Celebrating Our Unique Identities: Go Where You Are Appreciated Not Just Tolerated
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Celebrating Our Unique Identities
Go Where You Are Appreciated Not Just Tolerated
Imagine having breakfast at Society 57 with #female and femme-leaning business professionals on a bright sunny morning in beautiful downtown Aurora. Imagine being inspired by both networking and engaging educational programming. I had just this privilege this past June at the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce LeadHER workshop and breakfast sponsored by the Aurora Women's Empowerment Foundation.
“Go where you are celebrated rather than just tolerated.” These powerful words from the day’s speaker, Charity A Gunn, MSW and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion expert, captivated the entire room - me especially. The sentiment behind the words resonated deeply, stirring emotions related to memories of feeling less than appreciated just for being who we are. No one wants to be reduced to a checkbox. We seek acknowledgment for our identities regardless of our gender, race, or other markers. We all long to exist in a space where we can express ourselves and our truth and thrive.
Charity’s words pushed us to ponder on our own experiences of wanting to be seen, heard, and accepted for the unique individuals we are.
Just Tolerated
Charity explained the difference between being celebrated and being tolerated. She suggested that tolerance generally implies that we have to put up with people we really do not like or we feel we have to like or work with. The Merriam-Webster dictionary even goes beyond “to put up with” by adding "something painful or difficult.” Just imagine going to work and feeling that your mere presence is perceived as “something [that is] painful or difficult.”
This is all too real for many of us.
Let me give you an example. For far too long, people of color have been forced to compromise their natural hair in order to fit into or be accepted in many environments, from the classroom to the corporate office. Despite having personal and cultural pride in our hair, we often felt pressure to change its natural texture or style in order to avoid discrimination, fit in, be accepted, and gain opportunities in corporate America. This has left some of us feeling uncomfortable, self-conscious, and even disempowered. Thankfully, many states have now enacted laws that ban discrimination against hairstyles and textures historically affiliated with race. By doing so, we have an opportunity to reclaim our self-expression and make sure that our true self shines through.
Go Where You Are Celebrated
At the workshop, I raised the question, "When interviewing for employment, how would one be able to tell if diversity is truly valued and embraced within a company? What clues can be found to uncover if the environment is truly inclusive?" The room erupted in laughter when another woman answered with, "If all the names of the people in the top leadership are Bill Smith."
While the response was humorous, it highlighted an inability for companies to acknowledge, much less value and embrace, the importance of a diverse leadership team.
Companies still miss the mark when advancing leaders with different racial, ethnic, gender, or other identities. This can create barriers to career advancement, ultimately contributing to an inequitable work environment. The presence of a homogenous leadership team signifies an unaccepting and exclusive work environment that is often a result of unconscious bias. When we find a leadership team represented by many different backgrounds and identities, we know that the workplace values the conditions essential to having representative diversity and inclusion. This leads to the creation of a truly equitable environment for everyone - and a space that celebrates unique individuals rather than tolerates them.
My Own Experience
From my experience as a business owner and a therapeutic clinician, I know just how valuable it is to work towards creating a truly equitable and inclusive environment. My company’s team policies are grounded in the concept of fostering inclusivity. I prioritize both recognizing and acknowledging each team member’s individual contributions to our collective success. This creates a workplace culture that not only encourages collaboration and productivity but also makes my employees feel seen and appreciated for who they are. It’s my aim for us to have a space where all individuals can be celebrated for their unique identities. This type of environment proves beneficial not only to my employees but also to the clients we serve.
When a team feels warmly welcomed and treated with respect, they in turn warmly welcome and respect those they serve - no matter the field.
The Takeaway
Whether you are an employer or employee, advocating for inclusivity should center your work within the team.
Rather than subscribing to the melting pot ideology that can dull the voices of individuals, we should be striving to create conditions that are reflective more of a salad bowl approach. In a salad, every ingredient is seen, appreciated, and valued for its texture, flavor, color, and fragrance; each ingredient offers an invaluable contribution to the dish. In the same way, we should be aiming to find an environment, both professionally and personally, where every individual can be celebrated for their own unique abilities and contributions.
An approach of appreciation will not only foster collaboration and innovation but also create a truly inclusive, welcoming, and respectful space to honor every individual's unique identity.
About the Author
Regina Rogers, LCPC, NCC, is the Founder & Clinical Director of Compassionate Edge Inc. For more information about their services visit www.compassionateedge.com. 
