Same or Different? An Exercise in Diversity

America has been described as a “melting pot” where people came from all over the world and over time found a common identity. Despite where our parents or grandparents were born, how they celebrated holidays or practiced their religion or spirituality, we are all citizens of this great country, connected by geography, ideology, and a precious freedom that sets us apart from the rest of the world.

While our common address may link us together, our diversity in national origin, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status and other factors often serve as dividing lines, causing division, suspicion, exclusion and a tendency to “close the wagons.” Unfortunately, what we see…the visual or outer differences…block the reality that regardless of those factors, we have a lot in common. Our values, life choices, family makeup, jobs and so much more tie us together on another level.

Years ago I was a guest speaker at a Diversity Conference, with a wide variety of participants from every background imaginable. To illustrate how much we are similar, I led the audience in the following exercise. I asked them to write down the numbers from one to 10 on a piece of paper. Then, I asked them to write down one word for each number (10 in all) that described them. It could be anything that they felt represented them, a part of their life, what they did, etc. After a few minutes, I asked them to look at the list. I asked how many wrote down their race or national origin. Only a few from the crowd described himself that way. I then asked for a volunteer to stand and read their list out loud. As she read each one, I asked anyone else in the audience who had the same word on their list to stand up. The woman who was reading read her first, “mother,” and about a third of the crowd stood up. I asked them to look around, and asked if they all looked the same. Of course, they were a cross section of humanity…all ages, races, colors. The only common denominator was that they were all women. She proceeded down the list…business owner (men and women stood up), cancer survivor (a cross section again) and everyone took note that though they were diverse, they shared a lot of common traits and experiences. A gentleman read his list, and found that there was another Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot in the group. The revelations were amazing, the point was made. There are more similarities than differences. The things that seem to set us apart are far less than those that bring us together.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.