Why Cultural Specificity Creates Universal Connection
Story Time! Buckle Up, Buttercup!
The Setup
Four score and five years ago, I was working as a Lead Talent Acquisition Consultant for a healthcare organization. We would host an annual New Graduate Nurse Event that was on such a large scale that everyone, even if you did not recruit for nurses, had to volunteer and come in on a Saturday. Imagine everyone’s delight.
The Awkward Volunteer
I am a painfully awkward person in large rooms that are full of people. I have no clue what to do with my hands or my feet, for that matter. Anywho. I used to try my best to sign up first so that I could get the most coveted volunteer role: Check-In!
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. You get to sit down, tell people to write their names neatly on their name tags, and point people in the right direction. It. Was. A. Breeze.
The Plot Twist
Well, I guess God wanted to have a laugh because this particular event was anything but. Want to know why? Well, apparently, the BET Hip Hop Awards wanted to have one of their events at the same time and venue as our yearly nursing event.
Don’t worry… we’re going to get to the point soon enough. Just let me ramble for a few more sentences.
The Chaos
It became chaotic but not chaotic enough for me to get up from my coveted seat. Hey! I still had people to check in.
Well, as the chaos ensued, my colleague leaned over and fixed his mouth to ask me a question that almost got me fired. He asked, “Hey, why do we need BET anymore? Everyone likes Black people’s music nowadays.”
The Deep Breath
Let’s all take a moment to breathe. Woo Sah. In and out. Okay, now are you ready for what happened next? And no, I did not end up on the 5 o’clock news as badly as Satan probably wanted me to.
I took a breath or two… or three… and I responded. I told my colleague that BET is still necessary for people within the Black community to have a place to celebrate and enjoy art that is made by us.
If someone else enjoys it, good for them—but allowing us to bask in our culture and appreciate our culture only allows us to be able to appreciate other cultures.
The Example
I gave him the example of Aruba. When my family visits Aruba and we are able to engulf ourselves in the music, the food, the art, and the landscape of the island, we begin to feel connected to our roots and, in turn, ourselves.
So when I see another person of another culture being able to do the same thing, I understand how heavy and joyous that moment can be for her. I realize how much weight can be lifted in that moment and how in touch with themselves they become.
It is not for me to interrupt that moment and make it about myself, but to be grateful that the person I am observing is able to experience that connection.
The Aftermath
I needed a drink of water after my sermon. And I was really disappointed that a collection plate was not being passed around—but he got the message.
Well, maybe he did. He called my response “eloquent.” So take that however you want to take it.
The Lesson
Listen, when you create cultural specificity in your work, it allows for those who are a part of that culture to connect with the work—and for those who are not—to possibly seek out their own cultural connection or empathize with what you have written because they understand the significance.
