DIVERSITY: THE "TIE DYE" ILLUSTRATION

What I Have Heard

I have heard people mention that they prefer the metaphor of a “tossed salad,” rather than that of a “melting pot” as a way of illustrating a healthy expression of diversity in America. With the “melting pot” metaphor, the complaint is that individuals lose all of their distinctiveness, in order to be part of something completely other than themselves. In contrast, with the “tossed salad” metaphor, the emphasis is placed on individuals retaining—even celebrating--their uniqueness, while interacting with others that may be different from them.

As far as I can tell, the “melting pot” metaphor has been part of the American story since at least the 1700s. The “tossed salad” metaphor is much more recent redaction, and I heard it expounded upon by focus group co-participants at a community partnership meeting for diversity, inclusion, and equity. When I brought up in our group some uncomfortability with the use of the “tossed salad” metaphor, someone in the group graciously suggested that perhaps we rather could use a similar metaphor--that of a “patchwork blanket.” In that metaphor, each individual’s uniqueness—as represented by a patch square—is displayed and enjoyed as it rests side-by-side among the other unique patch squares, contributing to the beauty of the blanket as a whole. Some have referred to the “tossed salad” and “patch square” metaphors as cultural mosaics.

During that focus group meeting, time constraints prohibited us from continuing our discussion further, but I could not help but think that the underlying emphasis that the “tossed salad” and “patchwork blanket” metaphors infer reveals a perspective that might actually deter a group from experiencing some of the best aspects of diversity and inclusion, instead of encouraging and enhancing group efforts along these lines. Allow me to explain.

Self-Focus vs Self-Sacrifice

Both the “tossed salad” and the “patchwork blanket” metaphors reveal an underlying focus on individuals retaining, embracing, and even heralding their unique qualities, while interacting with others that may be different than they are—often in significant ways. However, such an approach is far too self-focused--and even egocentric—in its emphasis on what the individual contributes through retaining his or her uniqueness. In relationships, in businesses, in politics, in education, and in the broader society, self-focus is the antithesis of collaborative involvement, and it functionally deters success in initiatives for inclusion by placing well-meaning participants on adversarial paths from the very onset.

We all realize that in real life, nobody gets everything he or she wants. Accordingly, when we demand that others embrace us just as we are, without any expression of mutual sacrifice, we are modeling the type of egocentrism that drives communities apart, not brings them together. Lasting, deep-rooted progress in the realms of diversity and inclusion comes when individuals, rather, give up something of themselves to obtain as a group something more beautiful than simply the sum of their unique contributions.

Even history reveals that our greatest role models, as well as our greatest generations, were marked by countless, intentional, personal sacrifices that gave birth to the metaphors we embrace. It is no surprise, then, that to this day, our strongest communities are still marked not by a focus on individuality, nor the expectation that we accept and trust each other without premise, but rather on the foundations of thoughtful honesty and intentional altruism—both, decidedly other-centered concepts.

Make no mistake, we are not called to lose all distinctiveness, as the “melting pot” metaphor infers. It behooves us, though, to give up something of ourselves to create something more collaborative with others for a stronger society. In balance, it is the sacrifices that individuals make for the greater good, in concert with our uniqueness, that represent the best tangible expression of the type of good will that builds lasting, diverse, inclusive community.

“Tie Dye” - A Dynamic Metaphor

As an alternative to the metaphors of the “tossed salad,” “patchwork blanket,” and “melting pot,” I suggest that we embrace a metaphor that more graphically expresses the synergism of personal distinctiveness and individual sacrifice that helps us build healthy, diverse communities--the metaphor of a “Tie Dye.”

There are no clear lines of distinction between the colors and expressions of a “Tie Dye.” Blue sacrifices some of its blueness as it interacts with yellow, creating the beauty of green. When the colors are far apart on the garment, their individuality may seem bolder, but as the colors get closer to each other, and interact with each other, each unique color gives up something of itself in order to be part of something more creative, more unique, and more synergistic than that which any single color could obtain alone. A blue garment may be beautiful; a yellow garment may be beautiful; but a “tie dye” is creative and impactful, tangibly illustrating that both distinctiveness and sacrifice for the common good is dynamically beautiful.

From Metaphor to Reality

Honoring diversity is an essential precursor to celebrating unity. It is not that we need to focus on our differences—or even celebrate our differences. It is rather that we need to honor the reality of our differences sincerely and tangibly.

We all realize that in a practical sense focusing on our differences does not cause unity in friendships, marriage, politics, education, sports, or anything else. In fact, it seems that when we make individuality and our differences the primary focuses of our group endeavors and studies, this causes more division than unity.

Rather, when we honor the reality of our differences, and at the same time focus on that which we share in common—those things that make us alike as well as those things that we can accomplish collectively through sacrifice--we have the best foundation for establishing and maintaining meaningfully diverse, inclusive, impactful communities.