Embracing diversity

After graduating from Morehouse College, Al Vivian wasn’t interested in joining his father’s diversity consulting company. Instead, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as an officer to pursue a military career.

That all changed in 1989, when the Army captain watched his father, the Rev. C.T. Vivian, on the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” discussing his efforts to improve race relations through Basic Diversity, the company he founded in 1974 to help corporations and organizations develop and implement programs that foster an environment of inclusiveness and respect for a diverse work force.

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Photos by Philip McCollum

Al Vivian, president and CEO of Basic Diversity, says workplace diversity helps businesses thrive in a global market.

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Al Vivian left the Army in 1991, and is now back as a diversity consultant. ‘The Army has been at the forefront of diversity before it was called diversity,’ he said.

ABOUT BASIC DIVERSITY

• Founded in 1974 by the Rev. C.T. Vivian to help corporations develop and implement programs that foster an environment of inclusiveness.
• Clients include Georgia Power Co., Leadership Atlanta and Ford Motor Co. To learn more, go to Basic Diversity.

The elder Vivian had been a member of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s executive staff during the civil rights movement, and his diversity program became the first to be featured during a two-day segment on the show. His presentation not only resonated with Winfrey’s viewers, it struck a chord with his son.

“I knew what he did but didn’t know how he actually did it,” Vivian said of his father’s diversity program. “When I saw him on the Oprah show, I decided that was what I wanted to do, so I left the Army.”

After serving for eight years, Vivian left the Army in 1991 to work at Basic Diversity. Now, he’s president and CEO of the company and travels the country to conduct diversity training at corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. He also provides diversity commentary for various national and local media outlets.

While Basic Diversity customizes its programs to meet each client’s objectives, the company is best known for its race-awareness workshop, an intense two-day, introspective class that challenges people to delve below their surface-level feelings on race and to think about what they do, often subconsciously, and why.

“A lot of times we do stuff and we know it’s wrong but we rationalize why we did it. We don’t want to look at ourselves as being controlled by race. We want to think we are better than that,” Vivian said.

Overcoming fears

One of the main challenges his company faces is helping companies get over the fears and misconceptions about diversity and inclusion. One of those fears is that diversity is anti-white male.

“White males are also a very vital part of diversity,” Vivian said. “Diversity and inclusion are about ensuring that all voices are heard. It also deals with gender, religion, educational background, socioeconomic status, age, cultural issues, disabilities and sexual orientation — all the things that make us diverse.”

Basic Diversity has adapted its programs to keep pace with the changing times. Workplace diversity is now a global concern, which makes cultural, religious, ethnic and language awareness essential for companies and organizations doing business in today’s marketplace.

The U.S. population is becoming more diverse. Hispanics now outnumber African-Americans as the nation’s largest ethnic minority.

Vivian shows clients how diversity efforts can help companies boost the bottom line and how government agencies and nonprofits can better accomplish their missions.

“We measure success by showing clients how they can make more money or how they can increase productivity and reduce turnover among nontraditional workers,” Vivian said.

Vivian said he often cautions employers not to always promote people who look and act like themselves.

“A diverse work force may be there in numbers, but the workers still may not feel a part of the team, so they leave. If you don’t have a work environment that promotes inclusiveness, you’re just creating a revolving door.”

Return to the Army

More than 15 years after leaving the Army, Vivian is back as a diversity consultant. His company has a contract to help the U.S. Army develop an overall strategic plan for diversity.

“The Army has been at the forefront of diversity before it was called diversity,” he said. “The Army opened up its ranks to people of all races before corporate America did. It’s been in the forefront from an assimilation model but not from a diversity and inclusion model. We are helping them maximize their effectiveness by fully utilizing diversity and inclusion in a manner that is most beneficial for the U.S. Army.”

With a childhood shaped by civil rights activism, Vivian believes embracing diversity is not just another step in helping to make the dreams of his father’s generation a reality. He thinks that providing better educational and job opportunities for all citizens also helps strengthen and secure the nation.

“America needs to open its eyes and understand that the issues of diversity are national security issues. The percentage of whites is decreasing and the percentage of people of color is increasing. And people of color make less [money] than whites,” Vivian said. “If the number of people growing at the most rapid pace makes the least, that decreases the tax base.

“Until we ensure that all citizens, regardless of race, gender, age and sexual orientation, are developed to contribute, we won’t be able to compete globally. Democracy is about everyone having an equal and fair opportunity in this nation. If anybody believes in democracy, you’ve got to believe in diversity. If you believe in diversity, you’ve got to believe in democracy.”