You’re invited to join me at
October 1, 2020 National Diversity Day
8 am to 4 pm in The Empire room
Greensboro, NC
Please click here for details about my presentation or click here for registration.
PRODUCED BY:The HR Group Inc., Greensboro Mayor’s Committee for Persons With Disabilities,Triad Careers — a service of the News & Record, North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation
As we cruised the Nile River, we were delighted by a traditional folk dance of Egypt. It is often performed by Sufi men who make a beautiful image when swirling around.
It is believed this movement helps the individual reach inner purity, in an effort to satisfy God. The diversity of practices people around the world use to reach God is amazing.
Trailblazers of the past and the future
Exploring the antiquities of Egypt is an experience I will long remember. I recommend the experience to anyone interested in archeology, ethnology, religion, or just plain people watching.
Our last excursion was a dinner cruise down the Nile River. What a perfect way to end our week in Cairo. As I viewed the colored lights on the tall hotels, the ferries jetting back and forth, and the old and new structures of all kind at the shore, I appreciated how much there is to learn about humankind and its quest to thrive. Continue reading “Cairo Journal Final Entry” »
Civility, Diversity and Inclusion to Get the Day-to-Day Job Done
In a city of 20+ million people with 8 million vehicles, BMWs, Volvos, and Toyota minibuses zoom down the streets and highways of Cairo right next to working donkeys, scooters carrying as many as six full size tires, 18- wheeler trucks and scooter taxis that can hold up to three people plus the driver.
Amazingly, everyone – well almost everyone- gets where they are going without the use of traffic lights, or other standard traffic signals. During this entire visit, we only sighted two traffic lights, one of which did not work. Yes, the traffic accident rate is high, and the government announced this week it will invest in “smart streets” (cameras for ticketing speeders). Continue reading “Cairo Journal Day 4” »
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Personified
We saw the first stone building ever built on earth. It is located in Memphis – no not Tennessee. The diversity of artifacts and structures was impressive, but the trek to get there was not, and the surrounding grounds were not. On first glance it appeared that Egyptians don’t really value their treasures. As I thought about all the things that “should” be done to make these grounds more attractive for tourists, to preserve these priceless treasures to attract more tourists, thus make more money for Egypt, the “oh, I got it” light bulb lit up in my head. Continue reading “Cairo Journal Day 3” »
The 9/11 tragedy is still having an economic impact internationally
Hearing the international interpretation of current events is always interesting to me. With all the media outlets we have in the USA, we still only receive the US version of news. Here in Egypt, a USA friendly country, the impact of September 11th is still felt deeply in 2010.
A jeweler expressed it this way. ” Before 9/11 I owned a thriving business. For three years after 9/11 I had no business at all. Tourism completely stopped in this area of the world. I lost the business totally.” He explained that although he is back in the industry, he no longer works for himself. He is working for a relative. It was clear in his tone of voice that not having his own business any longer brings him constant shame. He feels his children see him differently now because of his changed status.
The presidential debate here is fascinating. Musings on diversity in Cairo
For the next few days I will share my diversity-related observations as I experience Cairo.
I am visiting Cairo with my honey Charles to celebrate our 36th anniversary and our birthdays. All are in August. Today is our first full day as tourists. Musings in diversity in Cairo
Are you wondering why all the diversity and inclusion work your company is doing is still not changing the culture of the company?
Redia Anderson and I were curious too, so we interviewed twelve TrailBlazers in the field of D&I to learn their successes.
Chief Diversity Officers of such companies as IBM, Sodexo, Merck, American Airlines and others shared their best practices. To learn more…
Welcome to Inclusion Insights and the LenoraSpeaks blog. Here you will find a wide range of diversity and inclusion best practices, strategies, research, resource suggestions, and opinions to help enhance your ability to make diversity an advantage. Posts will address business, community, and not-for-profit D&I issues.
Although we each are a culture of one, I strongly believe in the Zulu proverb, “I am because we are. We are because I am.” I invite you to share your thoughts and suggestions here, and I look forward to your input.
Who am I?
I am the Latino teenager who works
part-time in your mailroom.
You know
The one you think is in a gang
Just because I use street slang.
Who am I?
I’m the Black woman who works
in your group.
You know
The one who wears her hair in braids,
or a natural, or dreadlocks,
the one you call a radical with
an attitude.
Who am I?
I am your blind neighbor
You know
The one you always speak loudly to,
as though I had a hearing disability,
instead of one of sightlessness.
Who am I?
I’m the Korean grocer in your
neighborhood.
You know
The one you call unfriendly, just
because I don’t smile enough for you.
Who am I?
I am a lesbian, or the gay person
who is your associate.
You know . . . oops, maybe you don’t know.
I chose not to share that aspect of
Who I am,
Because you and your friends are
always joking about “Homo’s”, and
“queers”, and “lesbos”.
If you only knew how closely I work with you.
Who am I?
I am the Japanese American who
works in your sales department.
You know
The one whose name you make fun of
and expect me to laugh.
Who am I?
I am the Christian woman who travels
with you to make client calls.
You know
The one you keep apologizing to,
every time you tell an off-color joke,
or use God’s name in vain.
Why do you apologize?
You obviously are not sorry, or you would
change your behavior.
Who am I?
I am the older man.
You know
The one you get impatient with
because I don’t talk, move, or drive
as fast as you do.
One day you will be old, unless
you experience the only other alternative.
Who am I?
I am your administrative assistant.
You know
The one you always call “Hon” or “Sweetie”
whenever you want coffee.
How many years will it take for you
to learn my real name?
Who am I?
I am the new associate who just
relocated to your office.
You know
The one you imitate all the time,
because of my southern accent.
Who am I?
I am the American Indian.
You know
The one you call chief, and ask how’s my squaw.
If you were interested in me as an individual,
you would know
that squaw is a derogatory French Canadian term,
and chief is not a word I joke about.
Who am I?I am the Puerto Rican.
You know
The one who speaks Spanish to my
friends at work.
You think we are talking about you . . .
Don’t flatter yourself.
Who am I?
I’m the African American man who
works down the hall.
You know
the one you and your friends say,
I only got my job because of my color, of course not because I was the
best candidate.
Who am I?
I am the Chinese American human
resource specialist.
You know
The one you keep asking to help you with your computer,
even though I don’t understand that technical stuff either.
Who am I?
I am a White American.
You know
The one you blame for the errors
made over 200 years ago,
the one you think “has it made”,
the one you think “just doesn’t get it”,
even though I am your strongest
advocate among my peers.
Who am I?
I am an American person
I worry about the environment,
education for my children, my next
paycheck, crime, and crabgrass
in my front yard.
I am the person who wants to know
the real you, if only you would act
interested in the real me.
-Lenora Billings-Harris, 1994
