Women’s History Month is a time to commemorate the many contributions of women – from bringing social change to creating music and making scientific discoveries. It’s a chance to celebrate pioneers who have made a real and lasting impact on the world. One of the cornerstones for change can be seen through the work of pioneers for diversity who have helped rewrite history and shape the countless conversations on this topic today.
As we page through the annals of history, there are stories of individuals that evoke emotions within us for different reasons. But why? Although often not easily explained, the common thread appears to be “courage.”
Confronting “Isms” in the ’70s
Elsie Cross can indeed be counted among the courageous— a trailblazer traveling a circuitous path toward critical change initiatives in the field of diversity. Cross’s story began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she grew up as the daughter of an undertaker in predominantly white neighborhoods around Philadelphia during the ’30s and ’40s. She was one of only two black women to enroll in business administration at Temple University in 1948. However, without the offer of a corporate position, she worked in various clerical jobs in the ’50s before becoming a teacher at an all-girl school in Philadelphia. In the 1970s she moved into consulting, and her firm worked with a notable list of clients, including Bell Laboratories, American Express and Exxon. In fact, at the pinnacle of her career, companies paid over half a million dollars per year for her D&I program.
At the centerpiece of Cross’s work with corporations was a three-day “intervention” workshop. Through interactive engagement, role-playing, lectures and directed discussions, the workshop provided a safe environment to examine tough subjects like racism and sexism, fear around attitudes, what beliefs support these “isms,” and what tools and next steps can be taken to move forward.
Flash forward four decades and it is seems clear that much work in D&I continues to have a similar focus. For example, Inclusity has a three/four-day workshop designed to prepare individuals and teams who will serve as the guiding coalition for change efforts. Although the parallels between the workshops may only serve to substantiate how slowly the needle is moving, it is my feeling this confirms Cross was a Renaissance woman laying the groundwork for what was and continues to be important work.
The Color of Your Eyes
In April 1968, a third grade teacher from Iowa embarked on an endeavor that would change not only the course of her life, but the lives of countless others. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who she greatly admired, was the turning point for Jane Elliott. His tragic death devastated her, and she was appalled to perceive a lack of understanding for what the black community was experiencing.
Soon after, Elliott decided “this was the time to teach them what the Sioux Indian prayer says: ‘Oh great spirit keep me from every judging a man until I’ve walked a mile in his moccassins.’ ” As Elliott grappled with a method to challenge her students’ racist attitudes in the classroom, she decided to combine the lessons of the Native Americans and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — this came to be known as the “Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes” exercise.
The premise was to treat each group differently based solely on the color of their eyes. Elliott explains in a 2016 interview with Rock Newman that she chose eye color because it was a physical characteristic that could not be changed and over which one has no control. She went on to describe the stage she set for the exercise; she lowered one group’s expectations while building up the other group of children. She did this by first declaring the brown-eyed children as smarter, more civilized, and cleaner; she gave them special privileges. On day two, the blue-eyed children became the “superior” group, while she treated the brown-eyed children lesser than. One of the interesting observations from her exercise was that the blue-eyed children who had been treated as inferiors the first day and were now in the superior group on day two treated the brown-eyed children with more kindness.
Elliott shared that her goal when she designed the exercise was for her students to be less ignorant about race than she was. However, what unfolded on that day in a classroom of third graders forever changed the life of Jane Elliott. She said she discovered what it was like “to be tolerated” and “life will never be the same.”
Elliott’s worldview was forever changed, as was her professional trajectory, becoming a diversity trainer after leaving her teaching career. She estimates she has conducted this activity over 1,000 times since that day – 50 years ago this April. While her “Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes” exercise on racism has been touted, criticized and emulated, its lessons remain timeless and Elliot continues her mission to end racism to this day.
Recognize the Courageous
We have only started down the road to learning about the many luminaries in diversity field. It is important to remember and reflect on the past and recognize those that have had the courage to step forward, teach others and make a difference. As we have come to realize, creating a diverse workspace is a starting point; inclusion is the future of diversity.
Transform Your Culture. Create Inclusion.
