Today on a Rotary Facebook page a Rotarian wrote: “Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
Moments later at the LinkedIn site Daniel Juday took exception to the phrase in a serious piece titled “Inclusion isn’t ‘being asked to dance’.”
Juday’s thinking is persuasive. He wants “a better vision for this work is to create a sense where marginalized or underrepresented peoples are no longer dependent on an offer of brief "inclusion," but where they are equally able to be askers.”
He puts it in simple terms with these examples:
“Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion is dancing.
Or, better:
Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion is choosing the music.
Or, maybe at its best:
Diversity is going to a party; Inclusion is being a member of the party-planning committee.”
As a result, I tried to express it with a graphic as it may apply to Rotary. Please let me know what you think.
