Brian Johnson “is tired of talking about diversity and about race.”
With that somewhat surprising statement, Johnson began his leadership workshop for students Jan. 22 on campus with a focus on "diversimilarity."
"Diversity is about difference," he said. "So then how do we get people from different walks of life to come together? How do we get them to agree?"
"It's by recognizing our similarities, not focusing on our differences," he pointed out. "Diversity itself doesn't build community. We must recognize what we have in common in order to work together and we must not refuse to see the world as others see it."
Through a series of exercises, Johnson communicated his factors in reaching diversimilarity. They include:
1) Cultural identity development in which we all must understand ourselves.
2) Find common ground in which we talk to each other. "Diversity by itself divides; friendship and camaraderie are born out of similarity," he added.
3) De-vilifying majorities in which whites and male must be welcomed to the diversity table.
4) Coalition building in which the connections we make between groups of people can make or break the success of our initiatives.
“One of our most compelling challenges is the encouragement of student leadership, on and off campus," Johnson said. "This type of leadership entails building relationships and communication with people who have divergent beliefs and values. Campus conversations about diversity are often messy, sensitive and, for many, downright scary. We must move past diversity and find that common ground for everyone to move forward.
He also added that college is a perfect place for finding diversimilarity. "We are not trained to question our upbringing and belief system — like a record we are gooved," he said. "The value of college is that you can create your own belief system away from the pressures of home."
In his presentation, Johnson framed diversity as a leadership issue, making it an appropriate discussion for students of different backgrounds. He directed students toward a journey of cultural competence — helping them acquire a factual knowledge base about different cultures, and giving them the confidence and comfort to generate communication between cultures.
Johnson’s presentation, entitled "L.E.A.D. – Leadership Excellence Acknowledges Diversimilarity" was made possible by a grant awarded to the athletic department from the NCAA.
From 2001 to 2007, Johnson served as the director of multicultural affairs and special assistant to the president at Susquehanna University. He is founder of the Pennsylvania Association of Liaisons and Officers of Multicultural Affairs, a consortium that promotes best practices in higher education. He is a former trainer with the National Coalition Building Institute and was certified in their prejudice reduction and issues process modules.