I have a vocabulary in clothing. It's like a whole language.
Tracee Ellis RossRead
Keep in mind that diversity does not just mean black. It means all of it - age, weight, gender.
Interpretation
Diversity encompasses a broad range of differences beyond just race, including age, body type, and gender.
Tracee Ellis Ross highlights the importance of recognizing and appreciating the full spectrum of diversity within society. She emphasizes that diversity is not limited to race alone but includes various dimensions like age, physical appearance, and gender. This understanding fosters an inclusive environment that values and respects every individual's unique characteristics and contributions.
In practice
In a speech at a corporate diversity training session.
I have a vocabulary in clothing. It's like a whole language.
We as black people are not a monolithic bunch. We are not all the same, and neither are women. Instead, we are all individuals who have these extraordinary stories to tell and share with each other that will enrich all of our lives and help us all become more ourselves and better people.
I used to watch my mom put her makeup on for the stage, and it was one of the most special moments. I would sit quietly on the dressing room floor and watch her put her face on. I think she looks most beautiful in the morning when she wakes up with no makeup on... it's my favorite look on women.
I've never felt like I was in my mother's shadow. If anything, I felt like I was in her embrace.
I grew up on the ragged edge of self-acceptance, where I was holding on to it, but it was easy to fall off. But as I found my way inside myself, I've been able to accept my own hair, my own shape.
I've heard people say, 'Why do you have to do a show that's called 'Black Girls Rock'?' or 'Why is there an expression called 'black girl magic'?' You know, when you say, 'Save the dolphins,' you don't mean, 'I don't like whales.' That's just not the way it works!
The only way we are going to get diversity is if the demographics of the decision-makers change... The odd-token bone thrown is not going to do it. Don't pat yourself on the back because you made that black drama; that's not diversity. It's got to be baked into the foundation of where the ideas flow from.
Our workforce and our entire economy are strongest when we embrace diversity to its fullest, and that means opening doors of opportunity to everyone and recognizing that the American Dream excludes no one.
To get real diversity of thought, you need to find the people who genuinely hold different views and invite them into the conversation.
Diversity is more than just a buzzword to me. It's my life.
We're all complaining about diversity in Hollywood, but we've got to address the colorism within the black community of Hollywood first.
Here's the thing, we talk about diversity in the media as if it's some weird artificial construct that we're putting onto these narratives. But it isn't. Our world is not homogenous. It is not all straight or white or able-bodied, or if it is, maybe you should make some new friends. That is not what our world looks like.
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