Inclusive Growth in a Diverse Society
Teaching in America in the 1950s versus 2020 looks drastically different. Past classrooms had boys separated from girls; teachers only taught one way, and very rarely did we see inclusivity and diversity in classrooms. Students with special needs and students of color were separated from white, non-disabled students. At the time, we thought this was for the better. Students would be able to get what they need. Instead, we created a substantial educational gap in our kids. We have students in 6th grade who read at a kindergarten level. We have a vast disparity between white students’ achievement and black students’ achievement. We have students whose educational needs are not being met.
Today, students from all backgrounds are found in the same classroom. Depending on your teaching area, you could have a wide range of races in your room. My classroom in South Dallas is 60% Hispanic and 40% black, with 4–5 biracial students. I have students who have accommodations and IEPs (educational plans for students with special needs). Some of my students are hard of hearing; some have autism, some have ADHD. Having students of all backgrounds sounds inclusive, right?
This is a mistake a lot of people make. Just because you have a diverse classroom does not mean you are inclusive. Diversity does not equal inclusion. A misconception of inclusivity is that students are all being taught the same way, in the same classroom. While having a diverse classroom is a good step, our work does not end there. To be fully inclusive, we need to address each student’s individual needs. If Kyle has ADHD, I cannot teach him precisely how I teach Sarah, who is neurotypical (person with typical development). I need to plan to make sure he is included throughout the whole lesson, which could mean giving him breaks to let some energy out or let him refocus. By addressing his individual needs, I create an environment where he feels seen and included, thus creating an inclusive classroom.
This also applies to race. I can’t teach all my lessons from a Eurocentric view of the world. If my classes feature only white men from predominantly white countries, who am I trying to include in my classroom? Only white men. Creating an inclusive environment means having lessons that feature people of color, lessons that talk about Africa and the Caribbean, lessons that center on Mexico or the Middle East. When we see these countries and people talked about, it’s usually done so in a very negative light. When I read stories in my classroom, I like to ask one of the questions, “whose voice was left out?”. People, kids included, are very aware of who gets left out of conversations, and this is where we can begin to be inclusive. They know when they aren’t being treated right when they aren’t being heard. Discussing this and bringing it to light helps to include everyone, but we also need to discuss what we can do next. How do we fix this? How can I make my voice heard? These students will turn into adults who want to make their voices heard, who want to be included.
Now, how does this apply to corporations? Businesses are seeing more diverse groups of people every day. They reach across the globe to run businesses and are always in contact with new and different workers. These employees all start in a classroom, where we push for inclusivity. Millennials and Gen Z are coming into the workforce looking for diversity and inclusivity. Corporations who can’t keep up with that will be left in the dust. Corporations, like schools, need to adapt and transform their training and workspaces to adjust to their employees’ needs. Consumers look for people who treat them with dignity and respect, and businesses can’t do that if they don’t include their voices in the conversation. It isn’t sustainable for companies to not be inclusive because communities will not buy from companies that don’t support them. We saw this in June of 2020 when black people started to turn their money to black-owned stores because they knew they would be kept there.
When corporations don’t listen to their customers, they lose support and money. They will not sustain their business over decades, and they will eventually have to shut down. Inclusivity and diversity need to be the next steps in firms worldwide to meet their communities’ needs.
Rebekah R. Jean
