When I speak with business leaders about EEO initiatives, I get excited. I wax poetic about how the fabric of our workforce is strengthened by multi-colored threads comprised of various materials. It's one of my favorite soap boxes and I am proudly
outspoken on the subject of diversity and inclusion.
My days are numbered on the subject.
"Minorities, classified as those of any race other than non-Hispanic, single-race whites, currently constitute about a third of the U.S. population, according to Census figures." By 2039, they are projected to become the majority of the working-age population. By 2050, 54 percent of the population will be minorities. Children minorities become the population majority even sooner; by 2023.
When minorities become the majority, then the current majority becomes the minority by default. Do the rules get rewritten or reworded? How will Affirmative Action be impacted? What new gripes will need to be addressed to make people treat each other with respect and fairness? Will the minority definition just be turned upside down and non-Hispanic, single-race white men under the age of 40 will organize and revolt?
These are all welcome questions in my opinion. It is time to look beyond what our eyes can physically see in people and appreciate contributions in meeting rooms over preferences in the bedroom. As Dawn Bennett-Alexander states so eloquently, "It's all about love people. And it impacts the bottom line."
Equality will exist when there is no longer a need to celebrate special events designed to focus on the struggle of under-represented segments of the population.
We're not there yet; but we're coming in hot. As for me, I'm sure there will be a new problem to solve for. After all, we're all human.