IncogNegro
Poetic Reflections of Race & Diversity in America
Paperback
130 pages • 6 x 9 ISBN 9781681791432 Retail Price $15.95 |
PaperbackBy Hannibal B. Johnson
Valuing diversity—exercising diversity leadership—means treating others with respect and dignity, ferreting out injustice, celebrating differences, and simultaneously seeking common ground. Acknowledge differences—celebrate them—but embrace the fundamental sameness we share as human beings. Differences aside, we share basic values, goals, and aspirations. Most importantly, we share a common humanity. Tapping into that common humanity requires wading out of the shallow waters of difference as division and plunging headfirst into the deep pools of diversity as dynamism. One of the ways that we may come to understand and appreciate diversity is to listen to the narratives others have to tell about their personal journeys, especially those related to differences, be they based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other the other major identity markers. These tales shape our lives. IncogNegro recounts, poetically, stories of race and diversity. Listen. Listening breeds empathy, evokes compassion, and moves us a step closer to walking the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes. Everything begins with that first step. Ultimately, like actors on the world stage, each of us has some role, however small, to play in fostering an inclusive community in which we all have the opportunity to thrive. |
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About the Author
Hannibal B. Johnson, a Harvard Law School graduate, is an author, attorney, and consultant specializing in diversity and inclusion issues, human relations, leadership, and non-profit leadership and management. He has taught at The University of Tulsa College of Law, Oklahoma State University, and The University of Oklahoma. Johnson serves on the federal 400 Years of African-American History Commission, a body charged with planning, developing, and implementing activities appropriate to the 400th anniversary of the arrival, in 1619, of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia. He is the education chair for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Commission. His books, including Black Wall Street, Up from the Ashes, Acres of Aspiration, Apartheid in Indian Country, and The Sawners of Chandler, chronicle the African American experience in Oklahoma and its indelible impact on American history. The 2011 National Black Theatre Festival showcased Johnson's play, Big Mama Speaks-A Tulsa Race Riot Survivor's Story. Big Mama Speaks has also been staged in Caux, Switzerland. Johnson has received numerous awards and honors for his work and community service. |