Sharing, Not Imposing…
"Inspiring, Achieving, and Celebrating Inclusion"
My Jewish Learning, in “The December Dilemma,” reminds us that Christmas "provokes a lot of emotions.” For “interfaith families in particular, [November and] December can be a stressful time, demanding decisions about whether to celebrate one or" more holidays, such as Diwali, Thanksgiving, Rohatsu, Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanza, “and how to deal with hurt feelings or disapproval from extended family.” We at Diamond Strategies, a team of diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners, that include members of the Agnostic, Asian, Black, Christian, Indigenous, Jehovah’s Witness, Jewish, LatinX, and Muslim communities, have proven that diverse groups and organizations can navigate the holidays in ways that reduce anxiety and create joy. Here are two recommendations for sharing, not imposing, what you observe and celebrate this “season of light.”
Number One: Let your light shine – “Whether from the lights of the Christmas tree, the glow of the Advent Wreath candles, the flames of the Menorah” and Kinara, the star-studded midnight sky, “or perhaps simply a rare day of sunshine” in our rainy and snowy regions, try to leverage the next couple of months to channel the glow of goodwill, positivity, and hope for a future shaped by love, forgiveness, and a deep and abiding commitment to protecting and serving our human family. If you are alive, though you may have suffered through or lost someone to the worst global pandemic in 100 years, experienced job loss, or grappled with anxiety and depression wrought by economic instability, political divisions, hate, and social unrest, you are fortunate. Some would say blessed. Harness the luminosity that has kept you alive and positioned you to share what has helped you along the away.
This can be accomplished through active listening, learning, cultural exchange, and the promotion of familial and organizational harmony. Bearing in mind that harmony is not the absence of conflict, but “the embrace of its very presence,” writes Eyes Up Training. “Musical harmony is made of different sounds and frequencies. To make them sound nice they must be tuned. The same is true for relational harmony. The beauty of a relationship is characterized by different personalities working and living together in harmony without compromising their identities. The conflicts caused by the differences [must] be worked on—tuned." This will foster reciprocity, mutual respect, growth, and the ability for each person to be their best selves and shine. Shine on and light up the darkness.
Number Two: It Isn’t a Zero-Sum Game – Some argue that people from various faiths should stay in their celebratory lane, and that organizations should not acknowledge, let alone celebrate, any religious and cultural holidays. Since we cannot celebrate every holiday in the workplace, the belief goes, we shouldn’t celebrate any. In 2021, however, when people and institutions are increasingly acknowledging that the personal cannot be checked at the door of the professional, we must consider integrative ways of owning the celebratory dynamism of the cultures in our midst. Indeed, “the vast majority of Americans (90%) believe in some kind of higher power, with 56% professing faith in God as described in the Bible and another 33% saying they believe in another type of higher power or spiritual force,” writes Dalia Fahmy of the Pew Research Center. "Only one-in-ten Americans say they don’t believe in God or a higher power of any kind.” These numbers suggest that secular organizations are largely, but not exclusively, populated by “believers,” individuals who also want to, as many DEI specialists encourage, be their authentic selves. Seeking cultural and celebratory affinity at work is part of being true to ourselves.
However, “we tend to look at perceptions across what are often underrepresented demographic groups to start so we can understand what’s going on,” argues Lauren Romansky of Gartner. For example, if Christian employees haven’t considered how [others] perceive their workplace experience, let’s start there.” Observing Hanukkah doesn’t mean that Christian employees will have their experiences dismissed. This means that inclusion isn't a zero-sum game. Including one group doesn't require the exclusion of another. This should mitigate angst as organizations "look to appease a variety of internal stakeholders.”
This sounds great in theory, but operationalizing it can be difficult, “with HR and diversity pros feeling like they're weighing the priorities and preferences of some against those of others.” We must, however, “find the right mix” to “address everyone’s needs without much disruption.” We urge individuals and corporate stewards to compose November and December programming melodies (agendas) that are akin to jazz—multiple instruments playing individual tunes, that taken together, create a single and vibrant song. Rather than pretending that the holidays are not happening, why not find ways of learning about, acknowledging, and enjoying aspects of many, if not all of them? I, for example, am a Christian, but I love aspects of Solstice, Diwali, and Hanukkah, and I am always honored when I am asked to join in the celebrations.
We at Diamond Strategies love the holidays. They provide opportunities to learn, laugh, cry, console, uplift, give thanks, sing, dance, eat and otherwise promote new beginnings, re-dedication, hope, heritage, mercy, and love. Let’s round out 2021 not by adopting a cynical and minimalist approach to the holidays. Rather, let us embrace them as an opportunity for edification, reflection, and healing. 2022 is right around the corner and we will need to harness as much light as possible to face old and new challenges in the coming year. We must do it together, however, for as Rev., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, “we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Matthew C. Whitaker, Ph.D. is Cornell University certified Diversity and Inclusion specialist and the Founder and CEO of Diamond Strategies, LLC., a Better Business Bureau A+ rated, NSDMC certified minority business enterprise (MBE), and trend-setting diversity, equity, inclusion, organizational development, and community relations firm. Dr. Whitaker was the winner of the 2014 Arizona Diversity Leadership Alliance (DLA) Inclusive Workplace Award, at Arizona State University, where he was a professor of history for 15 years, and the AGC Collectors of Arizona 2020 Frederick Douglass Equity and Justice Award. He can be followed on Twitter at @Dr_Whitaker and DSC can be followed on Twitter at @dstategiesllc.
Diamond Strategies is an A+ Better Business Bureau rated, premier, NMSDC MBE certified diversity, equity, inclusion, community relations, employee learning and executive leadership training provider to Fortune 500 companies in the United States, Europe, Africa and China. Our specialties include: Facilitation and Training, including industry Training-of-Trainers, (TOT), Interest-Based-Resolution (IBR), Transformative Speaking, Community Relations, and Thought Leadership. Our consultants are distinguished and globally experienced diversity and inclusion experts, offering services to schools, non-profits, corporations, faith-based organizations, municipalities, and community groups. Our mission is to be your partner in a larger effort to maximize our human and institutional potential.
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