Introduction
Diversity education is becoming a solution for many businesses. In the European Union, it is offered to small and medium-sized businesses to develop their capacity to include people of across states in the union and cultures. Australia's government utilizes diversity education to end a history of discrimination against Aboriginal and Islander people. Asia finds it useful for increasing productivity in multinational companies, and for addressing the historical challenges of achieving harmony between Muslim and Hindu citizens. South Africa has implemented diversity education to adjust to the removal of the Apartheid system. The United States has offered diversity education for decades, although the rationale for its use has changed over time.
This article is limited to characterizing the history of diversity education in the United States. A history of diversity education in other countries and continents will follow in future issues.
Diversity Training and education in the United States
Many organizations, communities, military sectors, and higher education institutions have been conducting some form of diversity education since the 1960s in the United States. Businesses used diversity training in the late 1980s and throughout the 90s to protect against and settle civil rights suits. Many organizations now assume that diversity education can boost productivity and innovation in an increasingly diverse work environment. The assumptions about the value of diversity training, as a result of its changing functions and uses, have evolved over the decades.
Diversity education basically started as a reaction to the civil rights movement and violent demonstrations by activists determined to send a clear message to Americans of European descent that black people would no longer remain voiceless regarding their treatment as citizens. Social change in order to achieve a more stable society prevailed was the rationale for the education, which primarily focused on training to increase sensitivity towards and awareness of racial differences.
Encounter groups became a popular training method for bringing white and black Americans together for honest and emotional discussions about race relations. The military employed encounter groups in what is perhaps the largest scale diversity education experiment ever conducted. Many of the facilitators viewed the "encounter" among racial group participating in diversity training as successful when at least one white American admitted that he or she was racist and tearful about racial discrimination and white supremacy.
Employing a black-white pair of facilitators was considered essential for exposing participants to the two race relations perspective and to model cross-racial collaboration. The facilitators were typically men, and the white facilitator was most valued if he could openly show emotions about his own journey in discovering his deep-seated racism.
Facilitators saw their work as a way to achieve equality in a world that had historically oppressed those with less social, political, and economic power. Confronting white Americans who made excuses for, or denied their racism, was common in this diversity training approach. The goal was to increase white American sensitivity to the effects of racial inequity.
White American participants tended to respond to confrontation in sensitivity training in three important ways. One group of whites became more insightful about the barriers to race relations as a result of being put on the hot seat during the encounters. Another group became more resistant to racial harmony as they fought against accepting the facilitators' label of them as racists. A third group became what the military referred to as "fanatics." These individuals began advocating against any forms of racial injustice after the training.
H. R. Day's research on diversity training in the military indicates that the Defense Department Race Relations Institute reduced the amount of training hours and curtailed the use of the "hot seat" techniques in response to negative evaluations by many participants who completed the training. Diversity training in corporations also began to change as Affirmative Action laws were being curtailed by the federal government.
While gender diversity education began to emerge during the 1970s and 1980s, diversity education in the United States expanded in the 1990s to focus on barriers to inclusion for other identity groups. Ability difference, ethnic, religious, gay, lesbian, and other worldviews began to appear in education and training.
Some diversity pioneers argue that the broader view of diversity has "watered down" the focus on race to the extent that it is no longer seriously dealt with in training. Their assumption is that focusing on prejudice towards other groups does not activate the visceral reaction needed for individuals, organizations, and the society as whole to deal with core discrimination issues.
Recent research shows that people in the United States have more negative reactions towards people who are gay or lesbian. It seems that many Americans share an anti-gay and lesbian attitude, primarily based on religious beliefs. However, even the attitude towards gays and lesbians is becoming more positive way, as indicated by the success of the movie Brokeback Mountain about two cowboy lovers, and the introduction of legislation that protects their rights.
Multiculturalism refers to the inclusion of the full range of identity groups in education. The goal is to take into consideration each of the diverse ways people identify as cultural beings. This perspective has become the most widely used approach today in diversity education. The inclusion of other identity groups poses the challenges of maintaining focus on unresolved racial discrimination and effectively covering the many different identity groups.
The current focus on white privilege training in one sector of diversity work maintains a place for racism in diversity education. White privilege education involves challenging white people to
Saturday, August 23, 2008
A Passion for Diversity
Some people work at their jobs because they have to make a living, and they get to express themselves after work. Some people have careers that they love, and have a hard time not taking home their work with them when they go home. And then there are successful people in the diversity field. They have a passion for diversity and they live their work. Whether or not they take their work home with them, their work is always driven by the values they live every day, and their lives are driven by the values they promote at work.
When organizations began to embrace diversity in the 1980s, many of them thought that diversity training was the answer. They thought that if every employee attended a diversity training class, biases, complaints and lawsuits would disappear and everyone would work together in harmony forever. There were two kinds of people engaged in diversity training, education and organizational development. There were those who thought of it as program or a trend. These people read a few books, took a train-the-trainer class or bought one in the mail and called themselves experts. The second group knew that it was a process, not a one day program and that in order to create change they needed to live it, learn it and continually develop their passion for it.
They were cognizant of the need to integrate diversity into the business strategy of any organization and the rest of their lives. They also knew there were no quick fixes—that it took patience, and time—but change was possible.
The first group lost interest and went on to something else but people in the second group are still here helping to create change They’re working to create inclusive environments where all people can do their best work and have their individual skills and talents, recognized, appreciated and utilized.
I wanted to know more about this passion for diversity and where it came from. What drives some individuals to maintain their personal mission, vision and values despite resistance, challenges and nay sayers. I interviewed four people whose passion for diversity is so great it’s like a magnetic force that continues to get stronger and attract everything in its path. These four people are Terry Howard, Director of Diversity for Texas Instruments; Michele Atlas from Workforce Diversity Network; Deb Dagit, Executive Diversity Director at Merck; and, Edgar Quiroz, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation at Kaiser Permanente.
I asked all of them, Why did you get involved in diversity? Here are their stories:
Terry Howard, Director of Diversity at Texas Instruments, has a long-standing and personal connection with diversity. “As an African-American male, I’ve been involved in and experienced diversity my entire life. From a career standpoint, I actually got involved in this work by ‘default.’ During the mid 1980s, I managed a group charged with delivering employment and EEO service for AT&T. Our client base was very diverse and that itself heightened my interest in this work. The challenge of fostering awareness of that growing diversity and leveraging it was most intriguing to me. In 1986, I read the Hudson Institute report Workforce 2000. This ignited me and I knew I wanted to help break new ground.”
Terry’s passion and his involvement in diversity continue to grow. He now supports 15 diversity affinity groups at Texas Instruments, as well as the many business level diversity committees and their annual diversity conferences. “In between, I write a monthly internal diversity column and issue periodic diversity tips on the full range of diversity topics, and I speak on diversity and inclusion at meetings and retreats internally and externally .” Recently he founded the Diversity Connection Symposium for Texas Diversity Professionals, a group consisting of representatives from Shell Oil, Price Waterhouse, First American, Intel, Intuit, JC Penny, Delotte and others and delivered talks in France and China. He takes his passion for diversity and inclusion to the community, having participated in a community march against hate. “One of the things I’m most proud of is my role in the successful integration of religion and faith in the workplace amid lots of skepticism.” He said that people were still talking about the standing room only session “When Traditional Religion Meets Sexual Orientation”.
When asked what drives him his reply was, “My passion is driven by my curiosity about the far-reaching implications of diversity and getting organizations to see that connection. It never stops.”
Deb Dagit, Executive Director of Diversity for Merck, told me that she had lived months at a time from when she was 11 to 16 in the Shriners Hospital to receive treatment for a bone condition that resulted in fractures and bone deformities. She was there with other children who had bone and burn disabilities from all over the world. “I became close to kids from all over the world who were also living in the hospital for months at a time, cut off from families and "normal" life . I learned what we had in common was more significant than what was different, regardless of our cultural differences."
During the time she spent in public school she was separated from the rest of her class as schools were not required to integrate children with disabilities and therefore there were many restrictions on how she was allowed to attend. She had to sit right next to the teacher’s desk and was not allowed to go to recess or lunch with the other kids. In describing her experiences she says, “Because of how I was treated, I related to other kids who were also seen as needing extra attention from the teacher, whether for behavioral issues or learning challenges . Issues of fairness, respect and inclusion became very important to me as I observed who was singled out and how this caused them to be treated by other members of the class .” After graduation, Dagit tutored people who immigrated from Vietnam after the war. She saw how they struggled to learn the language, culture, and to fit in with other kids.
She explained that there is a disproportionate number of people with disabilities who are veterans and who are from minority backgrounds for a variety of reasons , and that along with diversity issues amongst people with disabilities who come from different backgrounds, there are diversity issues around different types of disabilities. “Some disabilities are more stigmatized than others,” she noted.
Her experiences inspired her to become a diversity leader. She traveled to Washington DC and spoke to lawmakers about the importance of passing the ADA and fought against weakening amendments . “During that time I thought about struggles and victories like Brown vs. the Board of Education and the Voting Rights Act, and the importance of civil rights for all people. This experience also caused her to realize the importance of 'reasonable accommodation' for all employees as a foundation for what are now called 'work environment' initiatives."
“In my first corporate job out of college I was told very matter of factly that I would never get beyond an 8 or 9 dollar and hour entry level job. After about 5-6 years I began to realize that they were serious about this low ceiling, so l left the corporate world for four years and I worked in the non-profit sector primarily on disability issues . As comfortable and engaging as it was to be with my "tribe," I knew that to effect real systemic changes more broadly. it needed to be from the inside out, companies nee d to see diversity and inclusion as important to the success of their business and consistent with the workplace ethics and corporate social responsibility values the espouse. When I re-entered the private sector it was as an executive with senior level responsibility and salary.
Deb says her passion for diversity only continues to grow. She was a founding member of the Conference Board Workforce Council on Diversity 13 years ago . “I have never been around anything else that keeps me stimulated 24 hours a day. I rarely read anything that is not in the field. I have a global vision and I want to help create the kind of world that does not just tolerate differences, but one where people are truly respectful and inclusive of other s, the kind of world that is healthy for our children.”
Edgar Quiroz is the Director of Workforce Diversity at Kaiser Permanente's National Diversity Department. He told me, “I really never sought to get involved with diversity work, diversity work got involved with me.” He grew up in San Francisco in a diverse neighborhood with African-Americans, Asians, Caucasians and Latinos like himself. While attending high school in the 1970s he was active in community student leadership. “I organized youth in under served communities city wide to help them with jobs, careers, and educational enhancement. Not one of my past job descriptions ever included diversity as a duty, but I always managed to weave diversity work into my functions. As a boy, my father and I walked the picket lines with Cesar Chavez in support of the UFW.” He began working at SF General Hospital as a youth outreach worker. “I worked with young people who were homeless, drug and alcohol addicted, prostitutes, battered and abused.
Today Edgar says he is privileged to be the Director of Workforce Diversity for Kaiser Permanente where he has worked for 20 years. During this time he was a founding board member and past president of the Kaiser Permanente Latino Association. “I chose Kaiser Permanente because their social mission on community wellnes, diversity and cultural competency are aligned with my own. My primary three areas of involvement are: 1) Enhance the diversity, cultural competence, skill and performance of our workforce; 2) Provide culturally competent medical care and culturally appropriate service to improve the health and satisfaction of our increasing diversity membership; 3) Grow our membership through effective market segmentation approaches that target specific populations which are the fastest growing segments of our society".
Diversity impacts his personal life every day. His family is bi-racial, and it is important to him that they all know, embrace and celebrate both his Latino culture and the African-American culture. “My passion for diversity has increased to a point that far exceeded any of my expectations. It’s only gotten better and I maintain my lifetime relationships with mentors and colleagues. I love my work, and there is a lot more work to do. As a country we have to pay more attention to populations that have been ignored so more people have access to quality health care. I remain optimistic and hopeful. I am inspired by all others who are also working for change.”
Michelle Atlas began her career in Vocational Rehabilitation in Rochester, New York over 13 years ago. Seven years ago, she was hired by the Rochester Business Alliance to create a new program to provide employment services to people with disabilities. After the first year, she was asked to represent the Rochester Business Alliance at the Workforce Diversity Network, an organization whose mission is to create a nationwide learning network to support organizations in learning more about the benefits of diversity in the workplace, and is expanding to other areas in the USA “I didn’t know a lot about other areas of diversity beyond disability, but as I began to learn about all the other dimensions, diversity and inclusion became so important to me and I kept learning and expanding my knowledge base about every component.” As a representative, Michele got to meet diversity leadership in various kinds of organizations. She learned more about diversity initiatives and issues that organizations were dealing with. “I felt a very strong affinity for this work. I went from being a representative to the Diversity Workforce Network to serving on the board and becoming a part time staff member; working with the Executive director, and coordinating membership and organizing our national conference. I love the spirit of the other people who do this kind of work. My passion comes from being a part of something that is so good for the world at so many levels. I’m excited by other cultures, and I am part of an incredible program called the Mosaic Partnership where leaders in our region are partnered with someone from a different race and participate in group coaching sessions.”
Michelle talked about how crucial it is for people in the health care field to be culturally competent. Besides her part time work with WDN, she consults, coaches and trains people who employ people with disabilities to be more culturally competent. “My learning points have been to honestly assess my own biases and to then be able to help other people assess their own and feel safe. Learning about my own biases has been very liberating and other people I work with have said that it is true for them. If we want to move forward from diversity to inclusion we have to identify our subtle biases and work through them. I hope I never stop learning.”
Although these four individuals are from different industries and came to diversity work from different experiences and backgrounds, they share certain qualities and experiences that contribute to their passion for diversity. From Deb’s voracious reading of diversity books to Michele’s personal involvement with the Mosaic Partnership, we see that these four remarkable individuals have all cultivated lifestyles that support their passion for diversity. They live and breathe diversity—both coming from diverse backgrounds and seeking out diverse interactions and experiences. They have all adopted learning orientations so they can continue to develop their own cultural competence and help others to do the same. Moreover, as we saw with Edgar’s work with underserved communities and Terry’s work with “Traditional Religion Meets Sexual Orientation” in the workplace, the passion of these four diversity leaders is driven by a lot of ‘Cs’: courage, concern, and commitment to diversity initiatives. Be it Terry’s commitment to helping organizations understand the implications of diversity, Deb’s global goals for a better world, Edgar’s views on what this country needs to better meet the health needs of its diverse population, or Michele’s emphasis on breaking down barriers through helping people safely address their own biases, this is truly a visionary group of professionals. Most importantly, their visions are long-term, powerful, and important ones that they consistently move forward a day at a time. These are the kinds of diversity leaders that we need working in rganizations of all kinds.
For an organization to successfully leverage the diversity of its organization to improve its performance three concurrent imperatives must be in place. First, diversity must be part of your overall business strategy and, secondly, your organization must move from representation and numbers to inclusion at every level. Finally, you will only be successful if you bring in diversity leaders who not only have knowledge of but a passion for diversity.
When organizations began to embrace diversity in the 1980s, many of them thought that diversity training was the answer. They thought that if every employee attended a diversity training class, biases, complaints and lawsuits would disappear and everyone would work together in harmony forever. There were two kinds of people engaged in diversity training, education and organizational development. There were those who thought of it as program or a trend. These people read a few books, took a train-the-trainer class or bought one in the mail and called themselves experts. The second group knew that it was a process, not a one day program and that in order to create change they needed to live it, learn it and continually develop their passion for it.
They were cognizant of the need to integrate diversity into the business strategy of any organization and the rest of their lives. They also knew there were no quick fixes—that it took patience, and time—but change was possible.
The first group lost interest and went on to something else but people in the second group are still here helping to create change They’re working to create inclusive environments where all people can do their best work and have their individual skills and talents, recognized, appreciated and utilized.
I wanted to know more about this passion for diversity and where it came from. What drives some individuals to maintain their personal mission, vision and values despite resistance, challenges and nay sayers. I interviewed four people whose passion for diversity is so great it’s like a magnetic force that continues to get stronger and attract everything in its path. These four people are Terry Howard, Director of Diversity for Texas Instruments; Michele Atlas from Workforce Diversity Network; Deb Dagit, Executive Diversity Director at Merck; and, Edgar Quiroz, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation at Kaiser Permanente.
I asked all of them, Why did you get involved in diversity? Here are their stories:
Terry Howard, Director of Diversity at Texas Instruments, has a long-standing and personal connection with diversity. “As an African-American male, I’ve been involved in and experienced diversity my entire life. From a career standpoint, I actually got involved in this work by ‘default.’ During the mid 1980s, I managed a group charged with delivering employment and EEO service for AT&T. Our client base was very diverse and that itself heightened my interest in this work. The challenge of fostering awareness of that growing diversity and leveraging it was most intriguing to me. In 1986, I read the Hudson Institute report Workforce 2000. This ignited me and I knew I wanted to help break new ground.”
Terry’s passion and his involvement in diversity continue to grow. He now supports 15 diversity affinity groups at Texas Instruments, as well as the many business level diversity committees and their annual diversity conferences. “In between, I write a monthly internal diversity column and issue periodic diversity tips on the full range of diversity topics, and I speak on diversity and inclusion at meetings and retreats internally and externally .” Recently he founded the Diversity Connection Symposium for Texas Diversity Professionals, a group consisting of representatives from Shell Oil, Price Waterhouse, First American, Intel, Intuit, JC Penny, Delotte and others and delivered talks in France and China. He takes his passion for diversity and inclusion to the community, having participated in a community march against hate. “One of the things I’m most proud of is my role in the successful integration of religion and faith in the workplace amid lots of skepticism.” He said that people were still talking about the standing room only session “When Traditional Religion Meets Sexual Orientation”.
When asked what drives him his reply was, “My passion is driven by my curiosity about the far-reaching implications of diversity and getting organizations to see that connection. It never stops.”
Deb Dagit, Executive Director of Diversity for Merck, told me that she had lived months at a time from when she was 11 to 16 in the Shriners Hospital to receive treatment for a bone condition that resulted in fractures and bone deformities. She was there with other children who had bone and burn disabilities from all over the world. “I became close to kids from all over the world who were also living in the hospital for months at a time, cut off from families and "normal" life . I learned what we had in common was more significant than what was different, regardless of our cultural differences."
During the time she spent in public school she was separated from the rest of her class as schools were not required to integrate children with disabilities and therefore there were many restrictions on how she was allowed to attend. She had to sit right next to the teacher’s desk and was not allowed to go to recess or lunch with the other kids. In describing her experiences she says, “Because of how I was treated, I related to other kids who were also seen as needing extra attention from the teacher, whether for behavioral issues or learning challenges . Issues of fairness, respect and inclusion became very important to me as I observed who was singled out and how this caused them to be treated by other members of the class .” After graduation, Dagit tutored people who immigrated from Vietnam after the war. She saw how they struggled to learn the language, culture, and to fit in with other kids.
She explained that there is a disproportionate number of people with disabilities who are veterans and who are from minority backgrounds for a variety of reasons , and that along with diversity issues amongst people with disabilities who come from different backgrounds, there are diversity issues around different types of disabilities. “Some disabilities are more stigmatized than others,” she noted.
Her experiences inspired her to become a diversity leader. She traveled to Washington DC and spoke to lawmakers about the importance of passing the ADA and fought against weakening amendments . “During that time I thought about struggles and victories like Brown vs. the Board of Education and the Voting Rights Act, and the importance of civil rights for all people. This experience also caused her to realize the importance of 'reasonable accommodation' for all employees as a foundation for what are now called 'work environment' initiatives."
“In my first corporate job out of college I was told very matter of factly that I would never get beyond an 8 or 9 dollar and hour entry level job. After about 5-6 years I began to realize that they were serious about this low ceiling, so l left the corporate world for four years and I worked in the non-profit sector primarily on disability issues . As comfortable and engaging as it was to be with my "tribe," I knew that to effect real systemic changes more broadly. it needed to be from the inside out, companies nee d to see diversity and inclusion as important to the success of their business and consistent with the workplace ethics and corporate social responsibility values the espouse. When I re-entered the private sector it was as an executive with senior level responsibility and salary.
Deb says her passion for diversity only continues to grow. She was a founding member of the Conference Board Workforce Council on Diversity 13 years ago . “I have never been around anything else that keeps me stimulated 24 hours a day. I rarely read anything that is not in the field. I have a global vision and I want to help create the kind of world that does not just tolerate differences, but one where people are truly respectful and inclusive of other s, the kind of world that is healthy for our children.”
Edgar Quiroz is the Director of Workforce Diversity at Kaiser Permanente's National Diversity Department. He told me, “I really never sought to get involved with diversity work, diversity work got involved with me.” He grew up in San Francisco in a diverse neighborhood with African-Americans, Asians, Caucasians and Latinos like himself. While attending high school in the 1970s he was active in community student leadership. “I organized youth in under served communities city wide to help them with jobs, careers, and educational enhancement. Not one of my past job descriptions ever included diversity as a duty, but I always managed to weave diversity work into my functions. As a boy, my father and I walked the picket lines with Cesar Chavez in support of the UFW.” He began working at SF General Hospital as a youth outreach worker. “I worked with young people who were homeless, drug and alcohol addicted, prostitutes, battered and abused.
Today Edgar says he is privileged to be the Director of Workforce Diversity for Kaiser Permanente where he has worked for 20 years. During this time he was a founding board member and past president of the Kaiser Permanente Latino Association. “I chose Kaiser Permanente because their social mission on community wellnes, diversity and cultural competency are aligned with my own. My primary three areas of involvement are: 1) Enhance the diversity, cultural competence, skill and performance of our workforce; 2) Provide culturally competent medical care and culturally appropriate service to improve the health and satisfaction of our increasing diversity membership; 3) Grow our membership through effective market segmentation approaches that target specific populations which are the fastest growing segments of our society".
Diversity impacts his personal life every day. His family is bi-racial, and it is important to him that they all know, embrace and celebrate both his Latino culture and the African-American culture. “My passion for diversity has increased to a point that far exceeded any of my expectations. It’s only gotten better and I maintain my lifetime relationships with mentors and colleagues. I love my work, and there is a lot more work to do. As a country we have to pay more attention to populations that have been ignored so more people have access to quality health care. I remain optimistic and hopeful. I am inspired by all others who are also working for change.”
Michelle Atlas began her career in Vocational Rehabilitation in Rochester, New York over 13 years ago. Seven years ago, she was hired by the Rochester Business Alliance to create a new program to provide employment services to people with disabilities. After the first year, she was asked to represent the Rochester Business Alliance at the Workforce Diversity Network, an organization whose mission is to create a nationwide learning network to support organizations in learning more about the benefits of diversity in the workplace, and is expanding to other areas in the USA “I didn’t know a lot about other areas of diversity beyond disability, but as I began to learn about all the other dimensions, diversity and inclusion became so important to me and I kept learning and expanding my knowledge base about every component.” As a representative, Michele got to meet diversity leadership in various kinds of organizations. She learned more about diversity initiatives and issues that organizations were dealing with. “I felt a very strong affinity for this work. I went from being a representative to the Diversity Workforce Network to serving on the board and becoming a part time staff member; working with the Executive director, and coordinating membership and organizing our national conference. I love the spirit of the other people who do this kind of work. My passion comes from being a part of something that is so good for the world at so many levels. I’m excited by other cultures, and I am part of an incredible program called the Mosaic Partnership where leaders in our region are partnered with someone from a different race and participate in group coaching sessions.”
Michelle talked about how crucial it is for people in the health care field to be culturally competent. Besides her part time work with WDN, she consults, coaches and trains people who employ people with disabilities to be more culturally competent. “My learning points have been to honestly assess my own biases and to then be able to help other people assess their own and feel safe. Learning about my own biases has been very liberating and other people I work with have said that it is true for them. If we want to move forward from diversity to inclusion we have to identify our subtle biases and work through them. I hope I never stop learning.”
Although these four individuals are from different industries and came to diversity work from different experiences and backgrounds, they share certain qualities and experiences that contribute to their passion for diversity. From Deb’s voracious reading of diversity books to Michele’s personal involvement with the Mosaic Partnership, we see that these four remarkable individuals have all cultivated lifestyles that support their passion for diversity. They live and breathe diversity—both coming from diverse backgrounds and seeking out diverse interactions and experiences. They have all adopted learning orientations so they can continue to develop their own cultural competence and help others to do the same. Moreover, as we saw with Edgar’s work with underserved communities and Terry’s work with “Traditional Religion Meets Sexual Orientation” in the workplace, the passion of these four diversity leaders is driven by a lot of ‘Cs’: courage, concern, and commitment to diversity initiatives. Be it Terry’s commitment to helping organizations understand the implications of diversity, Deb’s global goals for a better world, Edgar’s views on what this country needs to better meet the health needs of its diverse population, or Michele’s emphasis on breaking down barriers through helping people safely address their own biases, this is truly a visionary group of professionals. Most importantly, their visions are long-term, powerful, and important ones that they consistently move forward a day at a time. These are the kinds of diversity leaders that we need working in rganizations of all kinds.
For an organization to successfully leverage the diversity of its organization to improve its performance three concurrent imperatives must be in place. First, diversity must be part of your overall business strategy and, secondly, your organization must move from representation and numbers to inclusion at every level. Finally, you will only be successful if you bring in diversity leaders who not only have knowledge of but a passion for diversity.
Math Anxiety - Is There A Dark Cloud Over Your Child's Math Work?
Are you tired of the yelling and cajoling to get your child to do his Math work?
• Are you tired of the tears of frustration as your child struggles to learn math and do math problems he does not understand?
• Are you tired of feeling helpless to help your child understand his math work, because you were never good at math in school?
• Are you tired of the complaints that math is boring and tedious and totally unrelated to anything in real life?
Why is this? What is it about math that causes such pain and anxiety, turmoil and fighting, tears and anger? Is it math or our own fears of failure, of not being very good at math ourselves? Is it math or is it the method that we employ to teach math to our children? Is it math or an illusion of catastrophe if our child does not become proficient in this skill? In a series of three articles on Math Anxiety, I will be addressing these points.
Personally, I don’t think it is math. Math is ancient. People have been learning math for centuries. Even in this country, people learned math, were profitable in business and industry, and our nation became great. Basic math or accounting was the foundation of every household and business. More complex math enabled us to create great inventions and great engineering feats. We even put a man on the moon. We accomplished all this because of our nation’s ability to do math. Math is not hard. It is a basic skill, like reading. Yet no one would admit to not being very good at reading.
I think the problem is with how we view math, as this awesome hard thing other people do. I read a wonderful historical fiction book called Carry on, Mister Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. Set just before the American Revolution, the main character, a self-educated young man who taught his shipmates how to do a lunar sighting. A lunar sighting is a navigation calculation for determining your ship’s position while out at sea. My first thought was of awe. I could not imagine the complex math that was involved in doing a lunar sighting. I thought the math was more than I could ever do.
Why did I think that? What is the math that’s needed to do a lunar sighting? I don’t know. So why did I assume that it was more than I could do? Shame on me! The book had just related that this young man was teaching his shipmates how to do these calculations. His shipmates were uneducated men and boys. Here I am with a B.A. in mathematics, a college graduate, a good education in one of the most advance nations in the world and I’m thinking that this math is beyond me. This in itself is very revealing of the mindset towards math in America. What is your mindset? Do you assume the math will be too hard before you even try? Do you convey this mindset to your children? It's time to change this negative attitude towards math. Start with doing something fun that involves math, like figuring out how to do a lunar sighting. Math is not hard. Math is basic. Everyone can do Math!
• Are you tired of the tears of frustration as your child struggles to learn math and do math problems he does not understand?
• Are you tired of feeling helpless to help your child understand his math work, because you were never good at math in school?
• Are you tired of the complaints that math is boring and tedious and totally unrelated to anything in real life?
Why is this? What is it about math that causes such pain and anxiety, turmoil and fighting, tears and anger? Is it math or our own fears of failure, of not being very good at math ourselves? Is it math or is it the method that we employ to teach math to our children? Is it math or an illusion of catastrophe if our child does not become proficient in this skill? In a series of three articles on Math Anxiety, I will be addressing these points.
Personally, I don’t think it is math. Math is ancient. People have been learning math for centuries. Even in this country, people learned math, were profitable in business and industry, and our nation became great. Basic math or accounting was the foundation of every household and business. More complex math enabled us to create great inventions and great engineering feats. We even put a man on the moon. We accomplished all this because of our nation’s ability to do math. Math is not hard. It is a basic skill, like reading. Yet no one would admit to not being very good at reading.
I think the problem is with how we view math, as this awesome hard thing other people do. I read a wonderful historical fiction book called Carry on, Mister Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. Set just before the American Revolution, the main character, a self-educated young man who taught his shipmates how to do a lunar sighting. A lunar sighting is a navigation calculation for determining your ship’s position while out at sea. My first thought was of awe. I could not imagine the complex math that was involved in doing a lunar sighting. I thought the math was more than I could ever do.
Why did I think that? What is the math that’s needed to do a lunar sighting? I don’t know. So why did I assume that it was more than I could do? Shame on me! The book had just related that this young man was teaching his shipmates how to do these calculations. His shipmates were uneducated men and boys. Here I am with a B.A. in mathematics, a college graduate, a good education in one of the most advance nations in the world and I’m thinking that this math is beyond me. This in itself is very revealing of the mindset towards math in America. What is your mindset? Do you assume the math will be too hard before you even try? Do you convey this mindset to your children? It's time to change this negative attitude towards math. Start with doing something fun that involves math, like figuring out how to do a lunar sighting. Math is not hard. Math is basic. Everyone can do Math!
The World Doesn’t Need Another Math Textbook
I know this statement is shocking. Some of you may feel that I have announced the end of the civilization as we know it. How in the world will people learn math without the latest and greatest math textbook. The answer is simple. The same way people have always learned math prior to the modern education system, by doing math as they go about their everyday lives. You may ask “Is that possible?” “Would it work?” I believe so. It’s the reason I made this statement when I was asked if my new book, “Math is Child's Play” was going to be a Math Textbook. But in all fairness, let’s look at both sides, school math versus everyday math.
First let’s look at school math. I have been studying of late the topic of Math Anxiety. Increasing number of people profess to hate math, to be ‘no good at math,’ to be anxious about doing basic math. These same people were taught math in our public schools. When did this situation of math anxiety start? Who knows for sure? But what’s significant is that it’s increasing, not decreasing. It’s increasing despite the modern education system, despite New Math and the latest teaching methods, despite all the money and energy that has been put towards the problem. Just for the record, I found a book “Mathematics; A Human Endeavor” by Harold R. Jacobs copyrighted in 1970 which in its preface the author mentions the failure of New Math in the schools. A book from 1964, titled “Mathematics for Elementary Teachers” by Ralph Crouch and George Baldwin which was written to teach math to elementary teacher who found themselves expected to teach math although they had no training in math.
Marilyn Burns, a well known math expert, has been addresses math anxiety since 1970 with her first book, “I Hate Mathematics” right through to her more current book, “Math; Facing an American Phobia” 1998. The latter book speaks to math anxiety as a growing phenomenon. And more recently “Math for the Anxious” by Rosanne Proga, copyrighted 2005 also is very clear about math anxiety and its causes. Of course, all this math anxiety is good; at least it is for the math textbook industry. Math anxiety sells math textbooks. Parents are concerned that their children learn math better than they did. Teachers are calling for a better way to teach math. This is great news for the math textbook companies. For you and me, this is bad news.
So let’s look at the other side. Is it possible for people to learn math in everyday life; running their business or household, doing projects, etc.? Is this possible? I believe it is and it is already happening without anyone being aware of it. My daughter professed to hate math, yet she is doing math everyday on Neopets. When I asked her about it, she said that it wasn’t real math. So what kind of math was it? I think she meant that it wasn’t ‘school math.’ I met an airline pilot who went into great details about the calculations she did in her head in order to fly the plane. Later she professed that she hated math in school. She wasn’t ‘good at it.’ She wasn’t even capable of balancing her own checkbook. When I pointed out that the calculation she did to fly the plane was math, she was adamant that it wasn’t because she wasn’t any good at math in school. She said “It’s just a formula that I plug numbers into.” Marilyn Burn relates a similar story about an interior decorator who could price out the cost for a complete room, but also felt that she wasn’t any good at math. These are people who couldn’t do ‘school math’ but are doing the math that their everyday lives demand of them. They probably learned this math on the job; hence they don’t relate it to school math.
Math is best learned in the real world, with real life situations. It may start with counting out the cookies your mother gives you. Later you start comparing the number you got with the number your brother got. You quickly learn to calculate the he got ‘how many’ more than you did, so that your complaint can be accurate. Next, you are watching Mom slice up the pie or cake. You quickly calculate how many pieces each person can have, that is until Mom steps in and tells you how many you can really have. Then you calculate how many you can have tomorrow with all those guests gone. This is a simple real life scenario, but how many math concepts did I cover here. These skills grow with your children. How many of you have watched your older children go through their Halloween candy. My child sorts and counts to evaluate how she did. Halloween is also a great time for teaching about taxes. Parents need to take their share of the sweet earnings, and not just of the candy the child doesn’t like. Remember, Uncle Sam takes his cut off the top before you ever see a dime.
Playing is a great way to learn math. I like miniature golf and billiards for learning about angles and force. Of course this may sound like Physics, Newton’s Law of Relativity. And it is, but there is also no better way to learn geometry and algebra than with a practical application. What could be more practical than learning as you play? Wow, here’s another real life example for learning math. I like playing games. You name it; board games, card games, strategy games. If it challenges me and tests my intellect and problem solving capabilities, I like it. Games like Nim, checkers, chess, mancala, Stratego, Battleship, Risk, etc. help develop logic sequences and strategy.
Games like Uno, Skip-bo, Set, Rummikub helps children develop their ability to see patterns. Games like cribbage, gin rummy, Scrabble actually help children practice addition and multiplication.
But enough with the games, let’s talk some serious stuff. If you want to learn math, do a project like decorating a room. Do the whole works from calculating the paint or wallpaper, to calculating the material and sewing the drapes, to ordering and positioning the furniture. Design a new cabinet layout for your kitchen, including calculating cabinet dimensions, appliance positioning and project costs. Try building something like a drop desk or a play ground swing set, or a go-cart. How about doing a baking or sewing/quilting project? Do all the preparations for a dinner party, including the planning, shopping, seating arrangement, cooking, etc. Try paper trading some stock and track them for a year. Start an eBay business. Wow! Wouldn’t that be something, having your child’s math project turn into a home-based business that pays for your child’s college education? It’s possible and it’s real life.
When it comes to learning math, everyday life has plenty of opportunities and the learning is natural, not forced. On the other hand, the math anxiety problem is rooted in our modern education system. The problem lies with having non-math experts teaching math as if they were experts. The problem lies with having math textbooks that present math in an artificial and rigid manner. As much as I liked Marilyn Burns book, “Math; Facing an American Phobia,” I think she missed the correct conclusion of the situation. Ms. Burns is still trying to ‘fix’ the system. It is obvious to me that it is time to throw the system out and go back to learning math in everyday life. Hence I stand by my statement “The Last Thing the World Needs Is Another Math Textbook.”
Ann LaRoche, Math Expert and Author of the book "Math Is Child's Play." Ann advocates learning math by playing games. Card games and board games are the fun and easy way to strengthen math skills and improve problem solving capabilities. In her book, Ann debunks common math myths, addresses math anxiety, and gives practical advice to parents who want to help their child with math but feel unable or unqualified. Ann sheds light on the confusion wrought by New Math and has a process for handling math homework time that will turn those tears of frustration into smiles of triumph.
First let’s look at school math. I have been studying of late the topic of Math Anxiety. Increasing number of people profess to hate math, to be ‘no good at math,’ to be anxious about doing basic math. These same people were taught math in our public schools. When did this situation of math anxiety start? Who knows for sure? But what’s significant is that it’s increasing, not decreasing. It’s increasing despite the modern education system, despite New Math and the latest teaching methods, despite all the money and energy that has been put towards the problem. Just for the record, I found a book “Mathematics; A Human Endeavor” by Harold R. Jacobs copyrighted in 1970 which in its preface the author mentions the failure of New Math in the schools. A book from 1964, titled “Mathematics for Elementary Teachers” by Ralph Crouch and George Baldwin which was written to teach math to elementary teacher who found themselves expected to teach math although they had no training in math.
Marilyn Burns, a well known math expert, has been addresses math anxiety since 1970 with her first book, “I Hate Mathematics” right through to her more current book, “Math; Facing an American Phobia” 1998. The latter book speaks to math anxiety as a growing phenomenon. And more recently “Math for the Anxious” by Rosanne Proga, copyrighted 2005 also is very clear about math anxiety and its causes. Of course, all this math anxiety is good; at least it is for the math textbook industry. Math anxiety sells math textbooks. Parents are concerned that their children learn math better than they did. Teachers are calling for a better way to teach math. This is great news for the math textbook companies. For you and me, this is bad news.
So let’s look at the other side. Is it possible for people to learn math in everyday life; running their business or household, doing projects, etc.? Is this possible? I believe it is and it is already happening without anyone being aware of it. My daughter professed to hate math, yet she is doing math everyday on Neopets. When I asked her about it, she said that it wasn’t real math. So what kind of math was it? I think she meant that it wasn’t ‘school math.’ I met an airline pilot who went into great details about the calculations she did in her head in order to fly the plane. Later she professed that she hated math in school. She wasn’t ‘good at it.’ She wasn’t even capable of balancing her own checkbook. When I pointed out that the calculation she did to fly the plane was math, she was adamant that it wasn’t because she wasn’t any good at math in school. She said “It’s just a formula that I plug numbers into.” Marilyn Burn relates a similar story about an interior decorator who could price out the cost for a complete room, but also felt that she wasn’t any good at math. These are people who couldn’t do ‘school math’ but are doing the math that their everyday lives demand of them. They probably learned this math on the job; hence they don’t relate it to school math.
Math is best learned in the real world, with real life situations. It may start with counting out the cookies your mother gives you. Later you start comparing the number you got with the number your brother got. You quickly learn to calculate the he got ‘how many’ more than you did, so that your complaint can be accurate. Next, you are watching Mom slice up the pie or cake. You quickly calculate how many pieces each person can have, that is until Mom steps in and tells you how many you can really have. Then you calculate how many you can have tomorrow with all those guests gone. This is a simple real life scenario, but how many math concepts did I cover here. These skills grow with your children. How many of you have watched your older children go through their Halloween candy. My child sorts and counts to evaluate how she did. Halloween is also a great time for teaching about taxes. Parents need to take their share of the sweet earnings, and not just of the candy the child doesn’t like. Remember, Uncle Sam takes his cut off the top before you ever see a dime.
Playing is a great way to learn math. I like miniature golf and billiards for learning about angles and force. Of course this may sound like Physics, Newton’s Law of Relativity. And it is, but there is also no better way to learn geometry and algebra than with a practical application. What could be more practical than learning as you play? Wow, here’s another real life example for learning math. I like playing games. You name it; board games, card games, strategy games. If it challenges me and tests my intellect and problem solving capabilities, I like it. Games like Nim, checkers, chess, mancala, Stratego, Battleship, Risk, etc. help develop logic sequences and strategy.
Games like Uno, Skip-bo, Set, Rummikub helps children develop their ability to see patterns. Games like cribbage, gin rummy, Scrabble actually help children practice addition and multiplication.
But enough with the games, let’s talk some serious stuff. If you want to learn math, do a project like decorating a room. Do the whole works from calculating the paint or wallpaper, to calculating the material and sewing the drapes, to ordering and positioning the furniture. Design a new cabinet layout for your kitchen, including calculating cabinet dimensions, appliance positioning and project costs. Try building something like a drop desk or a play ground swing set, or a go-cart. How about doing a baking or sewing/quilting project? Do all the preparations for a dinner party, including the planning, shopping, seating arrangement, cooking, etc. Try paper trading some stock and track them for a year. Start an eBay business. Wow! Wouldn’t that be something, having your child’s math project turn into a home-based business that pays for your child’s college education? It’s possible and it’s real life.
When it comes to learning math, everyday life has plenty of opportunities and the learning is natural, not forced. On the other hand, the math anxiety problem is rooted in our modern education system. The problem lies with having non-math experts teaching math as if they were experts. The problem lies with having math textbooks that present math in an artificial and rigid manner. As much as I liked Marilyn Burns book, “Math; Facing an American Phobia,” I think she missed the correct conclusion of the situation. Ms. Burns is still trying to ‘fix’ the system. It is obvious to me that it is time to throw the system out and go back to learning math in everyday life. Hence I stand by my statement “The Last Thing the World Needs Is Another Math Textbook.”
Ann LaRoche, Math Expert and Author of the book "Math Is Child's Play." Ann advocates learning math by playing games. Card games and board games are the fun and easy way to strengthen math skills and improve problem solving capabilities. In her book, Ann debunks common math myths, addresses math anxiety, and gives practical advice to parents who want to help their child with math but feel unable or unqualified. Ann sheds light on the confusion wrought by New Math and has a process for handling math homework time that will turn those tears of frustration into smiles of triumph.
"A Wealth of Family" by Thomas Brooks: Book Review
A Wealth of Family
by Thomas Brooks
Alpha Multimedia, Inc. (2006)
ISBN 0977462935
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/06)
"A Wealth of Family" has something to be enjoyed or learned by people from all walks of life, no matter what your gender, socio-economic background or culture. This is a fantastic book. It centers on Brooks upbringing as an adopted black men who wanted to find his roots. I found it difficult to write this review because his story touched me in so many ways, it was hard for me to narrow down which area I enjoyed the greatest or which part of his life experiences taught me the most. In spite of our differences (gender, race, upbringing) I learned a lot about myself as I read. I admire his ability to see the positive learning experiences that come from experiencing negative situations.
Brooks was raised by a very protective, divorced black woman. They had to struggle financially. He had close extended family in his life and a wonderful male role model. In his youth, he learned that he was adopted. His birth mother was a white woman and his father was an African from Kenya. Brooks developed an interest in finding his birth family so that he could learn about his roots.
Throughout his education, Brooks had to deal with racism and poverty. He experienced racism from his friends and teachers. He attended a predominantly white school. Some of his friends would make racist comments based on ignorance without realizing that their beliefs were wrong. Brooks chose to get his revenge by excelling in academics and athletics. Then he had to deal with black-on-black prejudice by being told that he was "acting white" by his black peers.
Brooks was the first in his family to attend college. This was a whole new learning experience for him. He had to deal with the paradox of trying to show everyone that black people can excel at everything and then being accused of being boastful and arrogant when he would succeed.
After Brooks completed his education, he was contacted by his birth mother. Through her, he is able to meet his siblings in England and contact his father's family in Kenya. After a great deal of effort, he is able to meet his birth father and extended family in Kenya. Brooks is able to connect his adoptive family, his English family and his African family. Now he truly knows his roots.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that the story did not end when he met his mother. He continues on and teaches us about the how much more his life was enriched by being able to combine his family from their different cultures.
I highly recommend this book to be used in African-American studies classes and in Cultural Counseling classes. I think that it would be great to be read in areas of underprivileged youth. Brooks showed that he could overcome all of the hardships in his life and he is actively involved in making a difference in the lives of others.
Brooks writes about how slavery has robbed African Americans of their history and culture. This often leads them to think that they are inferior. Because of his experiences he developed a perspective of himself as a "world citizen, not limited by race, religion, nationality or political ideology." If everyone could develop this view of themselves, there would be an end to racism and we would have world peace.
by Thomas Brooks
Alpha Multimedia, Inc. (2006)
ISBN 0977462935
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/06)
"A Wealth of Family" has something to be enjoyed or learned by people from all walks of life, no matter what your gender, socio-economic background or culture. This is a fantastic book. It centers on Brooks upbringing as an adopted black men who wanted to find his roots. I found it difficult to write this review because his story touched me in so many ways, it was hard for me to narrow down which area I enjoyed the greatest or which part of his life experiences taught me the most. In spite of our differences (gender, race, upbringing) I learned a lot about myself as I read. I admire his ability to see the positive learning experiences that come from experiencing negative situations.
Brooks was raised by a very protective, divorced black woman. They had to struggle financially. He had close extended family in his life and a wonderful male role model. In his youth, he learned that he was adopted. His birth mother was a white woman and his father was an African from Kenya. Brooks developed an interest in finding his birth family so that he could learn about his roots.
Throughout his education, Brooks had to deal with racism and poverty. He experienced racism from his friends and teachers. He attended a predominantly white school. Some of his friends would make racist comments based on ignorance without realizing that their beliefs were wrong. Brooks chose to get his revenge by excelling in academics and athletics. Then he had to deal with black-on-black prejudice by being told that he was "acting white" by his black peers.
Brooks was the first in his family to attend college. This was a whole new learning experience for him. He had to deal with the paradox of trying to show everyone that black people can excel at everything and then being accused of being boastful and arrogant when he would succeed.
After Brooks completed his education, he was contacted by his birth mother. Through her, he is able to meet his siblings in England and contact his father's family in Kenya. After a great deal of effort, he is able to meet his birth father and extended family in Kenya. Brooks is able to connect his adoptive family, his English family and his African family. Now he truly knows his roots.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that the story did not end when he met his mother. He continues on and teaches us about the how much more his life was enriched by being able to combine his family from their different cultures.
I highly recommend this book to be used in African-American studies classes and in Cultural Counseling classes. I think that it would be great to be read in areas of underprivileged youth. Brooks showed that he could overcome all of the hardships in his life and he is actively involved in making a difference in the lives of others.
Brooks writes about how slavery has robbed African Americans of their history and culture. This often leads them to think that they are inferior. Because of his experiences he developed a perspective of himself as a "world citizen, not limited by race, religion, nationality or political ideology." If everyone could develop this view of themselves, there would be an end to racism and we would have world peace.
Automotive Review, 2008 Mazda CX-7
We're on the Road in the 2008, Mazda CX-7
The Good: Nice styling, good handling, decent list of standard features, good curbside appeal, very safe.
The Bad: Road noise is somewhat pronounced, rear seats are low.
Overall: The CX-7 is a sharp looking small SUV, sporty styling while offering a well designed, handsome and functional interior.
The CX-7 is Mazda's five passenger crossover sport-utility vehicle, initially introduced for 2007. The powertrain consists of a 2.3 Liter 4 cylinder turbo engine, outputting 244 horsepower and 258 lb foot of torque, coupled to the front wheel drive, six speed automatic transmission with sportshift! Mazda offers the CX-7 in three trim levels: Sport; Touring; and Grand Touring.
The CX-7 is very sporty, from the five-pointed grille and prominent front fender, up to the A pillar slanting at a 66 degree angle, the Mazda holds true to "the soul of a sports car" slogan. The integrated rounded xenon headlights round out the front corner of the vehicle nicely! It's retains the sharp handling and responsiveness of a car, while offering light duty utility as well.
Safety
The CX-7 scored best marks in Government Front, Driver and passenger, side driver/ rear passenger test as well as good marks in government rollover tests. The 5 passenger SUV has many standard safety features, including: ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, as well as Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control System. Also standard find side impact door beams, Front/Rear crumple zones, an anti-theft immobilizer and TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), four wheel ventilated disc brakes; Front wheel or Active Torque-Split All-Wheel Drive. The CX-7 has thick D pillars, but the area is very visible using the side mirrors. This Mazda also features a good compliment of six airbags for front and back.
Driving Impressions
The CX-7 is a handles well and although you might expect a v-6 to be necessary for this size vehicle, you'd be surprised how well the 4 cylinder turbo performs. Unlike the turbo of the past there's almost zero lag. The turbo does a great job of compensating for what could otherwise be a lighter duty engine for this rather hefty vehicle.
Handling is solid, responsive and tight (without being numb) and thanks to the four wheel independent suspension you'll feel little road, the response is direct. Road noise is a bit more audible than others, but it's not enough to be troublesome. Consumer Reports rated Mazda's CX-7 as less than average for first year reliability, but we did not note any potential issues during our test drive.
The Way You Feel Inside
Jump into the CX-7 without needing a boost, it's not a huge SUV. Mazda's red and blue lighting combine for a pleasing hue across the clean and simple analogue gauge cluster. Interior styling is handsome and build quality is good, inline with the category.
Function meet form, form meet function: nice looking front/side defrost vents are smartly integrated into the dash, which is stacked to include a centered LCD display, for clock and audio info. Discover a large lockable center console, large enough for a music junkie's CD collection, and more space for snacks. Got power? Plug in to either of the 12v power outlets. Drivers will also appreciate lighting accents that make it easy to see the interior while driving at night, thanks to the indirect blue cabin illumination (on the upper trim). Drivers and passengers delight with lumbar adjustment on front seats, that are also heated (love the heated seats, also on upper trim).
The CX-7 has a good long list of standard features, they include: Cruise Control, AM/FM/CD audio with automatic level control (automatically adjusting the volume (smooth and non intrusive) based on noise levels) fold away brake pedal assembly, LATCH rear child safety seat anchors and tethers, A/C, power door locks, plus more. The CX-7 offers fun, a sporty drive and a bit of utility as well, and gives you alot for your money!
Stowage
For a five passenger SUV, you'll likely be taking the weekend road trip and the CX-7 is ready for the road, with decent and versatile stowage space. Fold the rear seats down (although they don't lay entirely flat, check the photo below) and you'll have 58.6 cubic feet. With the rear seats up find 29.9 cubic feet about average for this class vehicle, and decent space for the weekend warrior or occasional camper. Options exist to extend your storage with a roof rack (100lbs max); and the tow package (towing capacity up to 2000 lbs).
By the Numbers
By the new 2008 fuel rating the FWD CX-7 is rated at 17 city / 22 highway, and we averaged 17.8 MPG on premium fuel, combined (city and highway) driving. (AWD model gets 16 / 21MPG)
Mazda CX-7 Sticker Price
FWD Sport Trim starts at $23,750.
FWD Touring Trim starts at $25,500. and
FWD Grand Touring starts at $26,300.
AWD Sport Trim starts at $24,450.
AWD Touring Trim starts at $27,200.
AWD Grand Touring Trim starts at $28,000
The Good: Nice styling, good handling, decent list of standard features, good curbside appeal, very safe.
The Bad: Road noise is somewhat pronounced, rear seats are low.
Overall: The CX-7 is a sharp looking small SUV, sporty styling while offering a well designed, handsome and functional interior.
The CX-7 is Mazda's five passenger crossover sport-utility vehicle, initially introduced for 2007. The powertrain consists of a 2.3 Liter 4 cylinder turbo engine, outputting 244 horsepower and 258 lb foot of torque, coupled to the front wheel drive, six speed automatic transmission with sportshift! Mazda offers the CX-7 in three trim levels: Sport; Touring; and Grand Touring.
The CX-7 is very sporty, from the five-pointed grille and prominent front fender, up to the A pillar slanting at a 66 degree angle, the Mazda holds true to "the soul of a sports car" slogan. The integrated rounded xenon headlights round out the front corner of the vehicle nicely! It's retains the sharp handling and responsiveness of a car, while offering light duty utility as well.
Safety
The CX-7 scored best marks in Government Front, Driver and passenger, side driver/ rear passenger test as well as good marks in government rollover tests. The 5 passenger SUV has many standard safety features, including: ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, as well as Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control System. Also standard find side impact door beams, Front/Rear crumple zones, an anti-theft immobilizer and TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), four wheel ventilated disc brakes; Front wheel or Active Torque-Split All-Wheel Drive. The CX-7 has thick D pillars, but the area is very visible using the side mirrors. This Mazda also features a good compliment of six airbags for front and back.
Driving Impressions
The CX-7 is a handles well and although you might expect a v-6 to be necessary for this size vehicle, you'd be surprised how well the 4 cylinder turbo performs. Unlike the turbo of the past there's almost zero lag. The turbo does a great job of compensating for what could otherwise be a lighter duty engine for this rather hefty vehicle.
Handling is solid, responsive and tight (without being numb) and thanks to the four wheel independent suspension you'll feel little road, the response is direct. Road noise is a bit more audible than others, but it's not enough to be troublesome. Consumer Reports rated Mazda's CX-7 as less than average for first year reliability, but we did not note any potential issues during our test drive.
The Way You Feel Inside
Jump into the CX-7 without needing a boost, it's not a huge SUV. Mazda's red and blue lighting combine for a pleasing hue across the clean and simple analogue gauge cluster. Interior styling is handsome and build quality is good, inline with the category.
Function meet form, form meet function: nice looking front/side defrost vents are smartly integrated into the dash, which is stacked to include a centered LCD display, for clock and audio info. Discover a large lockable center console, large enough for a music junkie's CD collection, and more space for snacks. Got power? Plug in to either of the 12v power outlets. Drivers will also appreciate lighting accents that make it easy to see the interior while driving at night, thanks to the indirect blue cabin illumination (on the upper trim). Drivers and passengers delight with lumbar adjustment on front seats, that are also heated (love the heated seats, also on upper trim).
The CX-7 has a good long list of standard features, they include: Cruise Control, AM/FM/CD audio with automatic level control (automatically adjusting the volume (smooth and non intrusive) based on noise levels) fold away brake pedal assembly, LATCH rear child safety seat anchors and tethers, A/C, power door locks, plus more. The CX-7 offers fun, a sporty drive and a bit of utility as well, and gives you alot for your money!
Stowage
For a five passenger SUV, you'll likely be taking the weekend road trip and the CX-7 is ready for the road, with decent and versatile stowage space. Fold the rear seats down (although they don't lay entirely flat, check the photo below) and you'll have 58.6 cubic feet. With the rear seats up find 29.9 cubic feet about average for this class vehicle, and decent space for the weekend warrior or occasional camper. Options exist to extend your storage with a roof rack (100lbs max); and the tow package (towing capacity up to 2000 lbs).
By the Numbers
By the new 2008 fuel rating the FWD CX-7 is rated at 17 city / 22 highway, and we averaged 17.8 MPG on premium fuel, combined (city and highway) driving. (AWD model gets 16 / 21MPG)
Mazda CX-7 Sticker Price
FWD Sport Trim starts at $23,750.
FWD Touring Trim starts at $25,500. and
FWD Grand Touring starts at $26,300.
AWD Sport Trim starts at $24,450.
AWD Touring Trim starts at $27,200.
AWD Grand Touring Trim starts at $28,000
Learn How Not To Be An Identity Theft Victim
Every year thousands of cases of identity theft are reported to the FTC. A report by the same body states that since 1997, over 3 million of these types of cases have been reported to law enforcement agencies world wide. And the numbers keep climbing every year. The development of information technology has only made it perhaps easier to commit these crimes. But are there ways of you preventing yourself from being one of the unlucky victims or avoiding a recurrence, if you have already been stung?
There are 3 steps that anyone can take to reduce this risk. Let us look at them one after the other.
1. Protect Your Credit Card: This is one of the most sensitive of your personal information. It is also one of the most targeted by fraudsters because it contains your financial information, which they can put to immediate use by buying stuff, etc. You should make sure that you keep your card away in your wallet or other storage system when not in use. Also, make sure that when your credit or debit card is swiped at any terminal, that the first twelve digits are masked. This will prevent potential thieves from stealing this information. When you endorse the merchant's copy, also ensure that you give it to them yourself and not leave it on the table, where others can pick it up without your knowledge.
2. Keep Away Your SSN: Your social security number is probably the most sensitive of your personal information. It is used to get a new job, open a bank account, file your tax returns and lots more. If it falls into the wrong hands, it might spell a lot of trouble. If you discover or suspect that some person or company is meddling with it, report it immediately to any one of the three credit reporting agencies so that they can put a fraud alert on your credit file. You may also want to report it to the police and the FTC so that proper investigation can be carried out. Without taking the adequate steps to report it, you may be liable for a lot of things for a long time to income, including not being able to get a loan, buy a house, etc. Also, be wary of organizations that use it as your identification number with them. You could probably have a different type of member or user ID created for you.
3. Shred Sensitive Information: It is a wise idea to buy a paper shredder if you will be needing to get rid of a lot of documents with your personal information in it. Bills, forms and similar documents that contain your SSN, credit or debit card information, telephone numbers, date of birth and others should be shredded and not just put away in the trash can.
Whether you are a struggling low-income earner of a well-off business owner, it is one of the wisest decisions of your life that you should take steps to prevent yourself from being a victim of identity theft.
There are 3 steps that anyone can take to reduce this risk. Let us look at them one after the other.
1. Protect Your Credit Card: This is one of the most sensitive of your personal information. It is also one of the most targeted by fraudsters because it contains your financial information, which they can put to immediate use by buying stuff, etc. You should make sure that you keep your card away in your wallet or other storage system when not in use. Also, make sure that when your credit or debit card is swiped at any terminal, that the first twelve digits are masked. This will prevent potential thieves from stealing this information. When you endorse the merchant's copy, also ensure that you give it to them yourself and not leave it on the table, where others can pick it up without your knowledge.
2. Keep Away Your SSN: Your social security number is probably the most sensitive of your personal information. It is used to get a new job, open a bank account, file your tax returns and lots more. If it falls into the wrong hands, it might spell a lot of trouble. If you discover or suspect that some person or company is meddling with it, report it immediately to any one of the three credit reporting agencies so that they can put a fraud alert on your credit file. You may also want to report it to the police and the FTC so that proper investigation can be carried out. Without taking the adequate steps to report it, you may be liable for a lot of things for a long time to income, including not being able to get a loan, buy a house, etc. Also, be wary of organizations that use it as your identification number with them. You could probably have a different type of member or user ID created for you.
3. Shred Sensitive Information: It is a wise idea to buy a paper shredder if you will be needing to get rid of a lot of documents with your personal information in it. Bills, forms and similar documents that contain your SSN, credit or debit card information, telephone numbers, date of birth and others should be shredded and not just put away in the trash can.
Whether you are a struggling low-income earner of a well-off business owner, it is one of the wisest decisions of your life that you should take steps to prevent yourself from being a victim of identity theft.
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