by Anthony Corona
It used to be that the golden rule for keeping the peace was simple: Don’t discuss religion or politics. But in recent years, it seems that diversity has been elevated to that same often-loaded category of conversation — something too controversial, too polarizing to discuss openly. From my perspective, though, the truest meaning of diversity is actually incredibly simple: it’s a celebration of humanity.
Diversity Is…
Diversity is the embracing of — drumroll, please — humanity. Diversity is creating representation and spaces for — all humanity. Yet somewhere along the way, diversity has been co-opted. Corporations have turned it into a set of initiatives designed to placate biases in hiring, retention, and promotions. Well-intentioned organizations have adopted it as a mission statement, but in practice, often fail to grasp its deeper meaning. It was never supposed to be about forcing representation. It was never meant to be a marketing tool, a checklist, or a box to tick. And yet, here we are.
How often do we see companies patting themselves on the back because of their “new initiative” that highlights diversity? Or media outlets celebrating the latest token effort? Diversity shouldn’t be about rolling out programs during Black History Month, Pride Month, or Disability Awareness Month. It shouldn’t be about one-off articles in corporate newsletters or the occasional campaign spotlighting marginalized voices. Yes, these efforts are warranted. Yes, they are needed. But they should never be the only efforts. Diversity shouldn’t be an initiative — it should be an expectation.
Leading with Humanity
Every single person is made up of a multitude of experiences — cultural, personal, and professional. When we gather in groups, we naturally develop norms for socializing, advocating, and coexisting. And diversity should be one of those norms, not an afterthought or an add-on. It should be something we strive for simply because we are human. And because we are human, we will fail — over and over again. But in that failure, we can find new direction, new understanding, and do better.
Diversity shouldn’t be something people need to request or demand. It should be baked in from the ground up. Take accessibility as an example. We don’t want to have to go back and fix things retroactively — we want accessibility to be an inherent part of how we design and build our communities. Diversity should be the same.
Back to Basics
So instead of constantly chasing diversity as some lofty ideal, perhaps it’s time to bring it back to its most basic, most human form — acceptance and understanding, one person at a time. Is that really so controversial?