What Is Diversity?

“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” — Maya Angelou

Businesses and schools, even private boarding schools, emphasize that diversity is an important part of their every day functions. There is a constant effort given in trying to create gender and racially varied environments. Is the word “diversity” becoming a cliché, as it bounces around school administration and boardrooms? 

Visible Diversity

Visible diversity is what your average person thinks of when using the umbrella term. These are external things we cannot change. This includes diversity in race, age, ethnicity, gender, weight and other physical attributes. While these matter, we cannot be led to believe that this is the only form of distinction in the world.

Invisible Diversity

Invisible diversity is something that has existed since the beginning of time. These features are at the core of who we are. Now organizations and private boarding schools consider things like these when looking at future employees, students, etc. The concealed traits include work experience, religious beliefs, education, marital status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender and identity. 

While these things are seemingly insignificant, the features can be what take a group of white males to a varied body. The traits of invisible diversity are some of the defining values that people hold closest to their hearts. 

 

Why Does Diversity Matter?

Did you know that there are fewer women CEOs than CEOs named David? When a name exceeds the opportunities given to an entire gender, it’s apparent that there’s a problem. What’s even more alarming? You can count openly gay CEOs of Fortune 500 companies on two hands.

Children will grow up looking for role models to aspire to. A huge part of choosing this role model is finding someone who had a life similar to your own — including where they came from, how they identify, the private boarding schools they attended and what they look like. 

Lack of diversity is an issue that should be fought at the roots, when children are in kindergarten, all the way to when they attend private boarding schools before entering the work force. When youth are raised in diverse environments they are exposed to more than cultural differences. Students encounter a wide range of opinions they had never encountered as well as different work ethics, which challenge them to think more critically. The positive effects of diversity can carry on to the future workplace and create a 41 percent increase in revenue. 

As the forthcoming teachers and leaders, students should always be taught the strength and beauty in being different.