Guest Column
There’s Power in Numbers - Minority Women of All Races Harness Differences to Affect Change
By Dr. Jane E. Smith
Collective Energy! Although one person is powerful enough to affect change, a united group is a force to be reckoned with. And with minority women working toward common goals uniquely designed for us, “we” can move mountains in all aspects of our lives by merely understanding and embracing our differences.
Who are “we”? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 42.1 million females fall into the “women of color” category. This category is composed of African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander women. Spelman College’s 2004 Women of Color Leadership Conference presented by its Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (LEADS) found that women of color could flourish from their shared experiences while also broadening their worldview by becoming educated on cultural differences. Our LEADS Center will continue to explore exactly how women of all races can embrace their differences in our 2005 conference, taking place May 11-12, 2005.
As an institution dedicated to progression – through education – of all women, Spelman College is committed to identifying and bringing resolution to untapped issues and concerns as they relate to women in the 21st century. And as pioneers in this movement for women of color, we believe that embracing differences is critical to ensuring the economic and social health of the world, no matter the difficulties that such a mission poses. It is this mission that in part inspired the College’s Women of Color Leadership Conference, creating a forum for exploring the similarities and differences that will ultimately unite women of color.
As Executive Director of the LEADS Center at Spelman College, I have the pleasure of interacting with women of color of all races. From the feedback I’ve received from the participants in our 2004 Women of Leadership Conference, we must learn to view differences between ethnic groups as opportunities and not obstacles so that we as a collective force can open a shared-experiences dialogue to bring about changes in the following areas:
· Education: While there are a number of top-notch women’s educational institutions across the United States, there still exists a troubling educational divide that we have yet to cross. Women of color still fall behind due to greater social and economic barriers. By understanding and identifying the specific challenges faced by different women of color and educating institutions on the value of outreach to these groups, we can work toward creating a more effective and knowledgeable educational system.
· Workplace: We have made great strides in career advancement in recent years, but there remains much to be done before the proverbial glass ceiling is broken. Women of color seem to have little difficulty being promoted to middle management, but remain a few solid rungs behind white females on the corporate ladder when it comes to the ascent to the C-suite. Many organizations have yet to experience the rewards of having diverse leadership styles at their boardroom table. With women of color working together to empower each other for success through networks and informing company leaders and executives about the value of embracing their employees’ gender and ethnic differences, more businesses will learn the key to thriving in today’s global economy is having insight into the perceptions and needs of those who make up their customer and client base.
· Social Interaction/Perceptions: Perhaps the most obvious shared experience of women of color is societal perceptions and misunderstandings, yet it is the one that is still spoken of as a differentiating experience. An African American professional and an Asian American professional might feel misunderstood and alienated in different ways in certain social situations or communities, but the experience of being inequitably treated is still the same. We must confront what we perceive to be normal communication styles and work toward understanding those of other ethnic groups, so we can build the bridge to move forward and tackle the shared obstacles faced by women of color.
This is merely the short list when it comes to the shared experiences of women of color in which embracing differences can transform and improve our world. We recognize that we share far more than our “women of color” designation. Whether we feel that our experiences are similarities or differences, we should embrace them all the same.
This awareness was the inspiration for the theme of this year’s Women of Color Leadership Conference: Embracing Our Differences. Giving women of all races and ethnicities the opportunity to celebrate their cultural uniqueness, while understanding the necessity for embracing cultural differences, ultimately will set the stage for a brighter, stronger future for all women of color.
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Dr. Jane E. Smith, executive director of the Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement at Spelman College
To register for our 2005 Women of Color Conference, or for more information, visit
www.spelmanwomenofcolorconf.com