As a professional in the field of Training and development, as well as a past K-12 educator it baffles me that even today 40+ years after the 63 and 64 Civil rights Amendments that any time of our development day has to be spent teaching different people, from different walks of life how to play nice.
People's acceptance to culture varies based on where the person is geographically situated on our planet. However, in America where a man of color has risen the top, issues, belief, and power people practices still are quite evident. What is more interesting is that such behaviors are not exclusive to people of color.
Governmental regulation and policy have to some point curtailed many behaviors but the reality is, we still have a long way to go. In a recent project conducted at my organization, it was determined that the ethnic balance and cultural sensitivity that is apparent and obvious, was not the by-product of organizational initiative but rather then by-product of the demographic presence of many people from many different walks of life. To be fair, it must also be said that such inclusion was not and was not rejected by the system's leadership, but I must also step back and say "What if it were?"
If I had the opportunity, I would very much like to see what happens if Affirmative Action had finally come to an end. The other part of inclusion has to do with how far we have come as a country. To these ends, I truly feel that although the playing field is still not even, people of color and woman have empowered themselves through experience and education to a point that such legislation is now hindering these segments total success. At this point in time, inclusion should be a natural cultural process and not a forced process. To these ends, I say learn more, be true to who you are, and keep reaching for the top of the mountain.
