Diversity is Valued When It Is Hidden
I once sat in a meeting where the team debated the right amount of “diversity” for a campaign. Yes, you read that right—there was a formula, a perfect balance we were supposed to strike. One voice suggested, “We need to show we’re fair and progressive. But not too much. We don’t want to scare people off.” Heads nodded. The air felt heavy.
“Maybe keep it subtle,” someone added. “Put her in the background. Let her blend in. Just enough to see that she’s there, but not enough to distract.” I remember sitting there, feeling a mix of disbelief and resignation. Because this wasn’t new. It was the same old game, where diversity was invited to the party but told to stick to the corner.
Diversity, it seemed, was only valued when she was masked, marketed, and monitored — when she looked the part, make-up and all.
When the moment came to showcase their “progress,” they put Diversity in the spotlight. Not as herself, though—oh no. She needed to be polished, scripted, and grateful. She had to look like she belonged, that she fit the aesthetic and the brand. Market her and make profit, but surely don’t let her be seen in the Board room. The message was clear: “See? Look how nice she looks. We value diversity!”
But behind the mask, Diversity wasn’t smiling. She was exhausted.
I imagine Diversity forced into a Cinderella gown, squeezing her curves into a tight bodice of stale glitter and flickering shine, while the ashes of her real life are swept under the rug. “Leave the scars and soot at home,” they’d say. “We have a reputation keep – an image to sell.” Her dress would be measured on the backdrop of assimilation with style, her hair sprayed into place and her movements mechanical and rehearsed.
“Wear the dress,” they’d tell her. “But leave yourself at home. Smile. Be grateful. Blend in.”
What they and we fail to realize is that Diversity is more than a dress. She is more than a polished grin. She is more than an accessory for someone else’s reputation. She is wild, untamed, and unapologetic. Diversity is the full pronunciation of her name—no shortcuts, no “just call me something easier.” She doesn’t fit neatly into anyone’s brand or aesthetic because she isn’t here to decorate. She’s here to exist – and her existence is enough.
What if we let diversity step out of the shadows? Not as an ornament, an extension or a sparkly token, but as herself—messy, complicated, honest and real. What if her hem was loose, her sweater an unexpected shade of blue? What if, instead of a forced smile, her anger, her strength—her truth—was on full display?
Could we handle it?
Diversity doesn’t exist to keep us comfortable. She exists to bring us back to life. She is here to make us grow, to keep our eyes open and to remind us of the beauty that is just too good to ignore. She’s the bold stroke of color that refuses to blend, the voice that won’t be silenced, the presence that causes us to stop and stare and take our breath away.
No masks. No makeup. No manipulation. Just her.
The question is, are we ready to look her in the eye? Are we ready to see, really see, the fullness of who she is? Because if we can, we might finally understand that diversity isn’t something to hide. She isn’t the “let’s make us look good” marketing strategy or the empty reputation we want to display. She is the full revelation of us, what we yearn for, what we ache for – to be seen, to be known, to fully be.