Diversity Training
Why there is a need for Diversity Training
Some horrific events in the late 1990’s painted a discouraging picture regarding our lack of progress in dealing with the increasing diversity in our nation. The incredibly cruel, dragging death of a black man in Jasper, TX; the mock crucifixion of a gay college student in Laramie, WY; the mass shootings in a Jewish day care facility in Los Angeles, CA; … all pointed out the problems that we face in learning to live with one another at the beginning of a new millennium.
The concept of the “melting pot” (with its concomitant process of assimilation) has been mandated as the model for our nation for many years. The only problem is that it has not worked! As a Latino born in this country to an immigrant parent, Roberto has personally witnessed and experienced discrimination against himself, his family, his friends, and total strangers. When he became an individual with a disability (due to partial blindness in his 30’s), he witnessed a totally different type of discrimination in our society. In order to stop oppression, bigotry, racism, etc. the majority community will have to take a stand and help make it happen. Those who are the target groups cannot go it alone!
A more realistic and healthy approach to our rapidly increasing diversity is to “celebrate” it, as one would appreciate a tossed salad. In enjoying a tasty one, one learns to savor the varied tastes and aromas of all the individual ingredients. No one component should dominate the salad as a proper balance is the epicurean goal. Likewise when it comes to Cultural Diversity, we must learn to appreciate and treasure (not to “tolerate”) the myriad, delightful differences presented by our increasingly diverse society!
In the 1980’s and the 1990’s, mistakes were made by diversity trainers who were trying to assist others in dealing with our changing demographics. Assigning blame, guilt, shame, etc. were some of the common complaints raised by seminar attendees. That type of approach was not appropriate then and is definitely not in order in a new millennium!
Roberto offers workshops on Cultural Diversity (race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.) for organizations across the country. He specializes in presentations on Latino culture and disability due to his personal experience and unique background. He is the prototype of the Diversity Trainer for the year 2000 and beyond. Change in our society will only come when people gain a true understanding and appreciation of others and their differences. Roberto has proven that he can facilitate this type of learning experience and process!
Qualifications & Experience
Roberto Jose Miguel Tostado Samores (aka Bob) is a facilitator, trainer, consultant, and community activist. As a Latino born in the Midwest to an immigrant parent, he overcame many obstacles to build a successful career as a young, fast track, corporate executive. However, partial blindness in his 30’s completely changed his life. Eye problems caused him to drop out of both law school and a PhD program. His vision loss brought his early “American Dream” to a screeching halt. He became keenly aware of the need for the inclusion of everyone in our heterogeneous society. In the ensuing years, he became an effective voice in building bridges between historically segregated segments of our increasingly diverse communities.
He facilitates discussions dealing with Cultural Diversity while focusing on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc. A major goal is to capitalize on the positive impact that such diversity within organizations brings. He shares the skills necessary to be effective in the changing demographics that are quite evident in this new millennium. Some of those crucial skills include diversity awareness, leadership, conflict management, team building, and interpersonal communications.
Roberto’s uniqueness as a facilitator is derived from his constant involvement in the community. He does not merely read or study diversity, he lives it! He lived in the Capitol Hill area of Denver from 1991 to 2003. This is the most diverse neighborhood in the state of Colorado and possibly one of the most diverse in the nation. Capitol Hill is home to rich and poor, old and young, black and white, gay and straight, native born and immigrant, along with everyone in between. During the 1990’s, his business consulting practice focused on assisting individuals with disabilities, who wanted to start their own business via a state agency. His clients cut across all lines – race, gender, sexual orientation, age, type of disability, etc. He learned much about diversity in the thousands of hours that he spent working with such a varied group of people.
Ensuring full participation in our society for individuals of diverse backgrounds was the focus of Roberto’s community activist work. Some examples include the following:
- Denver Mayor – Commission for People with Disabilities
- Denver Mayor – Latino Advisory Council
- Leadership Denver Program – Founded in 1973 to develop future leaders
- Adjunct faculty in a college Hispanic Entrepreneurship Program
- Founder of Minority Issues Coalition, Inc. in Boulder (civil rights)
- Founder of Eugene Lang’s “I Have a Dream” in Boulder (at risk children)
- New Foundations Nonviolence Center – President of the board (conflict resolution)
- Participant in the Regional White House Conference on Aging (US HHS)
- Denver Center for the Performing Arts – Chairman of the Kindred Spirits Council (multicultural inclusion)
- Planner of the 1992 Presidential Campaign GOTV on the Auraria Campus which featured Jesse Jackson, Federico Pena, Russell Means, and Wellington Webb
Roberto is an organizational development consultant, who has experience across all sectors of the economy. He has management and training experience in both the private sector (Fortune 1000 corporations) and the public sector (US GAO). In addition, he has taught business, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship at the college level. During his career, he has lived and worked in Boston, New York, Kansas City, Denver, and San Diego. This diverse background allows him to speak from actual experience and knowledge, rather than from what he may have read or heard!
He has extensive experience as a facilitator in the Cultural Diversity arena.
The list of his client organizations runs the gamut from major corporations to local nonprofit organizations. The participants in his seminars covered the spectrum from factory workers to top level executives.
Alcoa Packaging Machinery; AMOCO EH&S; AT&T GBCS; Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.; Colorado State University; Daniels Fund; Deloitte & Touche LLP; EI DuPont de Nemours, Inc.; Human Services, Inc.; Jefferson Mental Health Center; Lucent Technologies; Mail Well; and UNUM Life Insurance Co.
His seminars were staged across the country. He facilitated workshops in some of the largest metropolitan areas and in small towns as well.
Beaumont, TX; Breckenridge, CO; Chicago, IL; Corpus Christi, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Fort Collins, CO; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; and Washington, DC.
Roberto has a BBA and a MSBA from Wichita State University. He is the founder of Business Solutions (a management consulting firm) which offers assistance in marketing, training, sales, organizational development, business planning, and management. As a believer in the value of life-long learning, he continues his studies at local colleges, institutions, and organizations.
Incredibly in the year 2013, Roberto hears and encounters racism and bigotry on a weekly and (all too frequently) on a daily basis. In his opinion, these racial problems are the worst that he has seen in his lifetime. The election of the first black president in 2008 opened the floodgates for the issues that have challenged this country since its inception. In the 1990’s, Cultural Diversity training was the “politically correct” thing to do. Hopefully in his lifetime, it will become the true learning experience that it should be!