Thea Lobell, M.S.W. is a Tallahassee-based professional keynote speaker,
trainer, and consultant on
using diversity as an asset to increase cooperation and productivity.
She is the Tallahassee Chapter of ASTD's
year 2000 "Member-At-Large for Special Events." She is a trained psychotherapist
with advanced clinical training and is an innovative, award-winning speaker
who has earned consistently high reviews. With her warm and personable
style, Thea delivers inspirational life lessons that engage and enlighten.
Her content laden presentations utilize a multitude of techniques proven
to help create positive environments that encourage the appreciation of
diversity.
For an organization to be successful, team leaders and members need to help create environments that enhance the appreciation of diversity. Successful managers encourage their employees to realize their potential and thrive. Additionally, trainers should take actions that will create environments that celebrate the unique contributions of each organizational member.
Thea's presentation was a heartfelt disclosure of her life's experience and world view. She was raised in Southern Louisiana and has a rich cultural heritage. She recounted her early family life which included fond memories of family time around meals. Her family used mealtime for socializing and sharing daily experiences. Mealtimes were special occasions for her and her family, and that is why she has included the recipe for gumbo in her presentation. I view the inclusion of the recipe as a lagniappe (Cajun for: A little Something Extra).
She can be reached at: TVL6882@garnet.acns.fsu.edu OR Phone 850-656-1188.
One of her stories that touched me was about her family's thanksgiving tradition. She explained that her family would eat at one of the many plantations near her home town. One day someone asked her what plans she had for thanksgiving. She told them about her family's tradition of eating thanksgiving dinner at a plantation and the person expressed some dismay at the idea of eating at a plantation that may have been engaged in slavery at one time. This experience made Thea think about her culture and she began a journey of self reflection with regard to sensitivity and history. She also pointed out that many of the neighborhoods in Tallahassee have the word plantation in thier name. This particular situation means different things to different people. Being sensitive to another person's cultural world view is important to interpersonal relations. Culture is so imbedded in our world view that sometimes we do not see how we may offend another with our unknown inherent insensitivity. Thea presented a glossary of terms from which she presented her stories of diversity. Here they are:
Glossary of Diversity Terms
1. Bias- A distortion of judgment, prejudice.
2. Discrimination- The negative treatment of people based
on primary or secondary diversity characteristics.
3. Diversity- The mosaic of people who bring a variety
of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, values, and beliefs as assets to
the groups and organizations with which they interact.
4. Ethnocentrism- The belief that one's own group is
inherently superior to all others.
5. Gumbo Ya-Ya- A South Louisiana colloquialism meaning
everybody talks at once.
6. Organizational Culture- A system of informal rules
that guide how individuals relate to one another. It involves the
assumptions, practices, values, and often taken-for-granted ways of viewing
the world.
7. Pluralism- An organization or society in which members
with diverse characteristics maintain their own cultures and tradition
and in which differences are valued.
8. Prejudice- An opinion about an individual, group,
or phenomenon that is developed without proof or systematic evidence.
The tendency to see differences as weaknesses.
9. Primary dimensions of diversity- Aspects of ourselves,
which we cannot change: physical qualities, ethnicity, race, age, sexual
orientation, and gender. People are most sensitive to discrimination
based on primary dimensions.
10. Secondary dimensions of diversity- Aspects of ourselves
which are not readily apparent to others. We have the choice as to
disclosure of this information: income, work background, geographical location,
marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, education, and
parental status.
11. Stereotype- A relatively rigid conception of a group
of people in which individuals in the group are assumed to have similar
characteristics.
Gumbo
Ya-Ya
Gumbo Ya-Ya
Gumbo Ya-Ya
Gumbo Ya-Ya
Gumbo Ya-Ya Accordian
Man Playing Cajun Music
Gumbo Ya-Ya
Is a term Thea used to describe the phenomenon at her family's dinner table (A South Louisiana colloquialism meaning everybody talks at once.). It sounds like if you went to dinner with her family, you would have many conversations with which to participate. My family talks allot also. Thea shared this lagniappe with us:
Glenda's Great Tasting Gumbo
1 cup vegetable oil or lard.
3/4 cup flour.
About 10 oz.'s of chopped onion, celery, and bell peppers
(you can use cut okra as well).
3 cloves of minced garlic.
2.5 quarts chicken stock.
1 (3 lb.) chicken.
2 lbs. of quality smoked sausage.
Salt, pepper, parsley, & red pepper to taste.
Cut chicken as for stew. Brown the chicken and cook the sausage.
To make the roux, a heavy pot (cast iron if possible) is very important. Mix the flour and oil thoroughly and then turn on the fire under the pot on medium to low. Constantly stir the roux until it reaches a dark caramel color (about 30-40 minutes) (if black specs show up in roux, you didn't stir constantly and the roux is not useable: start over).
Add chopped vegetables, sauté stirring on occasion for a few minutes. Add garlic, stir and sauté for a minute. Add the stock and bring to a rapid boil for several minutes. Stir and then add chicken, allow it to simmer for a couple of hours. Add sausage, salt, pepper, parsley, and red pepper and allow to simmer for another hour.
Serve over rice.
File' may be sprinkled on by individuals. (File'
is ground sassafras leaves. It adds a mild flavor and helps with thickening)
The traditional side items for gumbo are potato salad
and garlic bread.
Bon appetit!!
Did you know that the African word for okra is Gumbo? I learned this word watching Vertamae Grosvenor's cooking show: The America's Family Kitchen. Here are some of her cooking tips.
The City of Tallahassee is hosting a diversity dialogue in January as an annual part of the Mayor's Initiative on Race Relations that began in 1997 and involves non-violent change training, study circles, and youth in problem solving. This is the original press release on this initiative. I want to be there to participate, but unfortunately I will be out of town training that week.
Sharon Ofuani is coordinating this diversity event for the City of Tallahassee and she can be reached at 891-8290 or ofuanis@mail.ci.tlh.fl.us