Impactful Inclusion Toolkit

ACTIVITY 48Value People Because of Difference—Not in Spite of

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

—Audre Lorde

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Inclusion is everybody's job, and it's a job that anybody can do. Every interaction with our co-workers makes them feel either excluded or included. We have practiced inclusion and exclusion since we were children while learning to play with other kids. Over time, we developed preferences for playmates. Those we liked were usually extensions of ourselves, so we continued to form relationships with them (included); and those we liked less or not all, we avoided, and no relationship was formed (excluded). Back then, we were not consciously including or excluding; it was simply about preference. As we matured and socialized with more groups, we became more intentional about who we established relationships with. Often, included individuals were similar to us and shared common interests—and differences such as race, culture, age, etc., may have been less important unless, of course, you were raised to believe that they were. For the most part, we had a group that we identified with and felt safe to be ourselves around—shutting out all others. When an outsider wants to become a part of the group, they must prove themselves to not be a threat to group norms, learn those norms, and demonstrate that they have a similar mindset to be allowed entry. This dynamic has followed us into the ...