Diversity has always made a difference in my life. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York in a city once dubbed “the melting pot” shape my worldview in many ways. Despite living in a predominantly black neighborhood, south Jamaica, Queens, NY, I experienced “difference.” The teachers that taught at my junior high school were different. They looked different, dressed differently, drove different cars and went in a different direction when the school day ended. It was my first glimpse into the kaleidoscopic lens of diversity from a racial and socio-economic perspective. Nevertheless, regardless of these differences, I learned a great deal from my teachers in both junior high school and high school. Life lessons, not just book knowledge and general education. For example, my social studies teacher, Mr. Alan Berkowitz, made a huge difference in my life by telling me that “you can be anything in this world, if you put your mind to it.” For me, at age 14, coming from a fatherless household, and a community where the presence of positive male figures was not at my disposal, hearing this from a (white) man made a huge difference in how I began to see myself and the world. Mr. “B” was a difference maker!
Unfortunately, in today’s socio-political climate, embracing diversity appears to have a kryptonite-like effect on our modern-day society. I often ask myself; how could this be? In the world of investing, we are encouraged to “diversify” your portfolio. Attending a school where the student population is diverse tends to bring forth a more realistic view of the world for our children. We don’t live in a utopia-like society. I could not image waking up tomorrow in a world where everyone looks the same, dresses the same, acts the same, walks the same, eats the same food and speaks the same language. We need diversity in our lives! So, here is my call to action as we celebrate Diversity month throughout April: let your uniqueness shine bright, explore something new, taste a new dish, visit a place you never visited before, greet a person with a smile who might not look like you, act like you, dress like you, or live in the same neighborhood as you, for you never know the difference that might make in their lives!
By Keva White, LCADC, LSW
