Multicultural discussions over lunch

General Article

Diversity Council multicultural learning groups offer staff opportunities for monthly conversations on issues that divide us

Todd Coburn of Facilities Engineering, left, Ken Kwon of the Alliance, and Nerreda Hewitt of Human Resources are among the facilitators for the Diversity Council's monthly multicultural learning groups, which revolve around short readings on subjects related to diversity and inclusion. Photo by Gordon Todd

"Virtually all people proclaim that they favor diversity, but almost nobody has thought critically about it. The concept is as vague as it is in vogue." — from "Yellow: Race In America Beyond Black and White" by Frank Wu

Americans only taste diversity, said author Frank Wu, through festivals that tend towards the superficial while failing to consider what happens when our principles conflict with our practices. Dialogue about the "dilemma of diversity" and the cultures and life experiences that shape us is the heart of multi-cultural-learning group sessions at Fred Hutchinson.

The center's Diversity Council launched the learning groups on campus last fall. Modeled after ongoing multicultural groups at the University of Wisconsin, the nine-month pilot program gave people throughout the center and Alliance opportunities to participate, often over lunch, in critical discussions about issues of diversity, starting at the level of self.

The 90-minute sessions were so successful that many former group members are now facilitators enabling the program to expand as it launches this month into its second year. The monthly learning groups — which are still open to new members — are informally organized around provocative readings from a variety of authors on issues including race, homophobia, ageism and disabilities.

The readings are accompanied by questions to help guide conversations as participants move from merely agreeing or disagreeing to an exploration of what it is they really think.

"I remember being asked 'Can you remember the first time you became aware of your race/ethnicity?' I really had to think about that one for a while," said participant Kathy Briant.

Understanding others

"Racism, many blacks believe, has rendered us invisible. We are a people without a name or a country; as people lacking an identity, other than that given us by whites; faceless entities placed on earth to serve the white man. Most whites, for example, do not understand why blacks become offended when white people say they don't see color." — from "It's The Little Things" by Lena Williams

Kim Wells, Diversity Council chair and learning-group facilitator, said this is not the same diversity training of old, where facilitators provide the answers, sometimes teaching racial stereotypes in the process. Nor are the discussions opportunities for an enlightened choir to listen to itself sing. The idea, Wells said, is to provide a safe, confidential space in which to explore privileges, prejudices and perceptions — to rethink how we are in the world and how we can create a good working environment for all. And in the process, each lesson becomes a journey where participants can travel as deep into self as they want.

"You tend to hide your biases and prejudices as if you are above feeling these things and thinking these things," said participant Nerreda Hewitt. "The sessions provide an outlet to ask the touchy questions, explain perceptions and confront differences within yourself and what you see in the everyday work area. There were times I felt out of my comfort level and times I felt free from my own insecurities."

Battling labels

"I — and most disabled Americans — have been exhorted that if we work hard and 'overcome' our disabilities, we can achieve our dreams. It is a lie. The truth is that the major obstacles we must overcome are pervasive social prejudice, systematic segregation, and institutionalized discrimination. Government social-service policies, in particular, have forced millions of us to the margins of society. Those policies have made the American Dream inaccessible to many disabled citizens." — from "Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability" by Paul K. Longmore

"The not so great part of human nature is that we seem to want to distance — to somehow put other people and places and things into boxes, Wells said. "Everyday, on TV and radio, I probably hear another joke that is somehow about placing a definition on a group. So how do you fight against that so that everyone can realize his or her own best potential?"

The answer, participants found, is to listen-when given the rare opportunity to venture beyond the surface of casual acquaintance — and to learn.

"You're so immersed in the water you're in, unless you get out, you can't see what's outside of your world," Wells said. It's a process that participants said they feel is well worth the time.

"I looked forward to meeting with my group. Since it was at the same time and day each month, I planned ahead to fit it into my schedule," Briant said. "Not only did the group give me an opportunity to meet new people, but our talks were always engaging. I appreciated having an open, yet confidential discussion with other people who also wanted to raise their own awareness and broaden their horizons with regards to multicultural issues."

"I loved the readings and found out there is still much to learn even at my 'advanced' age," said Gill Loring. "A good share of the articles challenged me either by helping me understand something in more depth or seeing something from another person's perspective."

"I think you always have to work on challenging your own perspectives and filters," Wells said. "It's the only way to find out where your pieces of ignorance are."

"By attending these meetings, you explore, analyze and challenge yourself to be true to you, true to your past (good and bad) and challenge yourself to be more receptive and tolerant of differences in the future," said Hewitt, who along with Briant and Loring will help facilitate the next round of learning groups.

In addition to offering more multicultural learning groups this year, the Diversity Council will hold open forums to discuss the role a diverse work force plays in enhancing innovation and creativity, Wells said. The goal: to nurture an environment where employees feel valued for bringing to work the full richness of who they are.

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Sign up for a multicultural learning group

Multicultural learning groups are offered at several different times and meet monthly for nine months. For more information or to sign up for a group, contact Lori Kenyon at (206) 667-3659 or lkenyon@fhcrc.org. Or visit the Diversity Council Web site at www.fhcrc.org/admin/hr/es/diversity_council.

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