This opinion piece is a follow-up to my editorial which was published on January 27 about diversity outreach. That piece was entitled, Turkey-Republicans. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.
I hear Conservatives comment, all the time, about the lack of diversity within the movement and the need for doing diversity outreach. I fully agree. However, “OUT-reach” is not the first step in the diversity engagement process but rather “IN-reach.”
Training is Essential for Effective Diversity Outreach:
Jesus spent three years (24-hours a day/7-days a week) teaching His disciples to be “fishers of men.” After the training period, in Acts 1:4, Jesus provided His disciples with final instructions. He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit. The scripture reads:
And when they came together, He gave them this order: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised. – Acts 1:4 (Good News Translation)
After becoming empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the disciples to execute their outreach efforts in a specific order. Notice the process:
But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
– Acts 1:8 (Good News Translation)
First, Jesus told His disciples to be a witness “in Jerusalem.” What does “Jerusalem” mean? Jerusalem is your home, your local community and your precinct. My Jerusalem is where I live. Your Jerusalem is where you live. My Jerusalem is my family, friends and acquaintances and the same pertains to you. It starts where you are. Every person’s Jerusalem is different.
Second, Jesus told His disciples to be a witness “in all Judea.” Where is Judea? Judea represents other communities ─ people living in towns surrounding your hometown or your Jerusalem.
Engaging your family, friends, acquaintances and people living in nearby neighborhoods and precincts, gives you the opportunity to practice the Frederick Douglass Liberty Message with people you will likely come in contact with regularly. This is IN-reach.
And finally, Jesus told His disciples to be a witness in “Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Samaria represents people living in communities or cities surrounding your hometown, who are culturally different or even anti-social and antagonistic towards you. Does this sound familiar?
It should be remembered, the hatred between Jews and Samaritans was intense and long-lasting ─ resembling the seeming racial tension between Blacks and White Conservatives.
Conservatives must understand that the first step in diversity engagement is not OUT-reach. It is IN-reach. That means starting in Jerusalem (your hometown and perhaps your dinner table), then to Judea (neighboring cities), then outward to Samaria (culturally different communities) and then continuing into places far away.
Here is an important takeaway. Training is not just important for successful diversity engagement. It is vital because you must take the time to learn what is needed to engage people of different ethnicities; understanding their deep political perceptions. Walk in their shoes and try to experience life from their viewpoint.
You should not attempt to do diversity outreach until you receive the POWER of training ─ gaining the confidence, knowledge and skills to do the job. With training, you will discover how to establish common ground and learn what to say and how to say it. You will come to know which words are political attack words, causing the listener to shut down mentally and change to attack mode.
The skillful use of the Frederick Douglass Republican Engagement Strategy is the Left’s most horrible nightmare.
I cannot help but think about a quote from Thomas Aquinas, “the great persuader”, who said this on one occasion:
“When you want to convert someone to your view, you go over to where he is standing, take him by the hand (mentally speaking), and guide him. You don’t stand across the room and shout at him; you don’t call him a dummy; you don’t order him to come over to where you are. You start where he is, and work from that position. That’s the only way to get him to budge.”
Click here to sign-up for my free Diversity Engagement Mini Course.
A former member of President Trump’s Coalition Advisory Board, KCarl Smith is the President and CEO of KCarl Consulting Group, empowering freedom advocates with the confidence, knowledge and skills to trump the race card. His column appears every Thursday in 1819 News. To contact KCarl or request him for a speaking engagement go to http://kcarlinc.com/bookingsandfees. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
