“Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light.” – Dan Brown***
Many organizations are recognizing the need to employ sensitivity when creating appearance standards and guidelines that address hairstyles. These particular organizations, which can include educational facilities as well as private businesses, large and small, are rethinking policies and standards that are discriminatory to certain styles typically worn by Africans, African Americans and other people of color with more curly or coily textured hair.
On the other hand some institutions and businesses are digging their heels in even further in the opposite direction and maintaining or creating this requirement. Their position is that they are simply maintaining a higher standard.
Perspective!
I had the challenging opportunity to work with a group of potential diversity facilitators in an in depth training session. One perspective trainer showed a great deal of excitement over the opportunity to function in the role of facilitator. In one discussion she adamantly spoke against the idea that people of color might get pulled over by the police in certain areas more than others do in the same areas. She further indicated she believed that if a person was pulled over by police officers in the first place, they must be doing something wrong otherwise they wouldn’t have been pulled over in the first place.
Others in the room were… well… appalled at this individual’s viewpoint because they stated they were witnesses to and/or had experienced friends, family or themselves being pulled over when no violation had occurred to warrant it, in the areas of discussion.
Perspective!
For each example there are countless news stories, documented testimonies and verified statistics that support the views of the individuals who share frustration, pain and unfair treatment. Though the offenses addressed may target entire groups, the personal pain and anxiety are deeply felt at the individual level.
Perspective Paints Our Picture of Reality
Why we have varying degrees of understanding and varying degrees of belief that people actually suffer at the hands of others and that people are not inherently good is really a matter of perspective. Henry David Thoreau said it best when he said, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
Perspective is the lens through which people see the world and each other. It’s our vantage point. It’s the way we see situations and circumstances through the circumstantial and experiential screening our hearts, minds and spirits process information.
If I see a man running down the street, I may wonder why he’s running if he’s not dressed in running clothes but I will likely assume there’s a reason and will go on with whatever I’m doing and dismiss the whole thing. Carol, who has lived through more than one situation in which she witnessed a man running because he had done something wrong, is more likely to assume that is the reason the man is running. David, seeing a man running down the street may have seen one or more instances where someone is running because they are being chased. That, therefore, becomes the reason David would initially assume this man is running.
So I think the man is just running, Carol thinks the man has done something wrong and David thinks the man is in danger. We each see the situation through the lens of our own histories and experiences. It’s all about perspective. Regardless of our individual perspectives we won’t know for sure why he is running, until we speak to the man and ask him.
What people see by virtue of experience becomes the reality they embrace, even if it is not truth.
Our Vantage Point Affects Our Beliefs
Another term for perspective is vantage point but our vantage point is also the position we are in when we experience or witness a situation. I remember in high school a fight took place between two girls. It happened in a wide stairwell that was normally packed with students during class changes. I was going up the stairwell when I heard a portion of the altercation, which had already ensued. By the time I got closer the two had already been pulled away from each other. A friend of mine was closer to the situation and was also in the stairwell however she was in close proximity to the two individuals when the altercation began. Because of her proximity and the fact that she was at the location of the fight earlier than me, she heard the argument that preceded the physical altercation between the two. She had a better vantage point than I did because she had experienced much more of the occurrence than I did. Her position, which included exposure, experience and background was better!
We didn’t have very many fights occur in our school, so this was a big deal. One might assume these two young ladies were trouble makers, if they didn’t know any facts but in a situation such as this, people in authority would have to get the facts. Eyewitness accounts of what happened, coupled with a statement of account from each of the girls involved would be essential information to gather.
If administrators spoke to me and spoke to my friend about what happened and what we saw, they would get greater detail from my friend because she was right behind them when the trouble arose, making her vantage point more revealing than mine. From her vantage point, she heard one girl say something sarcastic to the other. The second girl responded with a warning for her to leave her alone and the first girl then began to scream at her and pulled out a knife. It was at that point that everyone within close proximity scattered.
The Power of Perspective
Every person and every group has a story. For some reason we forget this. When we deny the struggle and the needs of any group, we are admitting that we have forgotten. Our perspectives have somehow left out some truths of history that reflect the struggles of people other than ourselves. Some of these truths are historic victories and others are painful. Some of these truths remain realities today. Whether we have lived them or not, we should be able to relate to others and offer help and support to change what still needs to be changed. We cannot, however, support change when we deny that something is wrong. These scenarios depict the reality of perspective; how it helps and how it hurts. In situations of denial, perspectives have to change.
Changing Perspective
To change our own perspectives we would be working to change how we view things, so to help others change their perspectives on how other people experience life, we would need to help them see the need to change. Talking to them and arguing with them might not be very helpful but experiencing situations from another vantage point might be effective. Show them the world according to another’s experience. Help them walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Lead them through it instead of to it.
- First they must willing to see things from a different perspective.
- Engage them in conversations about life, family, culture, experiences and even challenges which differ in various ways. This is most effective if you come from differing identity groups (race, ethnicity, age, education, socio-economic levels, gender, state/country of birth etc.)
- Encourage forming relationships with people of different cultures and backgrounds.
- Read books that express different perspectives. When I was younger, I loved reading. Whether the book was fiction or nonfiction, the writers breathed life into the characters, families, cultures and lifestyles represented on each page. Good writers can easily take the reader on new journeys and experiences.
- Encourage them to listen to others who have experienced what they deny as reality. Hearing real people, tell real stories hits closer to home than watching it on television or radio. Interject the importance of them not labeling others as overly sensitive or mistaken. People should be taken seriously, especially when sharing sensitive matters.
Closing Thoughts
Perspective is perception and perception is reality. Helping others to change their reality is not easy but it is possible. It might be less structured to personally help others see different viewpoints as compared to what can happen in a controlled educational group setting but it can be just as powerful. If we practice what we preach, we will remind ourselves that everyone doesn’t see what we’ve seen nor have they experienced what we or others have experienced. Just as we want them to see our perspective, we also have to see theirs.
Believe it or not people who don’t value diversity have a perspective too. Many would be surprised to know that part of that perspective is that they do in fact value diversity. What they fail to realize is that others view them as not valuing diversity because they exhibit insensitivity where sensitivity is needed. They give the perception that some or all isms are exaggerations and overrated. So what do we do? Perspective is perception and perception is reality. We change perspectives.