gender studies | Inclusity

Change Through Courage

inclusity@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 14:57:00 +0000

Women’s History Month is a time to commemorate the many contributions of women – from bringing social change to creating music and making scientific discoveries. It’s a chance to celebrate pioneers who have made a real and lasting impact on the world. One of the cornerstones for change can be seen through the work of pioneers for diversity who have helped rewrite history and shape the countless conversations on this topic today.

As we page through the annals of history, there are stories of individuals that evoke emotions within us for different reasons. But why? Although often not easily explained, the common thread appears to be “courage.”

Confronting “Isms” in the ’70s

Elsie Cross can indeed be counted among the courageous— a trailblazer traveling a circuitous path toward critical change initiatives in the field of diversity. Cross’s story began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she grew up as the daughter of an undertaker in predominantly white neighborhoods around Philadelphia during the ’30s and ’40s. She was one of only two black women to enroll in business administration at Temple University in 1948. However, without the offer of a corporate position, she worked in various clerical jobs in the ’50s before becoming a teacher at an all-girl school in Philadelphia. In the 1970s she moved into consulting, and her firm worked with a notable list of clients, including Bell Laboratories, American Express and Exxon. In fact, at the pinnacle of her career, companies paid over half a million dollars per year for her D&I program.

At the centerpiece of Cross’s work with corporations was a three-day “intervention” workshop. Through interactive engagement, role-playing, lectures and directed discussions, the workshop provided a safe environment to examine tough subjects like racism and sexism, fear around attitudes, what beliefs support these “isms,” and what tools and next steps can be taken to move forward.

Flash forward four decades and it is seems clear that much work in D&I continues to have a similar focus. For example, Inclusity has a three/four-day workshop designed to prepare individuals and teams who will serve as the guiding coalition for change efforts. Although the parallels between the workshops may only serve to substantiate how slowly the needle is moving, it is my feeling this confirms Cross was a Renaissance woman laying the groundwork for what was and continues to be important work.

The Color of Your Eyes

In April 1968, a third grade teacher from Iowa embarked on an endeavor that would change not only the course of her life, but the lives of countless others. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who she greatly admired, was the turning point for Jane Elliott. His tragic death devastated her, and she was appalled to perceive a lack of understanding for what the black community was experiencing.

Soon after, Elliott decided “this was the time to teach them what the Sioux Indian prayer says: ‘Oh great spirit keep me from every judging a man until I’ve walked a mile in his moccassins.’ ” As Elliott grappled with a method to challenge her students’ racist attitudes in the classroom, she decided to combine the lessons of the Native Americans and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — this came to be known as the “Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes” exercise.

The premise was to treat each group differently based solely on the color of their eyes. Elliott explains in a 2016 interview with Rock Newman that she chose eye color because it was a physical characteristic that could not be changed and over which one has no control. She went on to describe the stage she set for the exercise; she lowered one group’s expectations while building up the other group of children. She did this by first declaring the brown-eyed children as smarter, more civilized, and cleaner; she gave them special privileges. On day two, the blue-eyed children became the “superior” group, while she treated the brown-eyed children lesser than. One of the interesting observations from her exercise was that the blue-eyed children who had been treated as inferiors the first day and were now in the superior group on day two treated the brown-eyed children with more kindness.

Elliott shared that her goal when she designed the exercise was for her students to be less ignorant about race than she was. However, what unfolded on that day in a classroom of third graders forever changed the life of Jane Elliott. She said she discovered what it was like “to be tolerated” and “life will never be the same.”

Elliott’s worldview was forever changed, as was her professional trajectory, becoming a diversity trainer after leaving her teaching career. She estimates she has conducted this activity over 1,000 times since that day – 50 years ago this April. While her “Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes” exercise on racism has been touted, criticized and emulated, its lessons remain timeless and Elliot continues her mission to end racism to this day.

Recognize the Courageous

We have only started down the road to learning about the many luminaries in diversity field. It is important to remember and reflect on the past and recognize those that have had the courage to step forward, teach others and make a difference. As we have come to realize, creating a diverse workspace is a starting point; inclusion is the future of diversity.

Transform Your Culture. Create Inclusion.

– Stacy Shew

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Political Correctness: Maybe Not Such A Bad Thing After All

inclusity@gmail.com — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 17:29:30 +0000

I have never been a big fan of “political correctness”. I believe that it is more important to create ‘safe places’ for people to openly discuss their opinions/biases in a diverse group so that prejudice can be dealt with (managed) rather than repressed. And, I believe that it is this long-term repression that causes unmanaged biases to emerge in times of stress. Since these stressful times are often very public, they tend to cause serious pain to others, and lead to loss of jobs, loss of respect, and loss of productivity for everyone involved – the perpetrator of the prejudice and the unfortunate victim.

That said, it is not possible for all individuals to have the opportunity to openly and safely discuss their prejudice, let alone get the assistance needed to understand it and manage it in a healthy way. For all of the individuals who have participated in our Inclusity LAB, we hope that you appreciate the gift that your organization has given you by providing you this opportunity to develop as a leader and as an individual!

For those of you who have not had a chance to participate in an experience where you can openly discuss your socialization around differences of all kinds, then the next best alternative is to be “politically correct” and keep your opinions to yourself so that they do not offend others. Some individuals may believe that holding in their opinions (being politically correct) could have negative impact on innovation and creativity in the workplace.

Until recently there has not, to my knowledge been research done on this topic. However, Michelle Duguid, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, has proven that political correctness does not correlate with a creativity loss .

In the NPR article cited above, same-sex groups were indeed stifled by instructions to be politically correct. However, this was not the case for mixed-gender groups. According to Dr. Duguid, mixed-gender groups “…generated more ideas, and those ideas were more novel,” she says. “Whether it was two men and one woman or two women and one man, the results were consistent.”

Duguid’s study goes on to assert that by communicating that most people stereotype, this actually increases the amount of stereotyping behavior that occurs. She suggests that we instead point out that most people put effort into managing their stereotypes. This sounds like the old adage that intention creates reality. At Inclusity, we focus on intentionally including others rather than on pointing out and focusing on differences. We strive to create safe places for open discussion so that work relationships can develop and thrive. Perhaps you might consider a novel approach to the challenges of today’s diverse workforce! Check out our solutions for more information.

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Thoughts To Begin 2015!

inclusity@gmail.com — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 09:37:34 +0000

Our hearts go out to everyone who has lost family members and loved ones in the Ferguson and NYC tragedies. While we do not believe that it is our place to weigh in on the court’s decision about the shooting and choking incidents themselves, we do want to comment on the aftermath of the verdicts and the responses they elicited from both the white and black communities.

We think it is important for Ferguson and NYC not to be thought of in isolation, but rather as two of many occurrences over the past several hundred years. We understand that the emotions triggered and demonstrated as a result of the legal findings in these two cases were a result of a long history of oppression towards black men in this country. We would urge White America to listen and ask questions of our African-American colleagues, family members and friends rather than to judge or criticize the behavior of a few.

We do not condone violence of any sort. However, we appreciate that built up feelings of frustration, powerlessness, and hopelessness can lead to violent behaviors. Our Relationship Dynamics TM Model clearly demonstrates that when individuals or groups are subordinated over time, they bury their anger and do whatever is needed to survive. When these feelings become overwhelming, they may see no other course of action than to lash out against those closest to them. All too often those “closest to them” are the people in their own community. We are not excusing this behavior, but we do believe that it needs to be understood in order to make it change.

It is time for White America to stop denying the reality of racism. Systemic racism must be addressed if it is ever to be eradicated. Years of oppression have never been directly resolved. The pain carried by the African American community is like an infected wound—its scab yanked off every time another racially charged incident occurs. Then, when African Americans demonstrate their pain over this reality, they are often met with criticism, condemnation and misunderstanding. This creates further pain and mistrust, and the wound never heals.

At Inclusity, we believe that truth telling, safe places for open dialogue, and commitment from all people to work together to end discrimination is the only solution. It is time for us to treat this wound with the care it deserves rather than allowing it to scab over until the next “Ferguson incident” occurs, and the same cycle begins again. Please join with us at Inclusity to create safe places for conversation, trust-building, and hope for a truly equal America.

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