Thoughts on Diversity – Remembering MLK

Thoughts on Diversity – Remembering MLK

Although Dr Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a lot of significant issues with deep thought and impact, his remarks on diversity are particularly interesting today, both in our communities and in our workplaces. Diversity is more than just a catchphrase; it’s a crucial objective that we must accomplish to both move forward as a society and to realize our collective full potential. Only by overcoming our differences and working together to create something better for all, can we learn from the past – a sentiment all too important as we remember Dr. King, his words and actions among us, and his impact on us all.

Martin Luther King Jr. famously wrote in his 1963 collection of sermons titled Strength to Love: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”

This quote points to the symbiotic connections between people that help make us whole. It is about how we are all a part of a greater system and that to bring about positive change in our society, every individual must work together with other individuals.

There are no “islands” among us, and your well-being, your work, your life, you are connected to those around you. When we think we can go it alone and try, we fall short of what we could have done with the collective experiences, strengths, motivations, and resources of those around us. That collective is naturally made stronger through diverse cultural backgrounds, diverse motivators such as religion or creed, and diverse tools brought together to accomplish focused goals.

Our true tests come not as we stand when things are easy and convenient, but rather as we stand when things are difficult and contentious. Connection with a team gives us the tools to push through the hard times, leveraging the multitude of tools made available through diversity.

As we advance in addressing inclusion and diversity, it is crucial to concentrate on empathy and community. Community is a collection of individuals who share similar values and ideas, whereas empathy is the capacity to understand things from another person’s point of view. To comprehend and accept one another, which is what enables us to all work together harmoniously, requires both of these abilities.

Because they are unable to comprehend how their actions affect others, those who lack empathy are more likely to engage in destructive or harmful behavior. This type of behavior frequently has a negative impact on society as a whole (consider how many wars have been started as a result of such behavior). On the other side, if everyone in your group always agrees, there is little room for development or change—plus, it’s dull!

Dr. King taught us all an important lesson about the value of community and empathy. We must recognize that individuals are inherently good, and we must put aside our differences in order to discover points of agreement. If we follow through with this, we can reduce hurtful and destructive tensions in our society today and build a brighter future for all.

At Morgan 6, we put people first and promote the whole of the team in support of each team member. As a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and Historically Underutilized Business Zone team, we come from a collective background of “taking care of the team so the team can take care of the mission.” That includes a proactive Inclusion Policy and a sense of knowing where each of us came from.

Morgan 6 encourages everyone to spend time this Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Day to consider the many impactful words and deeds he gave us and how they can be applied today to deliver us all into a better tomorrow.