Page 40 - FDI Alliance International Magazine. Winter 2020 Digital Interactive Issue.

SO WHY IS THIS CONVERSATION

UNCOMFORTABLE?

Everyone is talking about it. YouTube, LinkedIn, more deeply embedded whether you are a before our very eyes as determined people
cable TV, social media channels are all scholar, entrepreneur, teacher, scientist, plumber, fought for civil rights. This was 100 years after
buzzing about how difficult it is to have that doctor, cab driver, manufacturer or banker. our Civil War. It changed my life and compelled
‘uncomfortable conversation’. You know the Follow the studies, the surveys, the white papers me to act instead of just watch. And if you are
one. The conversation that everyone knows we and we know what we need to know. I must being honest with yourself we are not alone in
need but everyone is afraid of: the conversation leave it to much smarter people to discuss the this type of sad history. Through the centuries,
about prejudices, biases, injustice and inequality. disastrous effects of economic inequity and the countries throughout Europe, Asia and South
The conversation that is intended to help us work grossly negative impacts systemic prejudices in America all displayed their own natural attraction
together to resolve these critical issues. workplace culture. What I want to know is, if we to acting out, abusing indigenous populations
know what we need to know, why don’t we do it? and generally conducting business all too often

If we are being honest, the twin divisions of What if we all stepped back from our current to the detriment of humanity. Collectively, we
racism and economics are playing out center biases, prejudices and predispositions and gave each other permission and consciously or
stage in many countries across the globe during made a conscience decision to recalibrate our unconsciously boxed ourselves into the language
a pandemic including the US. Why? Because perspective on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual of our experiences. Individually, this plays out
the pandemic heightened recognition of orientation, religion? in the form of a most divisive social handicap.
structural and systemic weaknesses and strained We are afraid to hear the stories of people who
resources. Every event, incident and offense is What if each of us decided that multiplicity, have actually endured discrimination for fear that
magnified against a backdrop of inequity and diversity and equity were not just an aspiration it reflects badly on us or that we might bear some
loss. Every injury and death more poignant and but an expectation? blame. We are reluctant to ask about other’s
heartbreaking, more outrageous. What if we had the chance for a ‘do-over’? struggles for fear that those struggles will become
our burden too. We are hesitant to offer advice
Shortly before the novelist and great American Greater minds than mine have been suggesting, or request help with our acknowledged biases
conscience James Baldwin died, he spoke at recommending, begging, demanding, fighting and prejudices for fear that we will say the wrong
the National Press Club in 1986. He shared a and dying for centuries to achieve this re-boot thing, be misunderstood and judged. We are
perspective then that is more prescient today. across the globe. Sadly, history tells us that we so afraid to talk about so many sensitive issues
“We are living in a world in which everybody and human beings are stubbornly unwilling to learn related to race and prejudice that we end up
everything is interdependent. It is not white, this from painful lessons and we too easily move on bumptiously and obviously avoiding it. And then
world. It is not black either. The future of the world and squander opportunities that accompany we find ourselves in a contrived and awkward
depends on everyone in this room. And that pivotal moments in history. workshop intended to force awareness! Or, in
future depends on to what extent and by what the streets demanding to be heard, again.
means we liberate ourselves from a vocabulary, I was twelve years old when I first saw dogs
which now cannot bear the weight of reality.” unleashed and fire hoses used on fellow human The social cost of failing to respect ourselves
A blinding flash of the obvious today. Our beings in the early ‘60s. Followed by years of and others enough to listen and risk this
interdependency has only grown and become small and large acts of courage played out ‘uncomfortable conversation’ has produced a

40. FDI ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL ➡ CEOS KNOW YOUR PURPOSE