Making the Table of Diversity

Just wanted to send a quick note sharing a little about me! The more you learn about me and my journey, the more the Table of Diversity makes sense.

It started in 1988…just kidding!

I created the Table of Diversity in 2015. At the time, I was in a PhD program studying Industrial and Organizational Psychology with a focus in DEI. I’d go to one class and we would talk about women at work and the various issues women face. I’d go to another class and we’d talk about people of color at work and the issues they face.

The classes were great! But there was one thing I couldn’t figure out. As a Black woman, I wanted to also talk about the issues I faced in the workplace but there was no space to discuss things specific to me. 

I asked my advisor how to cope and that’s when she said something that changed my life! She asked me if I was familiar with intersectionality and sent me on an excursion to learn more.

When I learned about intersectionality, I knew that I needed to spread the word. Intersectionality had not yet made it to the workplace yet and I wanted to tell everyone.

However, I did a horrible job explaining it! I knew I needed a tool to help explain this concept and its impact in the way we developed DEI strategies.

That’s when I remembered my chemistry background. When we first learned about the periodic table of elements, we learned about each element individually, then we learned about groups and compounds.

When I thought back to chemistry and the periodic table of elements, I wondered if something like this existed in the DEI world. It didn’t so I sought out to create it.

In college, I majored in Chemistry for 2.5 years. And, I failed every class. I grew up in a small town where the options for a career were lawyer, doctor, or teacher. I decided to become a doctor. That’s why I majored in chemistry. Why I majored in chemistry for 2.5 years, despite failing every class is a complete mystery!

Using chemistry and the periodic table of elements as inspiration for the Table of Diversity has been a unifying force. Everyone recalls the periodic table of elements from their chemistry class, even if they don’t know much.

It took 2 years from the moment I had the idea to when the Table of Diversity came to life.