My quest to celebrate diversity in America

I seek to be a tolerant, patient and nonjudgmental person. My heart is usually in the right place, but I sometimes rush to express things before thinking about them through the perspective of others. My wife is encouraging and guiding me to grow in this area. I am grateful for her patience and wisdom.

Last week I stumbled when trying to express my desire to be part of a world in which diversity is celebrated. My intentions were good, but my communication was bad (ironic that I am a communications professional). In the process, I hurt people I love who are kind to me and my family. My heart is heavy with remorse. I have asked forgiveness, but I know scars take time to heal and that trust must be rebuilt.

I must also learn to celebrate diversity in terms of everyone's individual life experience, generation and worldview.

In New York City (where I work and spend much time) I am constantly exposed to diversity. It is part of the landscape everywhere in the city. On the subway, I love to observe diversity in race, culture and language. In a way, the subway represents an equalizer. Rich, poor and middle class people of all ages, races and religions exist together in the same place for a little while. In those moments, all are somehow more equal. 

The mindset I get in New York City does not directly translate to my home state of Texas. People in Texas are beautiful, thoughtful, kind and generous. Texans celebrate independence and self-dependence in a way that is uniquely wonderful. But Texans have a worldview that is quite different than that of New Yorkers. In Texas, I live in Austin. And people in Austin have a much different worldview than people anywhere else in Texas. Austinites embrace diversity to the point of celebration. “Keep Austin Weird” is in fact the theme of the city.

The combination of living in Austin, working in New York City and being raised in Southern California has contributed to my worldview that embraces diversity and is socially progressive. Yet, I often overlook the fact that mine is but one view. To truly celebrate diversity I must not only do so in relation to race, culture, religion, language and sexual orientation – I must also learn to celebrate diversity in terms of everyone’s individual life experience, generation and worldview. This is an important lesson I learned this week.

When I make mistakes interacting with others, I try to focus inward. The last few days, I’ve thought about my life. I’ve thought about times when my son told me that things I said or did were inappropriate or insensitive. I’ve remembered my father telling me about his childhood. He shared some of the phrases people used commonly back in the 1940s that would today be completely inappropriate. I thought about phrases I’ve used in my life that were totally inappropriate, considering when I stopped using them and if I was still in fact using some.

This inward thinking has led me to realize that we are all to some extent racist or at the least insensitive to others. None of us are completely right or wrong on the issue of diversity. We are each progressing through phases of perceptions, understanding and tolerance. In my quest to celebrate diversity in America, I now have a greater desire to personally listen more to people of other races and cultures.

Over the last few days, I took time to sit down with a few people and ask about their unique life experiences. I met a saxophonist from the Bronx who loves jazz so much that he adjusts his entire life to play it as often as possible. His music and stories touched my heart and soul. A cabbie from Brooklyn who happens to be Muslim told me about being born in Macon, Georgia, moving to with his family to New York City and encouraging his children to embrace being different. Their stories have enriched my life and broadened my worldview.

A beautiful thing about this world is that everyone truly has a unique story to tell. Here’s one such story from Milton Creagh about his father: Overcoming Racism and Why It's Pointless to Hate.

To enjoy these stories and celebrate diversity, all we have to do is ask.