No Labels...

Labels, diversity, and racism…? These are seamlessly connected.? Let’s look at how and why.

Encourage Diversity

We all have the responsibility to set an example and to encourage diversity.? Our responsibilities include:

• Be intolerant of racism.? Set an example.
• Know and understand the Social Identity of people around you.? Embrace diversity.

Learn how to motivate others.? Because we are not the same, we cannot be motivated the same way.

The Source of Racism

The source of racism is our ability to generalize based on history, beliefs, or ignorance.? Whenever we talk about “those” people we are generalizing and committing an act of racism.

The Problem with Labels

We need to belong.? We pick an obvious characteristic to define smaller groups – tribes.? This is where racism comes in.? We categorize and label people to generalize a group that we either want to be a part of or want to avoid.? These groupings and labeling are what hurt us.? I’m going to pick apart the labels that I know about.

“In total darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge separates us.? Don’t let your eyes deceive you.” – Janet Jackson, The Rhythm Nation CD.

Gender Labels

Let’s start at the top – gender.? This is the second most accurate label used (the only 99% accurate label is “living” or “dead”).? Male and Female labels aren’t necessarily bad but generalizing people by them is wrong.? Books have been written about generalized differences between men and women.? They are interesting to read if you don’t take them seriously.? In society we place a lot of emphasis on labeling men and women yet get confused when someone has a “sex” change.? So, the “male” and “female” labels are interesting from a gender point of view – although today, even that is suspect.? We should not generalize.

Sub Labels

We are so driven to categorize that we even create groups within groups.? Within “men” and “women” we also must define with whom we partner.? Unfortunately, we only care about a few versions – homosexual, heterosexual, asexual, bi-sexual, tri-sexual, and other variant – LGBTQ+.? Because we secretly don’t understand labels – but use them as often as possible – we try to find politically correct labels.? Saying that a man or woman is “homosexual” doesn’t seem as nice as saying that they are “Gay” or “Lesbian”.? The problem is that “Gay” is really a euphemism for the derogatory “Fairy” and “Lesbian” refers to an island in the Aegean Sea.? Gay means happy – or it used to.? Why can’t we just use “man”, “woman, or “human”?

Government Labels

The government supports the next label – race.? The U.S. Census Bureau defines racial classifications for the census as, “The categories represent a social-political construct designed for collecting data on the race and ethnicity of broad population groups in this country and are not anthropologically or scientifically based.? Furthermore, the race categories include both racial and national-origin groups.”? In other words, these are completely artificial groupings for data collection.? In the 2000 census, an individual was allowed to belong to up to six different races.? These labels encourage racism.? They are also confusing – especially since they change with every census.? The labels create artificial “minorities”.? They create them because of how the census classifies people.? People placed into a “minority” group can be made to feel inferior while people in a “majority” group can be made to feel superior – a subtle way to covertly perpetuate racism.? I could be considered a “minority” if the census wanted to know how many “German-Swedish-Norwegian-Americans born in Indiana” there were.? Why do we classify Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Pakistani, etc., as “Asian Americans” when they are very different in language, culture, traditions, and many other ways?? Why are “Hispanics” separate and not “Germanics”?? The USA and other countries are home to many immigrants.? Take the countries of South America, for example.? Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile have many immigrants from Germany and Italy, yet if their offspring moved to the USA, they would be classified as “Latino”.? My great grandparents emigrated to the USA from Sweden.? My grandfather was born in America.? None of them were classified as “Swedes” or “Scandinavians”.? They were just Americans.? The same is true of many other immigrant groups except for those whose parents spoke Spanish.? Why have those of Spanish speaking ancestry been singled out creating an artificial “minority”?? Why can’t they simply be called “Americans”?? Why do we even define “minorities”? ?A “minority” in one country is a “majority” in another, so “minority” is artificial.

Inaccuracy of Labels

Not only are racial labels offensive, but also, they are highly inaccurate.? The first attempt was color.? “Black” and “White” are two common labels yet I have never met a black or a white person.? Our skin has over 100 different shades of color.? We pick some minuscule color and use that to label an entire group of people.? If you look at the people labeled as “black” or “white” and look within each group, you will find more differences within the group than between the groups.? The world is a melting pot – a mix of people who have spawned children over the generations who are mixed – some to the point where they fit many labels.? Skin color is just one characteristic, and our skin color covers a huge spectrum of color.? It is offensive when people talk about “people of color”.? WE ALL HAVE COLOR!? Many now call “black” people African Americans.? Why?? Am I a European American?? Why separate people for one characteristic?? According to Dr. Leakey, we all originated in Africa.? Our ancestors simply migrated out at different times.? That makes us all African American.

Don’t Label

When we label, we create artificial groups.? “Those” artificial groups come with generalized characteristics.? That is the problem.? Humans like to generalize (like I just did to make a point).? Unfortunately, when we generalize, we lose out on the interesting aspects of people.? When we think that “they” are alike, we lose our humanity.? None of us are alike.?

Consider the whole person.? When we stop labeling, Diversity will come naturally. ?When we stop labeling, nations will come together, embracing our similarities and differences, and we will have no excuse for terrorism, hatred, or divisiveness.? By the way, over the past couple of years, we have seen ‘labels’ become even more confusing and complicated making them even more harmful.? Now is a good time to stop.

?

What labels bother you?

?

About Gary Rush, IAF CPF | Master

We discuss the effect of labels in meetings, as a Facilitator, and as a Servant Leader in my 4-day FoCuSeD? Facilitator Academy.?

• Call – 773-330-2064
• Email – [email protected]
• DM me
• My website – www.mgrconsulting.com

Let’s Do This

?