Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Trainers

Chapter 8

Doing Your Own Work

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit. Our home was in a small, safe neighborhood that was mostly White, middle class, and Christian. The ethnic diversity that existed on our block included the Chens, who were Chinese-American, and the Kalias, who had emigrated from India. Beyond that, my family was probably next in line in terms of diversity because my father was foreign-born and spoke with an accent.

My parents were teachers at Finney High, a public high school in Detroit. When I visited their school, it was like I was traveling to a new country. The vast majority of the students were Black and from working class families. They spoke differently. They walked differently. The cadence of their conversations was different. ...