Ted Talk

Mellody Hobson is a prominent businesswoman. She is Chairman of the Board for Dreamworks Animation. She is one of only two black women who is a Chairman of the Board for a publicly traded company.
In her Ted Talk, Mellody Hobson: Color blind or color brave?, Hobson discusses the issue of race. She begins the talk by relating a story of being mistaken for kitchen help when arriving at a reception with the only black senator in the U.S. congress. This story allowed Hobson to transition into the issue of race. She cited several relevant statistics regarding this issue in the U.S. For example, even though white men are only 30% of the population, they hold 70% of corporate board seats. She cited a study by Scott Page of the University of Michigan. Page's study showed that getting together a group of diverse thinkers can be helpful for solving complex problems. For example, a dairy farmer helped to solve the smallpox epidemic. She says that diversity can be good for business.

I agree with this. I actually feel more comfortable in a diverse environment. I think, in a diverse environment, there can be more tolerance for individual differences. There can be fewer expectations that everyone be the same. People have the opportunity to learn from each other.

Being different can sometimes make someone feel invisible. I cannot relate to Hobson's experiences of race. However, I can relate to feeling different. I grew up in a lower-middle class family, but I lived in a very wealthy town. Most of the students I went to school with were very rich. They were generally nice people, but I often did not share issues that I faced at home or in my community because my stories would be too difficult for them to relate to.

Hobson spoke about bringing discussions about race to the forefront even though it might make people uncomfortable. Open discussions can make people feel less invisible. In my case, discussions about economic inequality might have made me feel less invisible. Many other issues are just as important such as gender and disability.

At Youth in Action, youth are encouraged to share their personal stories and to discuss difficult topics. Sharing personal stories in a nonjudgmental and compassionate environment can help people to feel heard and less invisible. Sharing these stories can bring up large topics for discussion such as oppression. It is important for youth to understand these issues so that they can feel empowered to change them.

Hobson said it is especially important to tell young people what her mother told her, "You can be anything." This can encourage people to follow their dreams.