Diversity of the Masses, for the Masses

Recently I had the honor of serving on jury duty. A rewarding aspect of the experience is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. It’s that “jury of one’s peers” part of the U.S. Constitution at work. Visit a jury waiting room across the country and it’s a fair bet that those huddled masses yearning for more current editions of National Geographic and tastier vending-machine snacks will be remarkably diverse. 

FedEx Salutes NAACP's 100th Anniversary

As one of several FedEx employees and customers at the recent NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles, I can't say enough about what it felt like to be "in the moment" at an event that kicked off the NAACP's 100th anniversary. As I silently surveyed the star-studded crowd in the historic Shrine Auditorium, I saw silver-haired African-Americans from the civil rights era reaching out to hug teen film star Dakota Fanning. There were Hispanic and Asian people moved to tears as Muhammed Ali received the NAACP's President's Award.

I Saw Dr. King Through His Daughter's Eyes

I was attending a sorority meeting one chilly Saturday morning when my cell phone rang. It was a friend asking if I would assist one of his colleagues with some of her speech presentations. "She's great but she'd like to update her portfolio with some fresh, new material," he explained. "And who is this colleague?" I asked as I tiptoed out of the meeting room. "Yolanda King," he replied. "You mean Yolanda as in Dr. Martin Luther King's daughter?" I asked. "Yes," he said. May I give her your number and have the two of you hook up?"

Lessons Learned About Diversity

One of the best lessons my family taught me as a child was to look for the good in all people. It sounds simplistic but I’ve actually built my life around that basic principle. Looking back on the recent U.S. presidential campaigns, I was reminded of this early childhood lesson that I observed by hanging around my maternal grandparents. You see, my grandmother was a Democrat and my grandfather was a Republican. Both were passionate about their political beliefs but at the end of each kitchen table debate, they would talk about the pride of being an American.