posted on July 21, 2020 by Al Bell
Make America Great…moving forward
For some this phrase rings loud with fervor confidence and boldness. To others, it speaks of cruelty injustice and reservation. Much of the divide could depend on what side of the road one happened to grow up on.
If it was on the right side of the street then endless opportunities in education, finance, healthcare, labor and things of value would await. If it was on the left side of the street then very few open doors were expected; much of what would’ve been included in the aforementioned opportunities.
Black Photographer’s 1940s Portraits Capture Bright Side Of Tough Lives
Was it ever Great? Can it be Great? Is America great? Again, depending on what side of the street one lives determines the viewpoint and overall perspective. To the one resident, life has been an uphill battle involving never being able to get the best healthcare or a decent opportunity to education and always feeling the pressure of rejection when applying for either employment, loans, or decent housing.
For the other resident, the view has been promising with no attached stigmas, bar holds, or imaginary ceilings. Life is almost a walk in the park where one can enjoy the endless opportunities of social growth without feeling the pressure of not being accepted.
To answer the first part of the question my first thoughts would’ve been yes, but for a brief moment. Let me explain. In the beginning of the Americas, The New World was ripe with opportunity which meant the chance to start a new life was there if one wanted it. This included a chance to start a business, acquire land and/or develop wealth. As life would have it though there is never a shortage of selfish, dishonest, and conniving mindedness. This combination lead to the formation and founding belief that has shaped the United States. All one has to do is look at who the founding fathers were and the basis of the Constitution. Both absent of anyone of color and to be great Inclusiveness is needed not supremacy.
Can it be great? It sure can! Through an inclusive culture where everyone has value and acceptance. As opposed to segregation where there is devaluation and inherently bad vibes, an inclusive culture encourages creativity of ideas not normally apparent. That which lies dormant due to separation and oppression has a chance to be shared and capitalized on. Business-wise this could lead to a greater scope of products offered to customers and even better a workforce that is open and willing to share those otherwise hidden ideas.
In an analogy, most things in life tend to work better in harmony as opposed to isolation. Take for instance the body that is made of many functioning parts and systems. The lymphatic system for example, works to provide defense for the body. If it is separated, what does it provide defense for? And what protects the bodies systems? Also, the digestive system is designed to receive food, process it, and dispose of it. If some of the parts of that system decided to stop working the digestive system would fail to do its job. This is much like segregation and isolation that cutoff a valuable functioning part from a system.
Similarly, if after food is broken down and there is a malfunction in the small intestines nutrients from ingested food would not be absorbed therefore negating the overall purpose of the digestive system to help transfer nutrients. This is the effects of isolation and segregation.
In upcoming post, I want to share why Diversity and Inclusion should be valued and how America in spite of its past can be Great.
References:
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters#
