My First Censorship & The True Meaning of DEI
I am voice-writing this while walking a baby who is sleeping. This is about freedom of speech.
When I was a little girl in preschool, the teachers played a game. They told us to jump into the center of the circle if we were wearing a certain color. "If you’re wearing red, jump in!” and the kids jumped in. Then they let us call out colors. "Blue, purple, green!" Into the center, children bounced, happy to be seen! This is me! Then, I called, “If you're a nudist, jump in!” I jumped in.
A teacher pulled me out of the circle. She sat me down in a corner. She told me I was in trouble and I had to be put on time-out. I burst into tears. She explained that we don’t use words like that in this classroom. Through the rush of tears, I attempted to tell her that I was a nudist. I ran around the house naked. And so my dad called me a nudist. My dad. How could I be in trouble when I called myself what my dad calls me for being myself? It was my first time-out. And it was my first censorship.
The reaction to "wokism" is a deep primal fear of being taken out of the circle for being who we are. Some consider naming themselves "nudists" a playful embodiment of self-love! Others consider the word unsuitable. Word and thought policing goes against the true intention of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
America is a great experiment in diversity, equity, and inclusion. It's written in the Declaration of Independence that all people have the right to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Our country is diverse. This is a fact. Equity is hardwired into our D.N.A. Chimps have been shown to track fairness in banana allocation. Inclusion is the stuff we learn in preschool—how to see and be seen in community.
Telling people how and what to think is not American and not DEI. I believe in an America where all colors (including those of birthday suits) can jump in. If you too stand for true DEI—beyond virtue signaling, shaming, and silencing—jump in! 🤸
(P.S. It's important to mention that my dad is from Italy. So I was raised first gen., half nudist / half American.)
#dei #connectedleaders #inclusiveleadership #listentolead #censorship #wokism #firstgenerationamerican