rescripted.org: Earlier this year, a group of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color theatremakers drafted a public letter to the White American Theatre establishment about the harm they have suffered working in institutions that have failed to address the racism internal to their practices.
4 comments:
I loved a few things about this article. First, I like how they are defining seemingly simple words. I remember being very conscious of my words when in Anti racist theater class because I wanted to make sure I was using the right words to express my thoughts. I also loved how they defined diversity as not just diversity of origin or race but diversity of thought. I think that is really important. There have been discussions recently about the effectiveness of “culture hire” where managers hire those who fit with the culture of the company. The only problem is that these people think alike and therefore they produce an echo chamber of ideas and that stifles innovation. This is only one reason why diversity of thoughts, perspectives and backgrounds are important in a work environment. I like how they differentiated that is not the fact that a person being gay or black makes them diverse, but it’s the experiences behind that person and where they come from that makes then unique .
The article mentions that "Diversity is simply the “presence of difference within a given setting.“" When I read this definition, I think of the big and obvious differences such as age, race, gender, etc. However, I think true diversity is the experience people carry with them. No matter the race, it is the experience that is associated with that race that is the diversity people talk about. A white-passing black person will have a different experience as someone who is much darker, and an adopted Asian into a white family will have a different experience from an Asian-American or a white child. I think that it is a very proactive and unifying act that this diverse group of people wrote a formal letter to the White American Theater Establishment. Obviously, there will be a lot more action to take going forward, but this initial letter exhibits professionalism, brings up the concerns and main points of this revolution that is starting, and is a key catalyst.
I think this article does a pretty good job breaking down diversity into a simple concept that’s easy to digest and understand. I also like how the article states that diversity isn’t just about race, but it is also about religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, etc.; and everyone’s experience with life is so different across the board. I think it’s also worth noting that because of how everyone experiences the world differently, that no one from a specific demographic of people, whether it be race or something else, can be the spokesperson for the entire group. My opinions and views as an Chinese person adopted into the United States by white parents will be different than a Chinese person who’s lived in China their entire life, or even another Asian student who didn’t get the same opportunities I did. “Diversity acknowledges our differences without denying the uniqueness of each person’s lived experiences.”
I like how this article really breaks down the word “Diversity” and makes it easy enough for idiots to know what diversity is. I love this quote: “Diversity acknowledges our differences without denying the uniqueness of each person’s lived experiences.”
What I struggle so much with, personally, when it comes to diversity in the workplace or school, is the line between tokenism and diversity. The concept of “fulfilling a quota” is so dirty to me. Maybe it’s my own internalized racism, but when I’m in a room of POCs or people who look like me, I can’t help but feel like I’m only there to fulfill a diversity point. But even if there are “diversity quotas,” at least it is some way to get POCs in the room. I just can never decide what is right and wrong to me when it comes to stuff like this. Because representation is what we’re fighting for, but sometimes once we get it, it just feels like a dirty bone is being thrown at us.
Post a Comment