Lecture Notes: Understanding Diversity and Identity

Introduction

• Engage with audience: Look around, greet others.
• Observations: Audience reactions varied (waves, handshakes, smiles).
• Purpose: To illustrate quick judgments made about others based on first impressions.

First Impressions

• Average time to form impressions: 7 seconds.
• Factors influencing impressions:
  • Appearance (gender, hair color, etc.)
  • Surface-level judgments vs. deeper understanding.

Speaker's Background

• Personal history:
  • Born in Nairobi, Kenya; grew up in Nyeri.
  • Moved to Baltimore at age 10.
  • Privileged to travel and live in multiple countries.
• Importance of diverse friendships and experiences:
  • Shared experiences with friends from varied backgrounds.

Cultural Diversity vs. Racial Diversity

• Focus on broader cultural diversity beyond racial categories.
• Importance of understanding individual backgrounds and experiences.
• Example: Personal experiences (family, faith, heritage, travels) as puzzle pieces of identity.

The Dress Experiment

• Reference to the viral dress debate (black/blue vs. white/gold).
• Points made:
  • Perspectives can differ based on focus and interpretation.
  • Importance of recognizing different viewpoints.

The Concept of Diversity in Society

• Diversity discussed in workplaces and corporate missions.
• Job roles focused on increasing diversity:
  • Diversity champions, officers, etc.
• Call for deeper understanding of diversity:
  • Not just hiring for demographics, but for diverse experiences and perspectives.

Engaging with Others

• Need for deeper conversations in personal and professional settings.
• Critique of superficial interactions (e.g., social media friendships).
• Encourage genuine curiosity about others' lives and experiences.

Policy and Cultural Influence

• Personal experience in health policy and advocacy.
• Importance of understanding cultural contexts in policy-making:
  • Example of work with Hispanic and Latino communities.
• Call for individuals to share their stories and experiences to inform lawmakers.

Conclusion

• Everyone has a unique identity and perspective.
• Call to action:
  • Reflect on personal puzzle pieces that make up one’s identity.
  • Engage with others and share experiences for a richer understanding of diversity.
• Final thought: Identity is a blend of various roles and experiences, and understanding this can enrich interactions and foster connections.

Closing Statement

• "I’m Hilda Mwangi, and I'm the sum of all my parts."
• Gratitude expressed toward the audience.