If we want to move forward, we must get real about total diversity. That means making room at the table for everyone, including those who have been skeptical or outright opposed to past diversity approaches. If we claim to value inclusion, then it must include people whose perspectives differ from our own. Otherwise, what are we really building?
This brings us to another challenge—talking about race and identity without moralizing. We cannot afford to frame every difficult conversation as a battle between good and bad. When we moralize, we shut down dialogue. But when we separate emotional reactions from moral judgments, we create space for real conversations, real connection, and real change.
I know what some of you are thinking: "Dr. Anita, you expect me to sit and listen to people who don’t believe what I believe? Who don’t value what I value?" Yes. And here’s why. Until people feel free to tell us what they really think, we won’t know what we’re actually dealing with. And if we don’t know what we’re dealing with, we can’t address it.
The first step in fostering true inclusion is leading with curiosity instead of condemnation. Instead of assuming, we ask. Instead of reacting, we reflect. Instead of shutting down, we lean in.