Feed on
Posts
Comments

Art + Diversity = Inclusion

May 8th, 2012 by

I received an e-mail from one of my colleagues at work letting me know that she was part of the theatrical crew producing For Colored Girls at a local Charlottesville theatre. This colleague is very good about letting the Darden staff and faculty know about interesting theatrical productions with which she is engaged and inviting the community out to see the them. I am so glad she does that. “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” is a wonderful, landmark literary work that became a tony nominated Broadway play. In brief, it is the Black woman’s story with multiple facets as experienced through Ntozake Shange’s poetic pen. Seven women represented by various rainbow colors, share their stories of love, heartache, domestic violence, abortion, rape and abandonment. It is intense.

A group of Darden staff decided to see the play together. After some discussion the group decided that it wanted others in the community to participate. Darden has Staff/Faculty sections modeled after student classroom sections, to encourage staff and faculty to collectively impact the community around themes/topics that interest and matter to them. We have a “Create Your Own” cross section for those of us that want to be a bit less structured and more ad-hoc around our themes. As a result of the discussion, the “Create Your Own” cross section and the Darden Office of Diversity and Inclusion partnered to invite the entire Faculty and Staff group to see the play. Yes, we did.

Part of my initial reason for supporting this idea was simply about the artistic movement tradition itself. Think Social Realism, Mexican Muralism, Social Documentary Photography, Black Arts Movement – you get the idea. Often art has taken the mantel for social movement through music, dance, drama, still art, photography, etc., and placed it starkly in the face of the art patron. Art has made shadows light, what was disdained revered and what was shunned mesmerizing. For Colored Girls is a perfect example of how this was done. I thought seeing this cornerstone play would be a wonderful gateway to discussion about culture, social movement and diversity. What better way than with art. There were so many other reasons for supporting this idea, many personal, but this blog entry would then become way too long if I were to share. Suffice to say, at the end of the play there is a symbolic physical gesture that calls to mind self-empowerment combined with a mantra – “I found God in myself/and I loved her/I loved her fiercely.”

Not all faculty and staff participated but for those of us who did, it was a rewarding experience. Immediately at the conclusion of the play, the discussion turned to generational differences, the Feminist Movement and Black culture especially in the 60’s and 70’s. We couldn’t help ourselves. We shared personal stories about our own growth in cross cultural circumstances and if they hadn’t started turning out the lights, we might still be there talking. We’ve decided to have a brown bag lunch to continue our conversation but there are still conversations happening in the hallways today.

This isn’t the traditional Diversity activity you might expect to see at a business school. However, it is one that can have positive impact on the diversity and inclusion culture at a school. It’s happening here in real time.

Kellie Sauls
Director, Diversity Initiatives and Programming
Associate Director of Admissions

Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted in diversity, Uncategorized, women | No Comments »

Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers

Apr 6th, 2012 by

There is something about sitting with people while sharing a meal that lends itself to comfort and open, engaging conversation. The cynics might say the wine at dinner loosens up the lips and creates a positive feeling but I have seen it happen too much, both with and without the presence of alcoholic beverage, to agree with that cynical view. Having a meal fosters intimacy. It is an invitation to share in a ritual that historically was usually reserved for one alone or with family and close friends. An invitation to dine, especially in one’s home, is an invitation to get to know people at their least guarded. It is an invitation to be included in one’s closest social circle.

So, it should not be surprising that dinner is the order of the day currently at Darden (pun intended,) for cross cultural engagement. Students are using this cozy and strong interpersonal practice to manifest effective leveraging of diversity. I offer two examples.

In the fall, I became aware of an idea that Darden’s chapter of the National Association of Women MBAs was proposing for a diversity fund competition. The idea proposed and eventually sponsored by Darden’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is a Diversity Dinner Series that would run the entire academic year, one dinner per month. Each small group gathering would focus on a topic unique to women and women in business. Efforts were made to keep the group small to ensure group-wide engagement in the conversation, but to also make sure men, alumni, faculty and staff were included. The plan also included ways to expand the conversation beyond the dinner itself but to the community at large. The kick-off dinner was phenomenal. The topic was “How Diversity Creates a Corporate Advantage in the Workplace” and an alumna was invited as a special guest. Dean Bob Bruner was in attendance as well as Sr. Associate Dean and Chief Diversity Officer Peter Rodriguez. I remember the discussion that night being thoughtful, revealing, enlightening and challenging. It was a great way to break bread and break barriers.

For the other example, you will need to access another blog, Global Voices of Darden. I would like to call your attention to the entry dated March 29, 2012 where second-year student Anders Hvelplund shares an experience around small, informal international lunches he and two of his classmates initiated. This effort has grown into the International Business Society club’s cross-cultural small group dinners. Anders describes the benefit of Taking Advantage of Our Diversity plus simply having fun at the same time.

In essence, what value is diversity if it is not being explored? Leveraged? Enjoyed? Taken advantage of? At Darden this is not simply something that is optional. It is something students initiate, demand and value.

Kellie Sauls
Director, Diversity Initiatives and Programming
Associate Director of Admissions

Tags: , , , , ,

Posted in diversity, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Black History Month

Feb 11th, 2012 by

In a January blog, Dean Bruner reflected on Dr. King’s legacy, particularly the concept of servant-leadership. It inspired me to extend the conversation to Black History Month.

Black History Month has traditionally been a time set aside to recognize the terrific accomplishments of African-Americans. Indeed, there are many breakthroughs to acknowledge.

Reflecting on the achievements of others may stir within us the very human desire to be great, and to be recognized ourselves. In fact, during the course of a Black History Month program or after an announcement of “Today’s Black History Fact,” our grade school teachers likely implored us to consider how we might make “make the race proud.” Dutifully, we may have declared (depending on age) “I’m going to be the next music mogul like Quincy Jones or Sean (Jay-Z) Carter.” Or, “I’m going to become a world class surgeon like Dr. Ben Carson,” or “My goal is to be a stateswoman like Dr. Condolezza Rice.”

Unquestionably, these individuals applied the admirable qualities of persistence, innovation, and faith to achieve their goals. None of them received their high positions or world-renown as a birthright. Dr. Rice details in her recent memoir, No Higher Honor, the long hours, rigorous study, and incessant travel she completed in order to serve effectively as the first African-American female National Security Advisor, and later the Secretary of State.

Yet, it would be a mistake, at best, to allow admiration for others’ greatness to fuel our own engines of self-promotion. Yes, in each of us, there lies a hungry desire to be recognized—to see our name and unparalleled success profiled in Black Enterprise, the Wall Street Journal, or the Harvard Business Review. While we appear to celebrate their achievements, we may—just a little—be coveting their sustained celebrity, and plotting to obtain the same for ourselves.

Dr. King’s sermon, “The Drum Major Instinct,” provides exceptional (and, of course, eloquent) guidance on how to avoid this pitfall. He says that while “we all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade,” what is more important is to be “first in love…first in excellence…first in generosity.” These are the foundations of servant-leadership. Where the “drum-major instinct” fosters “exclusivism” and “destructive race prejudice,” servant leadership unifies, encourage and builds better communities, better companies, better societies.

The opportunities to be a servant leader are open to all: “You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subjects and verbs agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve…You only need a heart full of grace.”

As the recent and historic Facebook initial public offering demonstrates, our society values and encourages self-promotion. We have an insatiable appetite for ourselves. The challenge to turn away from orchestrating the enchanting world of me to serving the greater, less-glamourous community of us is daunting.

Perhaps, then, this is the excellent assignment for Black History Month 2012: Use the twenty-nine days to honor the incredible “firsts”, honestly explore our own motivations to emulate their success, and to properly harness the “drum-major instinct” within us.

A version of this writing appears on the BBSF website.

 

Rhonda Henderson, Second Year Student

Tags: , , , ,

Posted in diversity, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

MLK and Business Today

Jan 16th, 2012 by

Darden recently launched its Initiative for Business in Society (IBiS) and I couldn’t help but proudly reflect upon this significant work. It makes sense that a business school producing leaders that impact society would develop research, thought and collaboration about business in society – a true testament that the Darden School lives its missions to “Improve society by developing principled leaders for the world of practical affairs.” Also, I couldn’t help but think about our (higher education professionals) roles as a part of a community educating future business leaders. The more I pondered the more questions I raised. Questions like, what really is the responsibility of a business leader in our expanding global economy? Has the triple bottom line risen in importance to a level where it informs and instructs organizational leadership? Beyond monetary investors, are other types of investors in business gaining in influence? Are we even asking the right questions? Ultimately, how are we doing?

The MLK Day holiday offers time for members of communities to think about the legacy that Dr. King envisioned – a more just, equitable and caring society. Are we providing opportunities for business students to think and develop their leadership skills at the intersection of business and society? I was delighted to see Dean Bruner’s Blog entry yesterday. I think it offered some insight on this very topic. Rather than continue with my own questions regarding this important work, I thought I’d refer you to a thought leader who addresses leadership quite eloquently. Please read “Drum Major” vs. Servant Leader: An Appreciation for the Life of Martin Luther King.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kellie Sauls
Director, Diversity Initiatives and Programming
Associate Director of Admissions

Tags: , , ,

Posted in diversity, Uncategorized | No Comments »

I Am Diversity

Dec 9th, 2011 by

I love this time of year.  It is the time when I get to hear people’s stories; where they grew up, their family make up, where they went to college, and their life experiences, mostly professional, many personal.  I enjoy learning about people. I am an Admissions Officer and a substantial number of MBA admissions offices around the country are also hearing directly from applicants about what makes them unique and well positioned to excel in a particular school’s MBA program.  I also happen to be a Diversity Officer, so while I take as unbiased an approach to the process as possible (candidly we all have biases,) I admit I enjoy the unique perspective my diversity lens offers the admissions process.

When I was hired at Darden, I had the opportunity to meet with Dean Bruner. At the time, he was dealing with many situations that required some change in Darden’s strategic plan.  One key area was (is) diversity.  Dean Bruner believes that the cornerstone for our students’ success, the case method taught by top faculty, could not be successful without leveraging the diversity1 both in and outside of the classroom.  He stressed that students would have a more satisfying two year experience if our community came closer to leveraging the diversity around them.  He looked me in my eye and told me “Kellie, I believe you can help us do that.”  Whoa!  I thought to myself, “This is the type of leadership I can get behind.”  It is the most rewarding and challenging work I have ever done and I can’t think of a better place to do this work.  There is something about a community that embraces the tension of meeting the challenge that comes from bringing together people with different viewpoints and ideas who actively engage by sharing those perspectives, solicited or otherwise.  I always share with prospective students that the main reason why the case method works so well at Darden is because of this very notion – people share their diverse perspectives shaped by their uniquely different experiences.  Frankly, diversity works here.  It doesn’t always feel good, or happen neatly, or come tied in a bow.  It requires a willingness to engage, share, grapple, challenge, articulate and support the discourse and the resulting actions.  I’ve often been frustrated and struggled with my colleagues’ and students’ views or actions but I’ve just as often, if not more so, learned from and been awed by them.  We are getting better at leveraging our differences and we keep pushing ourselves to get even better at it.

The Office of Admissions and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Darden have put together a video series titled “I Am Diversity”.  It was designed as both an internal and external catalyst for conversations beyond traditional discussions about diversity. We believe that when connections to diversity happen on a personal level with people we know or can identify with in some way then understanding happens.  We hope to keep building on this series over time.  For our launch, we have 14 students who volunteered to share their personal stories and thoughts on diversity at Darden.  A trailer for the series is below.  The link to the entire series follows: Diversity Video Series

We hope you enjoy it.

I Am Diversity video trailer

The Darden School has as a core part of its mission to foster a diverse community that broadens understanding and elevates performance. We believe diversity is not captured purely in numbers or visual manifestations.  Diversity is a combination of backgrounds, ideas and perspectives all shaped by our own unique experiences.  It is most elegantly captured in the individual stories that make up the deep, textured fabric of a community.  We invite you to hear our stories through this video series.

Kellie Sauls
Associate Director of Admissions
Director, Diversity Initiatives and Programming

[1]Leveraging Difference is a topic introduced to Darden by Professor Martin Davidson who has done research and dedicated a website specifically addressing the topic.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Leaps of Faith

Nov 18th, 2011 by

Often the lessons learned in b-school do not happen in the classroom  but where least expected. The lessons can be surprising yet so profound. Our guest blogger, Rhonda Henderson, an officer in the Black Business Student Forum club, describes just such an experience.

 

Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Courses in business school will teach you hundreds of ways to analyze data and make a decision.  Finance: NPV, stock value.  Accounting: Cash Flow, balance sheet.  Strategy: Porter’s Five Forces.  Decision Analysis:  Crystal Ball, Decisions trees, StatTools.

On the front end of my business school career, I really wanted to learn how to make decisions using these tools.  I was about seven years into a career in education, an industry that was not nearly as data-driven as it is now, and I thought all of these tools provided “the right perspective in which to view and operate in the world.”  Jealous of people who tossed around phrases like “modeling worst-case scenarios” (Ooooh, what does that mean?) for the year before b-school, I was a Harvard Business Review-reading fool.

Business school is described as a transformative experience, a bridge from  your unfulfilling post-college professional landing pad to your well-paid destiny.  I had hoped to be transformed from “feel-good” teacher, to “hard-charging”…education strategist.  (I did plan to return to my field, just with killer spreadsheets.)  And the first year curriculum did not disappoint.  The courses were a vigorous exploration of all the ways one could harness, critique and package data into a succinct set of comments that earned high marks for class participation.   I felt much more confident in my ability to analyze my way in and around any situation.  The elusive “certainty” was just that much closer…

I saw similar transformations in my classmates.  Midway through the first year program, and certainly once our class received summer internship offers, we were walking with a bit more MBA-inspired swagger, speaking in the language of assets, ratios, and currency risks.

I was in this mindset when I had a distinct business school moment while “networking” with a Darden alum over free-flowing (but soon to run out) glasses of Virginia-harvested chardonnay.  The story she told was fairly standard—attended Darden to transition to a career in consulting, did weeks of case prep with classmates, went through rounds of pit-diving at events… all very usual stuff.  Then she decided consulting wasn’t for her.  Okay, that’s interesting.  Then she accepted an internship at a firm completely out of her field.  More interesting.  Finally, she said she took a “leap of faith” and decided to accept a full-time offer where she would be the “only” of many categories…  She described how she felt at the firm during the summer and what she believed a career could be at this company.

To use the phrases “I feel” or “I believe” in a business environment or the preparatory-business environment that is business school, is practically declaring “I can’t think.”  You just do not say that…in public.  Yet, here I was listening to a very smart, very confident woman explain how she made one of her most important life decisions based on her intuition.

Her story opened up for me a range of questions that I am exploring through a new series called “Leap of Faith.”  Sponsored by the Black Business Student Forum, “Leap of Faith” seeks out and profiles Darden alumni who have turned away from the model, powered down Crystal Ball, and relied on an intangible strategy to make a decision: their instinct, their faith, or their promise to themselves about who they really are, or are striving to be.  The early interviews introduced me to an alumnus who literally redirected their entire life and career path in the month before graduation based on one conversation and another who had two conflicting dream opportunities arise simultaneously.  Given the gravity of these situations and the possibility each offered, a cost-benefit analysis was an insufficient tool.  Visit the BBSF website in the next couple of days to read our first story.

As any transformative experience, business school can upset your notions of who you are, what you can do, and who and what you will be.  Stressed from trying to boil the ocean of cases, recruiting, networking, and sleeping, we cling to the life-raft of our rational minds.  Yet, I invite you to read stories that suggest rationality isn’t everything.   At the end of the day, in the middle of the night, it may be nothing at all.  My hope is that these profiles will help you begin to reconcile the two decision-making frameworks that exist within each of us: what we think, and what we believe.

 

Rhonda Henderson, Second Year Student

Tags: ,

Posted in diversity, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Re-Finding my Creative Soul within My Second Year Curriculum

Nov 4th, 2011 by

Diversity can be reflected in many ways.  A few ways we express it at Darden is through perspective, thought and experience.  Guest Blogger Brian Nwokedi, Consortium Fellow and MLT MBAP Alumnus, shares some of his thoughts around a topic he didn’t expect at B-School.

Before coming to the Darden School of Business, I used to work for a large public accounting firm as a CPA. During my time there, I primarily served clients in the real estate, hospitality, and financial services industries, and was responsible for doing things by the book and within budget. Often times during my four years, my non-accounting friends and clients would joke saying that I was only really good for “solving problems they didn’t know they had in ways they couldn’t understand and reporting these facts to the general public.” Needless to say as a public accountant I was not given a great deal of latitude to flex my creative muscles and use my imagination.

Generally speaking, in accounting creativity is synonymous with dare I say it: “fuzzy math” and “earnings management/manipulation.”  It is characterized by excessive complications and the use of novel means to characterize income and assets with the intent to influence (a.k.a. deceive) readers of the financial statements towards desired interpretations. Needless to say creativity is a very very bad thing in accounting. As a result, for 4 solid years I came to see creativity as the stuff of actors, artists, musicians, writers and generally everyone else that wasn’t in my profession. Even my investment banking buddies were getting their creative groove on … [see mortgage backed securities otherwise known as the catalyst for the subprime mortgage crisis].This lack of creative freedom is one of the biggest reasons I made the decision to leave the public accounting world and return to school.

Fast forward to my second year hear at Darden [1]. As part of my current Term II curriculum, I am taking two creative design oriented classes both taught by amazing faculty: (1) Corporate Innovation and Design Experience – GBUS 8459 and (2) Developing New Products and Services – GBUS 8130. Both courses are centered on user driven value creation through the use of design thinking and the creation of new products. Put into laymen’s terms, I am getting credit for actively “thinking outside the box” to create new products and solutions from scratch. Talk about the green light to explore! I mean both of these classes give me a medium to let my imagination flow and truly flex my creative muscles! What was once a stymied skill set (i.e. my creative soul) is now being allowed to run free and wild. And not to sound cliché, but to sound completely cliché, I am only bound by my imagination within these two courses in the products and services that I create. Currently, I am working with a group to create a motion detection camera that will allow football and baseball teams to capture player movements in three dimensions to help with overall talent and player evaluation. And by the end of these courses seven weeks from now, we will have a prototype that does just that!

In closing, to steal the name of the third album from singer-songwriter Debbi Gibson “Anything is Possible [2]” within these two classes and I look forward to exploring my creative soul over the next seven weeks. Goodbye handcuffs of the rigid accounting world and welcome back creativity and imagination. You both have sorely been missed!

Brian Nwokedi, Second Year Student

Notes:

 [1] Please note that there has been no discussion of the first year primarily because the first year was a blur. Seriously, I’m still not certain what all happened last year.

[2] Please note that the Debbie Gibson reference is solely because of the fact that we share the same birthday. It’s not like I actually know who she is. Side note … For all you Britney Spears lovers out there Debbie Gibson came first… just saying!

Posted in diversity, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Diversity Blog Re-Kick Off

Oct 21st, 2011 by

We are refreshing our Diversity Blog and kicking off the 2011-2012 season with an introduction.  The Diversity Blog has been dormant for nearly a year.  We feel it’s time to start blogging again as there is certainly no lack of current diversity topics available for discussion. Please stick with us as we kick start our efforts.

The Darden School of Business has a new Chief Diversity Officer.  Professor Peter Rodriguez is no stranger to Darden, Academia nor the business related social media world.  He is a beloved professor of Global Economies and Markets, renowned researcher in international business topics and avid tweeter (@profp_rod).  In addition to Peter’s CDO role, he is also the Senior Associate Dean for MBA programs at Darden.  Given his unique and extensive set of responsibilities, we thought interviewing Peter would be a great way to kick off this Diversity@Darden Blog season.

You are the Senior Associate Dean, for Degree Programs and International Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer.  What was the motivation behind combining these roles?  Why did you accept the positions?

Coupling the drive to live Darden’s values on diversity with leading and being accountable for the performance for our MBA programs offers the influence necessary to succeed by influencing all our programs and admissions.  The signaling value is also intentional and important for Darden and its future.

Will you be teaching any classes while serving in these roles?

Yes, I teach two sections of a second year elective on the global economy, a course in the GEMBA program and I teach in a number of our custom and executive education programs.

What do you see as your key challenges as the Chief Diversity Officer at Darden?

Darden evidences diversity every day in its efforts and throughout our enterprise. We’re fortunate to have a pervasive commitment to living the values of a rich, diverse, engaging and inclusive community.  Our frontier is making the ‘value of our values’ even more plain and actionable in our programs.  We also require a classroom and grounds that are rich in diversity of many kinds and this is always a priority.

What are Darden’s key challenges to having a more diverse and inclusive community?

Many of the challenges derive from the potential for stasis that always faces organizations.  Momentum is that all too precious asset that sometimes loses its value just when other assets lose theirs. With a flat economy Darden could have also stood flat, but we’re continuing to build and to grow. It’s a long, steep hill to run but that’s what separates the pack.  In addition to momentum, we must remain not just a wonderful teaching organization, but a learning one.  Learning about ourselves and how each of us can seize opportunities to live more thoughtfully and to commit our resources to ensuring and embracing diversity must be our daily ritual.

What do you hope to have accomplished by the end of your tenure?

I can’t say how long will be my tenure (I hope its long), but to be successful Darden should preserve and enrich the diversity in its programs and classrooms each and every year.  We need to attract more of the highest quality candidates from all backgrounds and yield more top candidates from underrepresented groups than we do today.  A substantial improvement in yield over the next three years is key to delivering the world’s best management education, and that’s the number one goal.  Year by year, we must also integrate into our classrooms effective and engaging discussions of how diversity affects all of us, how it impacts and can significantly benefit organizations.  Leading the universe of MBA programs with respect to diversity and how to live it in organizations is an attainable and appropriate goal for Darden.

 

We will be sure to follow-up with Peter at the end of the academic year to check and see how things are going.  In the meantime, please stay tuned for additional Diversity@Darden blog entries.

Posted in diversity | No Comments »

Judge Not…

Nov 7th, 2010 by

I know two individuals at a well-known business school that are gossips. I don’t know whether being judgmental is a requisite trait of a gossip but they also happen to be judgmental individuals. One day they were badmouthing a girl who was not part of their social circle. Whatever their criteria for being “cool” this girl obviously did not meet them. As result, everything she did and said was met with disparaging thoughts and remarks. On this particular day they were discussing the discovery of a “tramp stamp” tattoo on the girl (in case you are not aware, as I was not, a tramp stamp tattoo is usually a “tribal mark” and it is positioned on the lower back, right above the waistline. Also, the tramp stamp is supposed to be a sign of sexual promiscuity). The two individuals found the tramp stamp comical because as they put it, the girl “just doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would have a tramp stamp.”

I thought this episode was interesting for two reasons: For one, although these two gossips are relatively young and the content of their discussion commensurately “youthful”, this kind of gossiping and accompanying judgments are prevalent in offices of professional employment throughout the U.S. The second reason this was interesting was that it gave me the perfect way to present a perspective I have on diversity.

To begin, all the players in the “tramp stamp” story above are of the same race and one of the gossips is of the same gender as the “gossip-ee(?)” Yet she was different enough based on her perceived level of “cool,” that instead of accepting her difference, they reacted with scorn towards anything that she did or said that did not match their perception of her.

Indulge me in a quick anthropological diversion before I continue…: The propensity to be judgmental is very human. After all, our past experiences are all we have to assist us in making decisions. Having sometimes life or death decisions to make, we resort to categorizing people and things and we develop expectations of the people and things based on these past experiences so that we can make quick decision. The problem is that we don’t realize we are doing it.

In our Leadership Organization (L-O) class at Darden, we learned about being “in the box.” We understand the concept of the box when it’s obvious but we don’t recognize how easily and unconsciously we can fall into that box. We have gotten to a point where the categorizations we make are so widespread and accepted that we can’t imagine that we may be operating from within the box.

Take Susan Boyle for example. Had Susan not blown us away with her singing we would ALL have continued – without as much as a second thought – believing that a chubby woman in her late 40s had no business in a singing talent show. In fact, I submit that if her performance was merely acceptable, we would still have gone away thinking that Susan overstepped her boundaries. Consequently, we unconsciously raise the bar of acceptability for those whom we’ve decided are acting out of their character. Thus the girl with the tramp stamp having a difficult time doing anything “cool.”

Now to tie this to diversity as we usually think about it in the U.S. Many of us profess to be race blind or color blind and I believe that most of us truly desire to be so. The problem arises when our unconscious judgments about other groups affect how we behave towards them. And I’m not talking about judgments as obvious as believing that Indians should be good in math or that African-Americans are not articulate. I’m talking about what happens when you think the Indian guy shaking his head while talking is a geek or when you call the Black guy “Pooty Gee” because you think he’s lame for bragging about his financial well-being and his sexual conquests. In those cases, even if the person who is making judgments knows in his heart that he doesn’t intend to be racist, if the behavior that is the source of the judgment IS, or is PERCEIVED to be inseparable from one’s culture and/or race, the issue is racial one. Both parties to those interactions need to be careful not to judge.

For those of us who are likely to find ourselves the subject of an unfair judgment, it is of the utmost importance to draw a distinction between a situation with a racist person and a situation with racial undertones. The result may be the same if the person judging behaves in a way that tends to alienate an entire group of people; however, we should be loath to call someone a racist without overwhelming corroborative evidence and/or testimony from others. Accusing someone of racism can backfire and further alienate the accuser from other people in the organization. The accusation can also cause great damage to the alleged perpetrator if he or she has been wrongfully accused. More to the point of this article though, just because the person judging you is of a different race than you doesn’t mean that he doesn’t just think you’re lame.

So to the judgmental person – Judge not. Recognize… accept… no, appreciate the complexity of the diversity of the human individual. That may sound L-O sappy but that difference in perspective will truly make you a better person. Besides, considering the fact that we are now living in a revenge-of-the-nerds era in which being a geek is actually a cool thing, I’m sure many former associates now wish they had Mark Zukerberg’s social network.

Lastly, if you are the person who may suspect that you are being judged in a negative way, my opinion is that the most effective way to disabuse someone of his misconception is to do what Susan Boyle did – succeed where the person imagined you’d fail. Succeeding may be a tall task if the person who is wrongly judging you has power to affect your fate; however, in most cases, whether someone dislikes you based on the values he assigns to your age, your experience, your position in life, your profession, your race, or your level of cool, performing well is the best way to shut him up.

Mack Audena  ’12

Tags: , , , ,

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The White Perspective

Sep 13th, 2010 by

Major disclaimer: I am not white.

Okay now that we’re clear on that, let us continue: On Friday, the 10th of September most of the First Year class attended the CSW Diversity Theater event. During that event, issues of diversity were presented from the perspective of a homosexual male, a black male, an Asian female, and a white female. I found it particularly interesting that the white male perspective wasn’t sufficiently addressed. 

Upon hearing of this event I heard grumblings from a white male associate who was upset that the diversity event was a required event, on a Friday following TNDC, mind you!  This person felt that the school had sufficiently addressed diversity during orientation week and he felt that the message to accept differences had been loud and clear.  I sensed from him what I sense from many white people and that is a burning desire to push back on what they perceive as a push, by some, of the idea that they are racist, misogynist, homophobes.  I sense a growing impatience with what some may see as a forced silence imposed on them by society and I sense there is an urge to push back against what they see as society’s unjustifiable countenance of race-based scapegoating and blame shifting….

But I’m not white so I may be wrong.

If, however, I am right about this sentiment emanating from many in the white community, then I must say I understand this feeling.  Consider for example that the same people who may argue for white people to be more accepting of other cultures may also be outraged when they feel America is imposing its cultural values on other countries.  Why shouldn’t white people get to be who they are? Why shouldn’t other people change to accommodate them? Well I offer 5 and ½ points that I hope may be a different and useful perspective:

  1. Your Asian colleague’s kid will likely be kicking your kid’s ass economically.  We’re business students so let’s consider the potential monetary value of adapting to other cultures. You don’t need Crystal Ball to see that China and India are on a trajectory to have dominant economies in the not too distant future.
  2. Black and White folks are like a married couple; our disagreements are not about right or wrong or what should now be done so much as they are about different perspectives. (If you’ve been in a long term relationship you’ll understand better.)  White people may feel like Black people are the partner who claims to have forgiven but refuses to let go of a past indiscretion.  After the trust was broken, Black people don’t know whether our white partners are still committing acts of indiscretion.  By acts of indiscretion I mean, Black people can’t tell the difference between the person who believes Black people are inferior (the racists) and those who are simply tired of being called racist.  As in a marriage, or any hostage situation, trained negotiators will tell you that if you’re interested in resolving an issue the first step is to make the other person understand that you truly understand his viewpoint.  If you begin by defending yourself and your viewpoint you have just lost the opportunity to educate. If you care about getting through rather than winning the argument,  take an opportunity to express understanding and agreement before presenting your side.
  3. Showing understanding is much more than acknowledging slavery and Jim Crow.  For example did you know that in 1983 only 43% of Americans approved of marriage between a Black person and a White person? Yeah, that means the majority of us thought that interracial marriage was wrong.  Not that long ago unh?… Also, many argue that the reason African-Americans aren’t further along in many metrics of human achievement post-integration, especially when compared to immigrants of African descent, is because African Americans reacted to being rejected by mainstream America by rejecting mainstream America in kind.  The result, it is argued, was that many of the beneficial traits of mainstream America (e.g., educational values, speaking standard American English, etc.) were also jettisoned with the bath water. I personally don’t think that was an unreasonable reaction?….  What I’m trying to say in this paragraph is that you may be tired of hearing Black folk complain about racism, but this enduring and recent refusal by this country to accept its own has had real consequences on our collective psyche and our present socio-economic and academic position. I think more patience is warranted.
  4. Don’t be Glenn Beck. This is a continuation of number two.  Presentation is important. I don’t know Glenn Beck, but assuming positive intent, I argue that he is more disgruntled than racist.  I now feel that way about many white people and Tea Party’ers who may have stood up to defend what they perceive is unjust attacks on their character.  But recently, while having a debate in which I argued that most white business students were simply resentful of what they perceive as the disadvantage of being white–and therefore they are not necessarily racist–my opponent likened the arguments she had heard from some white students at UVA to arguments she heard from Glenn Beck. She argued that she doesn’t know if that makes the students racist but she felt that those arguments were disturbing to her. That comparison clarified her argument in my mind and I had to admit, Beck’s arguments are disturbing to me as well. So the lesson I took from that exchange and will now share with you is that if you feel disgruntled or indignant abou how unfair life is, but you don’t believe in the inherent inferiority of Black people, and if you would like to have an honest conversation about race, don’t be Glenn Beck. Instead, refer to suggestion number 2.
  5. “Minorities” are the underdogs and that is why White people are often asked to be more understanding/sensitive and not vice versa.  Everyone loves an underdog. The reason this is true is the fact that life works in such a way that each one of us fails much more often than we win and so we can easily relate to being down.  White people are winning so you’ll look bad beating up on the wimpy kid.  If this idea troubles you as a White person, fear not, it seems like Asia is determined to change this fact…. Besides, please believe that those of us minorities who are here at Biz School are trying. It’s still your home so thank you to those of you who are doing your best to make us all feel more comfortable….
  • ½    That being said, it is my belief that we as Black people need to make a concerted and genuine effort not just to get along but to belong. How many of us have played flip cup in the basement of Dan Buckman’s house, enh? How many of us know what flip cup is? I bet the Indian students can tell you.

Just my thoughts ladies and gentlemen.

Mack Audena  ’12

Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Older Posts »