certainly… but surely there must be others more deserving than me?”
Stating the obvious, I’m a 58 year old white male from one of the least diverse places in the country. What do I know about diversity?
Let’s begin at the widest viewing lens possible.
Channeling the late Carl Sagan, we are all inhabitants of the same pale blue dot that basks in the light of an unremarkable star in an unremarkable corner of our Milky Way. Everyone and everything we’ve ever known or done as a species is right here - with the exception of a handful of experiments born from human ingenuity that have emanated from our pale blue dot.
Taken from this vantage point, we are all, first and foremost, citizens of the world and have a shared interest and responsibility to protect our home planet and each other. Yes, as citizens of the world we come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Yes, we speak different languages and hail from different cultures and corners of the world. Yes, we have different perspectives that have been cultivated by the rich tapestry of our immediate surroundings.
But does this diversity mean that we should shun our differences and place labels on other humans or groups that don’t speak and look the same as we do? That’s certainly the easy way out, but fixed mindsets and local-only world views are a heavy anchor that make the future sustainability of our pale blue dot unnecessarily difficult. Fighting over resources and fighting amongst each other through wars of culture represents a tremendous tax that we shouldn’t keep paying.
A brighter, more enlightened future is one in which we all Stand Up for Diversity - especially those of us who have the privilege of choice to speak up. And yes, I’m speaking directly to my fellow white males who were born into a position of privilege like I was.
If the previous paragraph made you recoil or get defensive (as it would have to an earlier version of me), I recommend that you not immediately react or lash out. Instead, find a quiet place to live with and process your reaction and ask why you feel that way. I’m not admonishing you or painting you into a corner - instead, I feel strongly that you’ll benefit from some self-reflection on where you are in your own personal journey with diversity, equity, and inclusion.
By listening to more viewpoints, we can do more, learn more, and create a global geopolitical environment that fosters the kind creativity and innovation that will be necessary to ensure the future of our species.
So where do we start? We start by supporting the efforts of organizations like the Kaplan Educational Foundation. You see, education is the ticket to that brighter, enlightened future described above. For us to succeed, education cannot be reserved for the elite - we must improve access, affordability, and outcomes.
Citing the old African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I’d like to go far and leave a robust, vibrant, sustainable pale blue dot to future generations. Let’s choose “together.”
Grace. Dignity. Compassion.
Andy
