By: Kimberly DrynanORGL 506– Leadership & Diversity

May 6, 2008

Important questions to ponder…

? How much time do you spend at work?

? Is work a place of safety and comfort?

? Do you respect those around you at work?

? Do your coworkers respect you?

? Do you understand discrimination?

? Do you have privileges that some do not?

? Do others have privileges you do not?

What is discrimination?►Any behavior or system that is

DisrespectfulDegradingDemeaningDenies opportunity

What is harassment?►Any verbal, visual, physical or other conduct toward a person based on race, gender, religion, or other category protected by law

Types of discrimination and harassment include:-racial-gender-age-national origin-physical appearance or ability-class stratification-religion-sexual orientation

Diversity is the richness of the work community

Respect is the foundation To understand others, begin by understanding

yourself

R e s p e c t is taking into consideration the views and desires of others and incorporating it into your decisions. Being truthful to people. When you respect another, you factor in and weigh others' thoughts and desires into your planning and balance it into your decision making.

How were you raised to view:-people of other race-the opposite sex-your sex-wealth-poverty-elders-people with mental or physical disability

Do others deserve the same opportunities as you?Do they enjoy the same privilege as you?

Our society has upheld laws and practices that have oppressed minority groups until recent history by systematically denying them opportunity.

Consider voting, education, hiring and housing practices over the past 100 years in America.

How have these systems of discrimination isolated knowledge, wealth, and power into the hands of a few?

White males are the isolated group which have enjoyed all privileges of education, voting, law, banking, housing, working, power and wealth in America since it’s governmental foundations.

How has that majority group evolved over time in terms of opportunity?

NOTE: Includes full-time, year-round workers ages 15 and above. “White” and “Black” exclude those who identified as Hispanic and/or reported more than one race category. “Hispanic” includes all those who so identified themselves, regardless of race.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Think in terms of minority groups while looking around your work community and ask yourself who is:

-in positions of power?-doing the cleaning?-doing administrative work?-educated beyond high school?-handling physical labor needs?Do you see equality in these positions?

You can effect change by standing up, speaking out, and talking about inequalities and discrimination. This doesn’t have to be on a grand scale, it can be in your community of influence within your work group or even your own family.

Learn more about your environment, your coworkers and educate yourself on diversity and respect.

The act of silently witnessing or ignoring discriminatory behavior without taking action to stop it or point it out.

In the eyes of the law, one can be held accountable for third party discrimination or harassment and it is considered a form of aiding and abetting.

SILENCE IS YOUR CONSENT

“Servant-Leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”

-Robert Greenleaf

Ten Principals of Servant Leadership

3.Listening4.Empathy5.Healing6.Awareness7.Persuasion8.Conceptualization9.Foresight10.Stewardship11.Commitment to the Growth of People12.Building Community

Federal laws:

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/cor/coord/titlevi.htm

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/vii.html

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

http://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/titleix.htm

Age Discrimination Act of 1975

http://www.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/edlite-34cfr110.html

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/504.html

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/statutes/ofccp/ada.htm

Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/statutes/whd/fmla.htm

Hill-Burton Act (the Community Service provisions)

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hbcsreg.html

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm

*State and local laws also govern issues such

as discrimination regarding marital status,

use of worker’s comp benefits and sexual

orientation

Bordas, J. (2007). Salsa, soul, and spirit: Leadership for a multicultural age. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Cheng, Jean (2003). Race - The power of an illusion. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from PBS Web site: http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm

Greenleaf, R. (1991). Servant-leadership, A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press

Hooks, B. (2000). Where we stand: Class matters. New York, NY: Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group

McIntosh, P. (1990). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack Web site: http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~mcisaac/emc598ge/Unpacking.html

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