Appreciating Diversity
Operational Definitions of Diversity
 Diversity in and of itself embraces all human differences.
 Diversity builds on the commonalities that bind us together.
 Diversity serves to eliminate discrimination, marginalization,
and exclusion based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender
identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status,
disability, religion, national origin or military status.
Self-Evaluation
 Take a moment to describe yourself in terms of who you are
in relation to how you define diversity:
Quotes
 Who stated the following message? Check your answer.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Sitting Bull

Barack Obama

Mahatma Gandhi

Albert Einstein
The Correct answer is:
Mahatma Gandhi
Quotes
 Who stated the following message? Check your answer.
“I note the obvious differences between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

Confucius

Cesar Chavez

Jinato Hu

Maya Angelou
The Correct answer is:
Maya Angelou
Quotes
 Who stated the following message? Check your answer.
“We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic.
Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings,
different hopes, different dreams.”

Jimmy Carter

John F. Kennedy

Thomas Sowell

Rudyard Kipling
The Correct answer is:
Jimmy Carter
Abecedarian to Enlightenment
 Listen, not just speak
 Learn, not just teach
12 Steps of Diversity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Homogene – we are of the same gene.
Check-in with your core identity http://blogs.sun.com/identity/entry/identity_map1
It is important to focus on commonalities instead of differences.
Your core id needs to talk to your friends core id.
Diversity should be looked as a chance to learn as well as one to
teach.
When interacting with someone from diverse background it is
important not to judge them.
Admit when you make a mistake and be respectful.
12 Steps of Diversity
7. Break one habit with another habit – instead of judging learn
about diversity expand your cultural comfort zone.
8. Travel –You may not be able to go to a foreign country, but you
can travel to other states to experience their diversity.
9. Read about diversity – Read books by multicultural authors.
10.Learn a different language – you do not have to become
proficient just learning a few key words or phrases.
11.Learn the difference between prejudice and dislike. Prejudice is
not recognizing and appreciating the cultural differences of those
around you.
12.Grasp on to diversity and hold on. Make a commitment to learn
about diversity.
Diversity within Diversity
 It is a disservice to individuals within a group to lump them
all into one category. Not every individual within a group
thinks, acts or reacts the same. It is important for everyone
to understand this concept even those within the group.
 Examples of this?
Myths about Diversity
 It is a problem
 It is the responsibility of the human resources department
 It is just about race and gender
 It is about minorities and women in the workplace
 It is exclusive
 It is another fad
 It is another version of Equal Employment
Opportunity/Affirmative Action
 http://www.workforcediversitynetwork.com/docs/Article_8Ma
jorMythsofDiversity_Velasquez.pdf
Myths about diversity
 Click on search our articles  http://www.diversitydtg.com/
 In the search box type in
myths about diversity
Inclusion and Exclusion
 Inclusion is active, intentional, and includes the ongoing process of
working within diversity as it relates to the intellectual, social,
cultural, geographical and individual components of others in ways
we may connect to them. Through inclusion one’s awareness,
content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic
understanding may increase.
 When an individual is stereotyped for being in a certain group
they are often limited and excluded from the whole. This takes
away from their individualism as well their accomplishments.
 Ethnocentric – Evaluating others from your own cultural reference.
http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/ethno.htm
Mohammed Bilal
 Follow the link the watch Mohammed Bilal speaking on the
12 steps of diversity (You may recognize him from Real
World, San Francisco).
 http://www.thecollegeagency.com/artists/mohammed_bilal.cfm
The End Result
 This Powerpoint was designed, created, and intended to do
two things;
 First, as a college student you are now identified as being a
critical thinker. We hope that this presentation aids in your
ability to think critically about issues related to diversity.
 Second, we want you to walk away with new explorative ideas
and thoughts about diversity as it relates to yourself, college
students, family and friends.
 Think About Diversity in relation to:
o Opportunities
o Does diversity impact opportunity? If so, how?
Text Box
o Accomplishments
o In what way does diversity impact accomplishments?
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o Challenges
o What challenges does diversity present?
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Additional Reading
 http://www.aacu.org/inclusive_excellence/documents/Mil
em_et_al.pdf
 http://www.aacu.org/inclusive_excellence/documents/Wi
lliams_et_al.pdf
 Search for differences between Etic and Emic viewpoints on
culture.