Anyone who has worked within a diverse group that acknowledges and celebrates the differences of all of its members knows how powerful that paradigm called “strength in diversity” can be. Unfortunately, it is rare to experience that in the real world where ethnocentrism reigns.
In America, ethnocentrism, the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others, has converted our credo “Out of Many, One” into the misguided idea that we should all think and act the same in order to achieve the best result. Since the majority of leaders in public and private institutions are of European heritage, the ideals, experiences and expressions of those individuals tend to serve as the benchmark for what is and is not an appropriate way to speak, dress, style your hair, accessorize, worship, relax, compete, praise, complain… The list is endless.
Those decision-makers will judge your potential to fit in their organizations based on the image you project, and in many cases any expression of your culture that makes them uncomfortable will likely result in you being rejected or repressed. For that reason, how others see you remains an important factor in your education and your career trajectory.
In other words, to succeed you may be expected to assimilate, that is, make your image like theirs.
On the subject of image, former Hidden Beach Records Executive Jerrold Thompson, who now runs Thompson Branding, says, “Image is how you are viewed by others. Identity is who you really are. This disconnect is exposing how fake you are.”
In the music industry, where “keeping it real” has turned artists into icons, calling out an assimilator as “fake” is a fair assessment, but on some campuses and in most corporate settings, “faking” is what many black folks have had to do to get ahead. Many successful black Americans will tell you they practice a kind of pseudo-assimilation in which the image of being “like them” is projected 9 to 5, and true cultural identity is expressed more fully when off the clock.
It is important to note that while many companies look for employees who can “fit in,” according to DineEquity CEO Julia Stewart, who is white, not every leader expects, or even wants you to assimilate. Some want to learn from you.
“I really do not want to surround myself with people who are just like me,” Stewart says. “I’m not sure what the real value would be…you’ll have people play back to you what you already know.”
