This poem was inspired by a training session last fall with the Intertwine Alliance Equity & Inclusion Cohort led by Derron Coles and Cathlene McGraw of DRC Learning Solutions, which I participated in as a representative of the Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network (GPSEN). (Year 2 of this program will kick off soon; please stay tuned for information about how your organization can get involved!)
The author as a child with her dad, mom and uncle. Neeraja has fond memories of being in a lab and fields with her dad and uncle, a farmer, during summer break visits to her native village.
I am a transplant to the U.S. from India. I have traveled a fair bit with family—with my mom, who picked up local languages and cuisines as we moved, and my dad, who worked with farmers and local and international students and the world of microbes.
The seeds of culture and diversity were planted early. This opened my eyes to human cultures and microbial cultures, both necessary for life to thrive, multiply and grow in its diverse and utterly fascinating complexity and humbling beauty.
Lessons in diversity and culture were reinforced as I traveled for studies and work and watched life unfold around me in people, landscapes, forests, rivers, in cultures and traditions that have evolved intricate relationships to land and its resources, and to the waves of sounds from forests, water and birds that shape our poems, songs and thoughts.
Travel has shown me how history impacts us—history of the land we come from, history of the land we arrive into, and histories of families and communities that struggle with us, for us and nurture us. I believe understanding our histories and acknowledging their influence on our current socio-economic and political situations, on policies and decision-making processes, and on our opinions is critical for diversity, equity and inclusion work across the board.
I find empathy to be my ally, helping me to openly connect to the people around me, one human to another. I understand we are wired to do things differently, but we live in times different from our ancestors, in complex, yet comprehensible social constructs that can work for all, if we set the pace with empathy.
I draw my inspiration from the works of Mahatma Gandhi (The Story of My Experiments with Truth), James Baldwin (Remember This House), Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun), Winona LaDuke (Last Standing Woman), and videos such as this one and this, which remind me gently to bring the best of myself to my work, my family and to my community. They inspire my intent to work with people who are reaching out, as mycelia do, to establish nurturing networks in these communities. We do this knowing that "one for all, all for one" is the way the earth system works (if we allow it to), braiding us, our diverse cultures, languages, food, traditions and all things that define us, roping us to the tree of life.
Culturing Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Diversity, equity, inclusion
embraces
in its circle
reminders of
power, structure
distance, absences
many ‘isms’
and some more with no name
no words to describe
feelings that
get carried over,
over and over
lifetimes, over generations.
We are
what we have seen, heard
felt, experienced,
a sum total of,
what we have let go,
held on,
grown out of,
and, what remains.
Each of us
a masterpiece
of timeless
and timed
evolution of moments
of a lifetime.
What defines me?
how I spell color or colour
my skin that doesn’t change either,
the many languages that shape my thought?
my accent, my gender,
my food, clothes, jobs, roles
culture, habits, habitats?
Or my empathy,
that relates to you as another human?
To the table square, rectangle or triangle,
I bring myself,
to the circle of my cohort, colleagues and community,
in different countries, counties,
mapped and unmapped,
to diverse cultures, languages
topographies
and more variations
than I can list,
I bring my ‘self.’
My ‘self,' my collective,
my lifetime
I tell my circle, I am this ‘self,’
an amalgamation
of memories
of countries, counties,
languages, cultures
food, love, laughter,
that have nurtured me in their bosom,
have held me in together in tears and hopes
and remind me
to find meaning
empathy, connections
and purpose in people and the planet,
in this ephemeral life.
I bare this ‘self,'
bring this self to the tables, mats, floors
of different colors, heights and geographies,
with hope,
Hope that my vulnerabilities and strengths
are viewed a such,
that it will open others
to start our journey
on a common ground
of sharing
what makes us, us.
It is from this common ground
we start our conversations
start our culture,
inoculated with moments
in lifetimes of experiences
and empathy,
In these shared lessons
we grow together
being symbionts
creating pathways for
co-operation, networking to thrive
together.
Let’s collect,
Empathize, correct and connect
views of diversity equity inclusion,
and be pleasantly surprised
at the common values we hold dear,
Let's work together
culturing DEI for
our collective future
knowing well,
we are in this together.