Five high school graduates with highly successful companies attend a business function that’s designed to raise money for student scholarships. The motivational speaker reminisces about her college days and the importance of higher education.
“You just can’t get anywhere without an advanced degree,” the speaker says. She asks guests to introduce themselves and share how college improved their lives.
Oops. There is awkward silence as the five multi-millionaire entrepreneurs scattered about the room find themselves in the minority group - for this particular moment. The majority’s message to them: If you are not like us, there is something wrong with you.
To understand what it is like to be the odd man or woman out, we really have to stop focusing on race and religion and begin to focus on daily life. Today’s minority groups include: left-handed people, people with college degrees; motorists who never go through red lights, rich people who purposely live in poor neighborhoods and natural blondes.
Every single one of us is likely to experience life in a minority group before we die. Every one of us will know what it feels like to belong to the decision-making group.
Here’s the difficult question: Do our behaviors change as we shift back and forth between the minority and the majority?
Life is good when it is our chance to hang with the cool kids or be part of a winning team. Our character and commitment to democracy are defined by the extent we respect the minority viewpoints, beliefs and attitudes on the days we are in the group holding all the cards.
During last week’s quiz, I asked you to think about what you might do if a minister or preacher started talking about Jesus Christ at a non-religious event where many faiths were represented in the room. Here’s my personal game plan:
Stand up for the minority faith, race, or group of the day so they will stand up for me on the days I am the minority. (If I am not willing to stand up for them then I have no right to ask them to stand up for me) Strengthen our community, we need to build allies, find partners, and talk to people with opposing views.
Always conduct a fact-finding mission before you make assumptions or reach final conclusions: Why did this happen? Where did the breakdown occur? Did the minister overstep his bounds? Did the event planner err in not giving clear instructions?
Don’t lump the innocent in with the guilty. We all do it. It is less work to blame "all" of them rather than find out which one is responsible.
Share feelings in a respectful manner. Be a bridge-builder; not a critic. Tell the guilty party you want to help him or her build new relationships in our diverse society. Serve as a lifeline fo a friend or stranger at least once a day.
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