Today’s post is by Lieutenant Babatunde Adelaja, a US Army officer in the Field Artillery branch. He is a member of our first cohort of the eMMissary Program, which you can learn more about here. He reminds us about the importance of diversity AND inclusion, a message especially important not only as we continue to maneuver through this COVID-19 crisis, but as we have a national dialogue about social justice, #BlackLivesMatter, and race.
When the phrase “bridging the gap” is mentioned, most people relate it to a connection between two groups who have little in common with one another. While this is usually the case, I encourage the idea of it being viewed as a learning process. This way, one can attempt to bridge the gap knowing that they are a student and there is something to be acquired from the connection. Just as our nation’s title insinuates, I believe we are meant to be a global ambassador regarding UNITY by being inclusive at every level, both within our own nation and with other peoples. Politically, however, it may seem that we are sometimes more divided than ever, so it is of the utmost importance that we bridge the gap between Americans with inclusive practices daily.
Our nation is most powerful when we are accepting of one another’s diverse cultural perspective. As individuals and communities, we need to acknowledge and embrace our differences. View them not as deficiencies but as what makes our lives wonderful, fun, challenging, and inspiring. The world would be boring if we all had the same ideas, attributes, language, and interests. These differences bring a spark to life. Understanding the core being of others, while also leaning into diversity, is what will make us able to close any perceived wedge between us.
Integration
To bridge our gaps and be more inclusive we should integrate our various backgrounds and perspectives, with an utter respect and appreciation for diversity. We can do so by acknowledging that diversity is needed. Then we should act seek more efforts of integration after we have overcome any impediments of integration in the past.
A quick look at social media behavior reveals a major struggle with effective integration of millennials. Social media is full of images that depict fabulous and expensive lifestyles, nearly perfect physiques, and celebrity outings in hopes of getting likes and attention. Constant views of these aspirational lifestyles has a negative psychological impact, as it engenders a feeling that we need to shed our individuality to fit in with what we see. Millennials have been categorized as the “anxious generation” with reports from the American Psychological Association, indicating that 12% of millennials are living with an anxiety disorder. Fitting in does not mean losing who we are as cultural beings.
We should approach our diversity as strength and not as a weakness. When people come together from different walks of life there is certainly knowledge to be gained. Integration allows for the meshing of ideas and beliefs which makes us more accepting of each other.
Culture
The biggest gap we have today is the failure to fully learn and appreciate cultural variety. No single culture is superior to another as each is unique and incomparable. America, the land of immigrants, was historically built on the layering of cultures. One of the most diverse ethnic groups is the Native American population, also known as American Indians or Indigenous Americans. There are over 500 federally recognized tribes, half of them associated with Indian reservations. But today, most of this Native American culture has been erased or forgotten. This does not bode well for other minorities such as Latinx, Asians, and Africans descendants. Therefore, it is imperative that we always are respectful and tolerant of culture, to include majority cultures, and remember the layers.
Cultural diversity can be seen in our art and historical artifacts, such as the bald eagle, statue of liberty, and the U.S. flag. With this unique blend, what we can do is learn about each other’s specific values, norms, and traditions. Learning, despite the classification, to respect individuality as shaped by our characteristics is a life-long lesson and an important habit. Think about how our flag has 50 stars, a clear representation of our diversity, yet when combining the blue background with our 13 white and red stripes we have one cloth that is the United States of America. We must approach cultural differences in the same way; varied in nature, yet one people, one community, single nation from the north to south and east to west.
Diversity
The cultivation of difference, such as culture, values, art, and perspectives, leverages diversity. A variety of things can be great, just like a big pot of gumbo – different ingredients (i.e., characteristics), but all in one pot. That pot, in this case any branch of the military, and all the ingredients is made up of many people. We should open our minds and hearts to others. We must seek to understand each other’s way of life, accept each other’s differences, and celebrate what we appreciate about our own individual design. It would be remiss to look at diversity as a shortcoming, given that our distinct ways are the spark that makes life interesting and bridges gaps. We should/must harmonize as one. We must demonstrate awareness plus sensitivity and make our ecosystems as diverse as our country.
This is the foundation of the United States and in my opinion the vision of our founding fathers. It is this same spirit of oneness that we must incorporate into our lives and communities, promoting the inclusivity of all people regardless of their race, beliefs, religion, sexuality, gender, or any other factor that we may have weaponized against each other before. This is the beauty of inclusion – together we are stronger and more prosperous.