Pome Poem

There has been some outrage about the singer/actress chosen to portray Nina Simone in a new film. I have an opinion (surprise, surprise!),but it has no real validity, given that my skin color is pale on a good day and ashen on a bad one. We will talk about pigmentation at another time.

Today, Ms. Simone is little remembered outside the community of color. In her day, she was a voice of haunting heartbreak in the Great Struggle. There is a special place for anyone who can hear her landmark testimony to our descent into rationalized genocide,  Strange Fruit, without a tear, and a shudder of shame.

When the stone-hearted among us shuffle off to eternity, they will not need to bring a sweater; it'll be plenty warm where they are headed. My introduction to Nina Simone and Strange Fruit came in the home of an upper middle class black family, descendants of Haitian aristocracy, who hesitated but decided that I was worth a gamble in the trust department when sensitive information was at issue.

For us, working in diverse job settings, a number of thou shalts and thou shalt nots present themselves. One is that all minorities have greater and lesser sensitivity and anger triggers, and we need to get over telling others to "get over it". Another is that we cannot possibly understand, at visceral levels, their experiences, both past and present.

Pretending that we do is demeaning, diminishing, and insulting. Yet, we need to find ways to work effectively together, to be co-equals on teams, and to demonstrate respect without condescension.

I don't have easy answers or ultimate wisdom in this arena. But, being authentically oneself seems to be a good start - especially if sincere respect is part of the equation. Water cooler recognition of shared interests and life objectives also makes sense. Assumptions about sports interests and musical taste are dangerously easy, as well as frequently dead wrong - and feeders for weak relationships.

Pay attention to this issue. We have more diversity, in numbers and types, than ever before, and we need to get our mutual integration right.

And please note that this isdue is not a one-way street,or even two-way. All of us, of all persuasions, need to learn how to get over, through, or around biases involving all other types, styles, preferences, backgrounds, and orientations.

Note: A pome is a fruit, such as an apple or pear, that grows on trees, but not in the size or attitude - or condition - of Ms. Simone's fruits.