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National Diversity Forum
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Mission
| History | Current Initiatives | |
Diversity and Inclusion:
We Still Have Farther To Go
by Craig J. Harris
The invitation for me to
write this opinion piece is rather timely considering what I have been
witnessing within the film community.
With respect to diversity and inclusion, we have traveled far, but still
have farther to go. Before I explain the
specifics of the previous statement, let me correct a misperception that some
people seem to have when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Inclusion is not a one-way street. Diversity doesn't mean entitlement to one
group exclusively. The popular notion
that diversity, or inclusion somehow equates to "charity" for
minority groups misses the mark entirely.
Diversity and inclusion means to give equal access to ALL (including
Caucasians) without regard to race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Since Caucasians are usually the ones in
decision-making roles, the responsibility to encourage inclusion and openness
is usually theirs. With that said, I'll
now qualify my earlier statement regarding diversity and inclusion.
I recently participated in
an event, which was to encourage the participation of minority vendors in the
I was wrong.
What actually happened is
that some took the opportunity to rehash the unfair and unjust practices of the
past and blast the present union and organizational leadership. Some of the attendees even labeled the unions
as racist. Whereas I am in total
agreement that we should hold the union's collective feet to the fire and
continually monitor them to make sure that they keep their word of better
diversity practices, I disagreed with the tone of the overall message. After all, when someone is waving a banner of
truce, the normal response isn't to open fire on him or her. I believe that a people who forget their
history are doomed to repeat it, but a people who live solely in their past
cannot build a future. Rather than
attacking the present union leadership over the actions of their predecessors,
I would have liked to have seen cautionary optimism regarding the conciliatory
message with the acknowledgement that we would all work together toward
assisting the unions in keeping their promise.
Although I felt that the union's opposition took the wrong tone, what
was equally distressing was the position taken by the union's proponents.
The large number of the
union's proponents not only felt that the racially charged statements were
uncalled for, but concluded that race should never be discussed. Some even suggested that the unjust practices
of exclusion were outdated! I agree that
racially charged accusations had no place in this forum, but I disagree
strongly that race should never be discussed in a dialogue pertaining to
diversity and inclusion. Decisions of
the past based on our differences are the very reason we are stressing
diversity and inclusion. The total
absence of race in the diversity dialogue is akin to talking about NASCAR
without mentioning the racecars. It is
often painful and embarrassing for some Caucasians to have to answer for the
actions of their ancestors, but it is also just as painful and embarrassing for
some African-Americans to acknowledge the mistreatment and enslavement of their
ancestors. The practices of exclusion
predicated on cultural prejudice and racial bigotry are part of the fabric of
the American experience. To ignore the
gravity and impact of past practices, or ignoring the existence of such
practices in the present, in an attempt to correct it is as wrong as it is
illogical. Anyone involved in diversity and inclusion efforts has to accept
that we need to move forward from the injustices of the past, but also embrace
the fact that the perception and residue of those past injustices are
interwoven and unavoidable in this dialogue.
Denying the existence of present day exclusionary practices will not
advance the cause of diversity, but neither will intentionally derailing good
faith efforts of individuals working to extinguish those practices.
I started in this industry
as an actor, but the lack of positive and authentic roles available to African
American actors, inspired me to begin writing.
Some of my own scripts reflect my perspective and experiences as they
relate to issues of diversity and inclusion.
One film I wrote entitled, Skin
Complex, examines the subject of some blacks and whites who are not content
with the color of their skin. The film
was a character study, which featured a successful African American professor,
conflicted about his race and heritage.
Central to the plot was the question, "Have all African Americans
wondered what it's like to be white or have all African Americans ever wished
they were white?" In the film, I
reveal to viewers that the African American character, Chris, is considering a
skin change operation to become white, now made possible by technological
advancements. Along his journey, he meets Maurice, who has already had the
procedure. Maurice was a white man who is now black. I felt it important that the film should
examine the issues of race and inclusion from not only an African American
perspective, but also a Caucasian one.
Rick Bird of the Cincinnati Post called it, "...one of the more
provocative and daring ways to deal with race issues... Skin Complex breaks the mold, working on several levels as a bit of
science fiction and a search for self-discovery." A significant aspect of Chris' character
development was for me to take all of my experiences regarding race, diversity,
inclusion, bigotry, prejudice, etc. and pour them into Chris' perspective as
fuel for his internal conflict. One of
the most important messages of Skin
Complex is one that I feel is central to the ongoing dialogue of diversity
and inclusion: We must first examine our
own attitudes and feelings as they pertain to our tolerance and acceptance of
other cultures, races, religions, genders, and sexual orientations.
If we demand inclusion
based on our merits, regardless of who we are, we must
be open and tolerant of others. My
parents instilled this belief in me during my formative years and I have long been
a proponent of diversity and inclusion long before I was aware of the many
organizations seeking to foster change.
The inability for others to conduct a personal and truthful examination
of their own attitudes and feelings as it pertains to diversity and inclusion
is the primary obstacle preventing us from achieving diversity and
inclusion. Until we can have an honest,
unvarnished and candid dialogue regarding the history of race relations and
issues of diversity, we will remain divided.
With education, cultural awareness programming, mentoring and
internships through unions and organizations committed to diversity, we can
begin towards a full and complete diversity dialogue. We should demand commitment from both private
and government entities to accomplish this goal.
So, with respect to
diversity and inclusion, I believe we have traveled far, but given the current
cultural environment, we still have far to go.
I firmly believe that we can accomplish diversity and inclusion if we
are indeed committed to our convictions and vision.
Craig J. Harris is a SAG/AFTRA actor and award
winning screenwriter. Craig is a member
of