Opening: Quilt Con
Last weekend my wife and I were driving home on I-40 when I saw what I thought was a billboard sign that said “Coming Soon COMIC-CON.” True to my inner nerd, I immediately got excited! Trying to contain my enthusiasm I glanced over at my wife who to my surprise looked just as excited as I was… Hold Up! I’ve been with this beautiful woman for nearly 30 years… She has NEVER been excited about nerdy stuff — SOMETHING IS UP!
As we approached the billboard it became clear that it WASN’T Comic-Con that was coming soon, it was QUILT-CON! This explains my wife’s excitement. She’s a Quilter!
Although I was disappointed about Comic-Con, the billboard was just further proof that there’s something for everyone to do in Nashville. Just in case you’re interested Quilt-Con runs from Thursday February 21st — Sunday February 24th at Music City Center.
II. New to Nashville
My family and I are relatively new to Nashville. We moved here in August last year so we’ve been here for about 6 months. We immediately fell in love with this community!
1. Food
2. The art scene is GREAT!
3. The running trails are GREAT! And…
4. My favorite— the cigar bar… is a slice of heaven on Earth.
Nashville reminds me of the place where I spent every summer and most holidays, Louisville, Kentucky. Although I grew up in Indianapolis, most of my family lives in Louisville so Louisville is the place I call home.
My maternal grandparents home on the corner of 12th and Oldham St is where some of my fondest memories were created. The home built from the ground by the hands of my great grandfather. Back then, I used to think that big, white house with its wrap around porch was the most interesting place in the world.
III. Grandma’s House
Let me give you a quick tour of Grandma’s house… Outside here, we have a huge weathered brown shed that I was constantly warned to stay away from… It was paradise for a mischievous little boy always looking for something to get into. The rumor is my grandfather brewed moonshine in the back of the old shed— for medicinal purposes of course.
And over here, was my grandma’s 50ft long vegetable garden. She grew cucumbers, potatoes, carrots… I can still smell those hot peppers she used to string up to the tree so they could dry out.
If you took one step inside Grandma’s home one thing would be immediately obvious — Grandma's house was always immaculate! She vacuumed every day and mopped the floors every evening. As you might imagine, I found myself on the other end of that mop many-a-day.
We were not allowed into the living room unless provided explicit permission. By 9am every bed was made up perfectly; At the foot of every bed, neatly folded was a handmade quilt.
IV. Quilt
While as a young man I never appreciated the complex nature of these pieces of art, these pieces of history.
What I did always appreciate is how grandma's quilts made me feel, the warmth they shared, the scent they seemed to carry, the security they provided, and the comfort they offered.
The quilts were different shapes, sizes, colors, patterns. They were made from patches from infant clothing, wedding dresses, dress suits, work overalls. Anything that was too old, too small or unwearable literally became quilt material. Some of these quilts were over 100 years old.
As a young man I didn’t fully appreciate the significance - the degree of connectedness those quilts had to my life. When I graduated High school I was provided one of these quilts to take to college and I still have it to this day. It is a bit worn, some squares are beginning to come loose, the color is changing, but it still offers Warmth, Security and Comfort.
Not only did these quilts keep us warm, they told the story of our lives— They were ME!
Interestingly, the one thing I did not truly appreciate about those quilts back in the day was their DIVERSITY. I often wonder if it’s more than a coincidence that my life’s work is championing a humanitarian quilt; fighting for diversity, inclusion and equity in our society.
When you think about it, quilting is the epitome of diversity and inclusion. The more diverse your quilt patches. The more interesting your stitching patterns; the more thoughtful your material choices, the more it is appreciated and celebrated by those who know the art of quilting.
If you could imagine the quilt of your life, what would your different patches represent? Who’s faces would loom largest on your quilt. How will those influencers threads be celebrated when the quilt is completed?
I instantly thought of four faces that would be on my quilt as representatives of diversity. In fact, I call these four men, all who were called from life too soon, mentors, friends and patches to my quilt.
V. 20 Years of Diversity Leadership (Pedigree)
Just to set the record straight, the fight for diversity and inclusion didn’t just mobilize out of thin air. Like all movements, it was spearheaded by a rare breed of individuals, ones who were endowed with extraordinary talent, ability, tenacity and above all else courage.
These men who sit atop my Mt. Rushmore of Diversity served as the windshield in our journey. They took on critics and all forms of opposition so that we can all have an expectation of equity and fairness today. Who are these men?
Dr. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. (2013 -- 68) -
The father of modern diversity. In shifting the conversation from being about righting wrong, and white guilt, he was at the forefront of developing and implementing innovative concepts and strategies for maximizing organizational and individual potential through Diversity Management. His definition of diversity as simply similarities and differences, related tensions and complexities beautifully defines the mix.
Mr. Thurmond Woodward (2007 -- 58)-
Thurmond set the bar for excellence in the field of diversity with his tough love, no excuses style excellence. As one of the first Chief Diversity Officers in America, he opened many doors for the current group of diversity leaders using whatever tool was required and most appropriate -- a key, lock pick, or sledge hammer, he got doors opened. He was an enforcer who will forever be remembered for his savviness.
Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. (2015 -- 70) -
My friend and mentor, and my Rosa Parks and a genius medical mind! The first African American medical student at Vanderbilt University. With the support of Vivian Thomas, the first to successfully implant an automatic defibrillator in a human being. The first African American chief resident at Johns Hopkins. Levi was a man who always knew how to get a yes.
Finally, Mr. David Williams, II-
The man who is literally the reason I am standing before you today. Although the circumstances are unbelievable, in light of his unexpected passing, the silver lining is that by the way he lived his life. David left behind the blueprint for what we need to do to protect the real-world gains that have been made in the area of diversity. (2018 -- 71)
VI. Tribute to David’s Philosophy (Center Patch)
I sat down with David just before he passed and was scheduled to meet with him the Tuesday after he passed to get some additional coaching. In an eerie sort of way it now feels like he could have been telling me his final wishes.
David believed that just as important as diversity and inclusion is EQUITY. Of course equity means fairness and impartiality but more importantly equity is the litmus test for diversity. It’s the result that should be evident when diversity is properly woven into every relationship we have; it is the thread that holds together organizations in not only good times but at moments when things seem to be falling apart.
David’s recipe for diversity call for three equal parts:
1 part Diversity (the patch)
1 part Inclusion and (the quilt - do people feel a part of something larger than themselves)
1 part Equity (the feeling you should be there - in that place, in that room, in that moment)
My great-grandpa built that house over on Oldham Street in Louisville from the ground up. And I loved being there because I was always invited. I had my little area that I could decorate anyway I wanted, and I knew that my family owned this place; it was ours.
That is Diversity, inclusion and equity; I want you to think about this.
If you are invited in the house — that’s DIVERSITY.
If you are allowed to participate in decorating the house — that’s INCLUSION.
Ownership; your name is on the deed — that’s EQUITY!
Equality vs. Equity
Historically, many people get equality and equity confused. Let me attempt to clear the fog here with a quote from the book of Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor who said;
“When the anger, the upset and the agitation had passed, a certainty remained: I had no need to apologize that the look-wider, search-more affirmative action that Princeton and Yale practiced had opened doors for me . . .
That was its purpose: to create the conditions whereby students from disadvantaged backgrounds could be brought to the starting line of a race many were unaware was even being run.”
It’s important to remember when we say equality, we are referring to equal sharing and exact division. When we say equity, we are talking about the qualities of justness, fairness and impartiality.
Feminist Movement Example
I was talking to my wife (whose full time job is a school principal) about quilting, because I wanted to better understand a craft she get great joy from. I asked her to tell what everyone should know who is beginning to quilt.
The first thing she told me was something I had realized soon after she begin this hobby; It is an investment - both financially and in time. For organizations to realize true equity, it is not a quick fix; you will not see changes tomorrow, or even next week. It took generations to get to where our country is today, and what we consider normal. And it will take time and investment to truly achieve equity and inclusion.
The second thing she told me was that it is important to have lots of "scrap cloth" around. Sometimes you will need a very unique piece, color or pattern to realize the vision you started with. For me, Dr. Thomas, Mr. Woodard, Dr. Watkins, and Mr. David Williams served that role. When I needed a kick in the ass to motivate me to keep moving forward, they provided it (some too enthusiastically). When I needed to be humbled because I started to believe my own Facebook posts about myself, they took me down a notch or two. And when I needed a quiet mentor to help me realize what I always knew, they sat down and helped me process what was in my head.
The third thing my wife told me was that a quilter works with lots of sharp objects (I hope that this was not a threat) pins, needles, scissors, rotary cutters and razors. And because of the all of this stuff, a quilter will hurt themselves every so often. When this happens, you can't quit. You must:
1. assess the situation, not every cut is the same
2. contain that damage, don't become hysterical and get blood everywhere
3. Patch up the problem. Usually a bandage will work.
Because of this my wife keeps a box of Band-Aids in her quilting area. However this has the potential to become complex.
Introduced in 1920 A proper Band-Aids is absorbent, stick, cover the wound, aid in healing and it is flesh toned . . . as long as your skin was white. While this is equality; it is not equity.
Equality is telling a quilter “that Band-Aid does its job, so the color of the Band-Aid is unimportant”. Equity is realizing that I should have never had to ask for a deep-dark chocolate skin toned Band-Aid to cover my wound.
Equity and inclusion is changing culture.
* It take an investment of time and finances,
* Know who your champions and mentors are,
* Not everyone is going to be excited, and
* This work involves working with sharp tools - personalities that are large, always right and resistant to change
It is important to remain calm even when the world around seems to be falling apart. This is an evolving discipline that will that still requires some trial and error -- I use short term Band-Aid solutions (that are truly flesh colored)
The goal is not sameness! These are concepts we need not only understand, we need to be able to teach, especially in today’s racially tense, hyperactive social media environment. If you’ve felt unusually slighted or disenfranchised over the last few years, it’s no accident. We have to be vigilant at all times.
My mentors would tell us to positively expect equity and fairness in every situation and when we don’t get it we have a responsibility to get the door open with the best tool possible - a key, lock pick or sledge hammer.
And whatever you do… (quote David Williams) don’t fall for the ol’ “I’m colorblind” trick! Colorblind is really code for I never see you and you never see me. We can’t move forward in that way…
Instead we need to appreciate and celebrate the rich, colorful tapestry of our differences like a quilt! Without question, David’s face would appear somewhere on the quilt of the thousands of people he touched during his lifetime.
One thing my wife told me -- the center patch is one of the most important pieces when designing a quilt; it determines how will it pull together our quilt, what tone will it set as we begin to tell a story, how will it be viewed a hundred years from now?
For many of us in this room, David's smiling face would be the center patch of our diversity and inclusion quilt. A patch that forever connects us all!
VII. Sum Of All Parts
Now, it’s our job to seek out and stitch together more diverse pieces to our quilt. Pieces that don’t look like us. Pieces that don’t sound like us. Pieces that don’t even believe in the same God we believe in… This is the secret to permanently achieving equity!
Marie Kon-do, Japanese Organizational Consultant, reminds us to keep adding the pieces that bring us joy, making our quilt more interesting, more complex — more beautiful.
I’m honored to have the privilege of standing in the shoes of my friend David Williams, if only for a moment. If he were still here I know he would say.
It’s beyond comforting to know that while we’re on the front lines of what can often be painstaking work, we are fortunate to have an institution like the Urban League, a pioneer in diversity. An organization that has spent the past 109 years demanding equity in our world and that has help set the proper pattern for stitching the fabric of our lives together.
Happy 51st Equal Opportunity Day Luncheon. And I want to personally thank the Urban League of Middle Tennessee for being our community's quilt. For providing our community with the embrace, The security, The Warmth, from being needed, the nostalgic Aromas, the longevity of purpose, and the generational impact. For always striving for equity.
I wish you and this American cornerstone organization continued success!