this season on afrophilia…
Image: Gemma Chua-Tran for Unsplash
diversity as wealth
“In diversity there is beauty, and there is strength” - Maya Angelou
I’d like to add to these sage words by Maya Angelou and assert that, “in diversity there is wealth”.
Just as imperialism is the mindset that informed slavery and the establishments of colonial systems, so the appreciation of diversity is the mindset that will inform the success of an equitable, interconnected world. Much emphasis has been placed on the algorithms, technologies and innovations electrifying our increasingly digitized world. Sadly, very little recognition has been granted to the reality that the willingness and ability to embrace diversity are the cornerstones of being able to traverse this bold new world of sharing economies, boarderless transactions and buzzing cultures of innovation.
Embracing diversity, and not seeing it as a threat is not just a good idea or the right thing to do. It is central to being human, and just so happens to be one of the greatest assets of our changing times. The leaders of tomorrow are those who can immerse themselves in many worlds. The leaders of tomorrow are those for whom managing diversity is elementary because they possess the maturity and emotional intelligence to acknowledge that the suppression of others is not necessary for the “survival” of their identity or personal advantage. Furthermore, the leaders of tomorrow can habitually add value and use their brilliance generate incalculable wealth because they know that “strength lies in difference, not in similarity”, as Stephen R. Covey says.
At a time when there is the inclination to sugar-coat or hyperbolize the remedial, it must be said, that the ability to recognize the humanity in others is, in truth, elementary because “All of our humanity is dependent upon recognizing the humanity in others." - Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Afrophilia is on social media sharing what’s happening around the continent. Be sure to share your experiences of your part of Africa and the diaspora with us. Wishing you the best in this season.
Image: Gemma Chua-Tran for Unsplash