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Voices of Diversity

© 2020 Walden University 1

Voices of Diversity

Program Transcript

RENATA HEDRINGTON: I am an African-American woman with an African-centered approach to practice.

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I am very, very sensitive to culture and maintaining one's culture. I traveled to Africa several times to reconnect with my ancestors, and I encourage everyone to do the same in terms of defining who they are.

ROCIO TERRY: I am Mexican-American. My mom was born in the US, but my grandparents were born in the US. So living in San Diego, I grew up very much crossing borders quite frequently to visit family in Mexicali and Tijuana.

EMMETT ROBERTS: I think that how I identify is as African-American. I am also a voting member of the Chickasaw tribe, although that's not a big part of my identity. I see myself as a seeker, a person who really doesn't-- who is interested in the quest of becoming a better person.

NICOLE CAVANAGH: I see myself as being female. I see myself as a Southerner. Certainly, you can hear that in my voice. And my mother was Japanese, so I'm half Japanese, a quarter Irish, and a quarter Cherokee Indian. And my mother was very proud of her culture, so it was very important to her that her children not only know and embrace, but practice their culture.

ROCIO TERRY: Because I was raised the way that I was, I think it makes me ask more questions. And so instead of just assuming, oh, you're Jewish, oh, you're Catholic, oh, you're Mexican-American, that means you must be this way, instead, I ask. So tell me, how has, and then, again, fill in that blank.

How has that affected you? How is that impacting your thought process through this situation? And really, again, meeting the client where they are and pulling from them what their experience is, what their situation is, and then, how do we navigate that journey to get to the end point that they want to get to?

NICOLE CAVANAGH: We have to consider how our culture and how our behaviors are positively or negatively impacting the client's ability to move forward. So in that sense, I try to remove those aspects of my culture which inhibit client productivity.

EMMETT ROBERTS: I identify as a person who comes from a group who doesn't have lots of power, and so I know what that's like. And so when I interact with clients who are trying to be heard, that's not an experience that I'm unfamiliar with. And so I think that has a big impact in my practice as a social worker.

Voices of Diversity

© 2020 Walden University 2

ROCIO TERRY: I remember there was a specific client that I was working with who mentioned-- who was pregnant, and she had mentioned to me that she was just a few weeks away, maybe about three, four weeks away from her due date, but she didn't have anything yet for the baby, like a crib, and baby clothes, diapers, these kinds of things. And I remember every time that I saw her on a weekly basis, I would ask, do you have anything yet? I can help you.

And I think I asked one too many times, and so she just mentioned to me, she said, you know, I know you have the best intentions, however, in my culture, we don't purchase or receive or bring into the home baby items until God has blessed us with the baby in our arms. And I thought to myself, oh my gosh, Rocio, that was so silly. How did you not pick up on that? I try to take that lesson with me at all times, just so that I can, again, be asking a lot of open-ended questions to figure out the client and not to ever push my beliefs or my agenda, even if inadvertently.

NICOLE CAVANAGH: Be open to new experiences. Be open to different perspectives and practices which may seem incongruent with what you know. But ask yourself, is this relevant to the client's growth and well-being? And always put your client first.

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Voices of Diversity

Content Attribution Newman, K. (n.d.). Two Photos of Karlise Newman [Photograph]. Used with permission of Karlise Newman. Terry, R. (n.d.). Various Photographs [Photograph]. Used with permission of Rocio Terry. Street, K. (n.d.). Photo of Kimberly Street [Photograph]. Used with permission of Kimberly Street. Cavanagh, N. (n.d.). Photo of Nicole Cavanagh [Photograph]. Used with permission of Nicole Cavanagh. Hedrington-Jones, R. (n.d.). Photos by Renata Hedrington-Jones [Photograph].