The Diversity Factor © 2008
ISSN 1545-2808
Spring 2008
Diversity Perspectives
Volume 16, Number 2

Editor's Foreword

It is with some sadness, and also enthusiasm, that I pass the editor's torch to our new editor of The Diversity Factor — April Klimley. After eight years at the helm of this journal I feel confident that we have maintained the high quality of content that previous editors, authors and subscribers have come to expect. I'm sure that April, who brings many years of editorial and diversity experience to the journal, will continue this tradition. After this issue, I will join our advisory board and contribute whatever I can as I move on to new career opportunities.

In this issue of The Diversity Factor, we look at diversity from several perspectives. In the first article, our publisher Barry Cross looks back over the past 30 years and offers a "then and now" perspective. He describes the progression of moving from diversity awareness to skill building — or making the invisible visible — in order to be more effective in this ever changing, diverse work environment.

Second, Dr. Tony Byers addresses the significance of senior management support to the success of diversity programs. In his Ph.D. dissertation Tony researched what has been done to identify, in a systematic manner, effective strategies used to build support for diversity programs among senior-level management in organizations. Tony's academic perspective offers readers extensive references of classic diversity literature. He also includes general recommendations for diversity practitioners and provides understanding of effective strategies for building support among senior management.

Our third author — diversity consultant Cooper Thompson — writes often for The Diversity Factor. Through recent experiences of moving to Germany and learning how to speak the language, Cooper has come to realize that there is much he doesn't understand about the life experiences of women and people of color, and many other groups that are the targets of oppression. In this article, he shares his experience as a white, privileged man and what he has learned in recent years.

We were moved by how eloquently Senator Barack Obama captured the complex diversity issues of the day in his April 2008 speech. In his speech, which was a response to criticism about his former pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Senator Obama shares about his life and insights on race relations. On rare occasion we have reprinted speeches in The Diversity Factor. We feel this speech is one of the more remarkable speeches in recent history.

Finally, offering a perspective on religion in American life, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life recently published an extensive new survey based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans. This article summarizes the report and details the shifting religious landscape in the U.S. The survey finds that religious affiliation in the U.S. is both diverse and extremely fluid. A chart shown in the sidebar lists the major religious traditions and corresponding percentage of adults in the U.S. by religious affiliation.

As I depart as editor, I wish you a rich and challenging diversity journey. Steering The Diversity Factor has certainly been an amazing journey for me.

Best Regards,