Dr. Tiffiany Howard of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas: 5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society

…Role Models and Mentorship. This step resonates with me the most because outside of my role as an educator, mentoring both students and young people across many different fields has been one of my proudest achievements. It is essential that young African Americans have role models and mentors to learn from and to invest in them so that they can mature into great leaders and executives. During my term as a Senior Research Fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), I had the immense privilege of interacting with some of the most talented and ambitious young people that I have ever had the opportunity to work with in a single space. All of these CBCF interns were just so impressive. I would like to think I served as a role model to several of those talented students who have recently graduated, and that in working on research projects together I was able to mentor them in some small way. I remain in contact with several of the interns, and I plan to continue to check in to follow up with them and be a resource whenever they need because I am now deeply invested in their future success.

As part of our series about ‘5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society’ I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Tiffiany Howard.

Dr. Tiffiany Howard is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She earned her joint doctorate in political science and public policy from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Her fields of specialization include international security, immigration and refugee policy, and comparative analyses of race, gender and ethnicity. Howard recently completed a Small Business and Entrepreneurship Senior Research Fellowship with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, where she was the lead author on studies titled, “Banks and the Black Community: What Can Major Commercial and Retail Banking Institutions Do to Better Support Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses in the U.S.?” and “Black Health and Black Wealth: Understanding the Intricate Linkages Between Income, Health, and Wealth for African Americans.”

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

My family is originally from Georgia, so I was born in Atlanta, but ended up being raised in Washington, D.C. I spent my summers, however, in rural Georgia with my grandparents, so I feel that I’m a bit of a mix of southern charm and D.C. ambition and savvy. I’m also an only child and I grew up as a scholar-athlete. I pride myself on still maintaining that balance between physical and mental discipline, and I know that possessing this dual dynamic is why I am fiercely competitive and driven.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

I’m an avid reader, so it is truly difficult to pick just one book. However, I am a lover of historical fiction, and one of my favorite books in this genre is “The Twentieth Wife” by Indu Sundaresan, which tells the story of Nur Jahan, a woman born as a commoner who rose to power and became the Empress of Mughal India. It’s a rich and compelling story of sacrifice and perseverance that just resonated with me when I first read it.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

Growing up, I was a competitive swimmer, and at the swim meets they always sold food, clothing, and swim gear. After one meet, I saw this t-shirt and I ended up buying it because it had the following phrase on it: “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”

I was just a kid when I saw and purchased that shirt, and that phrase has stuck with me over the course of my life, probably because I understand the truth of the statement. Whenever I have stumbled in my professional and personal life, it has always been because I lost sight of who I was and my purpose for being there. Recalling that phrase has always helped me get back on track and focus on the goal I originally set out to accomplish.

How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

To me, leadership is defined as the act of putting one’s needs, wants, and ego aside for the collective good and welfare of the people a person has taken responsibility for. I do not want to get too political but examples of this are when President Obama pushed to pass the Affordable Care Act during his first term, knowing it could cost him re-election, or the many U.S. governors from both sides of the aisle who closed down their states and did not bend to attacks and pressure to reopen quickly amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?

Oh this is simple! I use this regimen for whenever I face any challenging discussion or difficult meeting. Usually, I know it’s coming so I plan my day. I wake up earlier than usual and meditate and pray. I then do a grueling workout to work through any anxiety. And finally, on my drive to the destination, I listen to positive affirmations — no music or talk radio, just that. And without fail I walk into whatever situation I’m facing generally calm and centered.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. The United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This is of course a huge topic. But briefly, can you share your view on how this crisis inexorably evolved to the boiling point that it’s at now?

Undoubtedly, the pandemic, coupled with the slow and disconnected response of the federal government, was the catalyst for the culmination of anger and frustration over race relations in the United States. The pandemic has highlighted the health and economic disparities that have plagued this nation for centuries, and with the brutal murder of George Floyd, there was no hiding the fact that the African American experience in the U.S. is quite different from those of other Americans.

Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience working with initiatives to promote Diversity and Inclusion? Can you share a story with us?

Throughout my entire career, I have used my position as an African American female professor to promote diversity and inclusion and advocate for all of my students, but specifically to be a voice for my minority and female students where I am the only African American professor they have taken a class with, or more notably the only African American female professor they’ve ever had.

In my general work capacity, I have served on the committees of pretty much all of the black and brown students that have come through our graduate program. Also, I have made a concerted effort to encourage my gifted undergraduate female students of color to graduate from the Honors College and pursue high-level careers in international relations, law, and security — which they had never considered until I pulled them aside, sat them down, and had a conversation with them about their future. The saddest thing is that for my undergraduate students, I often get them too late, and don’t have them in my classroom until they are second semester juniors or seniors, and many of the opportunities they are qualified for, it is now too late for them to pursue.

One of the reasons why these students slip through the cracks is because I am only one person.

I am the only African American faculty member in my department, and I see potential in students of color where others may not. However, if I am on leave, or not teaching in the classroom that year, then many gifted students of color are overlooked, which is something that can be rectified with the purposeful and strategic retention and recruitment of African American faculty.

Beyond my work with students, I’m a member of the Black Professional Women’s Alliance and Council of African American Professionals at UNLV. I also sit on the executive boards of the Nevada Faculty Alliance (NFA) and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS), where I use my voice to continually stress the need for the retention and recruitment of African American faculty and staff, as well as other faculty and staff of color.

So, I am always working to be an active voice of diversity and inclusion, not just in my department or at my university, but in my discipline and broader academia.

This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

Diversity in leadership is essential if a business or organization truly wants to thrive. Every person operates from a unique lens that is defined by their childhood, socio-economic background, environment and socio-cultural exposure to people of different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, etc. Therefore, if an organization’s leadership structure is monolithic in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender then only a singular perspective is being articulated, which doesn’t reflect the diverse and multicultural society that is indicative of the U.S.

We have seen how detrimental it is to have a monolithic leadership structure in the advertising and entertainment industries, where racist and offensive products, images, and stories are told from the perspective of one group, which are one-dimensional caricatures and representations of an entire group of people. That is why products such as Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Gone with the Wind are now being retired. However, these are just two industries — we need to see diversity and inclusion take hold in the leadership structures of every industry before change is transformative.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. You are an influential business leader. Can you please share your “5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society”. Kindly share a story or example for each.

1. Maternal Health Care and Health Equity. Ensuring that all expecting mothers are receiving quality maternal health care is the absolute first step. For example, African American women are four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women. Also, when compared to white women, African American women are more likely to be uninsured, they face greater financial barriers to health care when they need it, and they are less likely to access and receive proper prenatal care. In addition — because Black women experience higher rates of many preventable chronic health conditions and diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease — when African American women do become pregnant, these health conditions have a negative impact on both maternal and infant health outcomes. As a result, many Black babies enter the world already experiencing racial and health disparities.
2. Equality in Education. Equality in education is the second step. If African American children are suffering from nutritional deficiencies that affect their cognitive and behavioral performance in school then that must first be rectified before they can properly learn — and the Head Start program and school lunch programs have played a significant role in addressing this issue. Beyond basic nutritional and physical needs, all students must have access to the same resources and quality education. There remain disparities in the amount of money spent per black pupil versus the amount of money spent per white pupil, and this is a nationwide problem. Until the needs of all students are equally served, a truly equitable society is unachievable.
3. Role Models and Mentorship. This step resonates with me the most because outside of my role as an educator, mentoring both students and young people across many different fields has been one of my proudest achievements. It is essential that young African Americans have role models and mentors to learn from and to invest in them so that they can mature into great leaders and executives. During my term as a Senior Research Fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), I had the immense privilege of interacting with some of the most talented and ambitious young people that I have ever had the opportunity to work with in a single space. All of these CBCF interns were just so impressive. I would like to think I served as a role model to several of those talented students who have recently graduated, and that in working on research projects together I was able to mentor them in some small way. I remain in contact with several of the interns, and I plan to continue to check in to follow up with them and be a resource whenever they need because I am now deeply invested in their future success.
4. Representative Leadership. Without diverse voices at the table, only one narrative is told. Thus, we need representative leadership in our political institutions, financial institutions, business and industry, and even our educational institutions. For example, I attended Florida A&M University for my undergraduate studies, and that is honestly where I gained the confidence to pursue my Ph.D., because I was surrounded by Black male and female professors with doctorates. Thus, I firmly believe in the education of African American students at HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities). At the same time, there is a need for African American professors at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) too, because again, without diverse voices at the table, only one narrative is told. We need black faculty at PWIs as much as we need them at HBCUs so that they can recruit and then advocate for students who look like them, and so that they can also recruit faculty and staff members who are equally committed to achieving diversity and inclusion at the institution.
5. Closing the Racial Wealth Gap. The absolute expression of creating an inclusive and equitable society will be achieved when we have completely closed the racial wealth gap. I discuss in my research on Black entrepreneurship that there are two pathways to closing the Black-white racial wealth gap. One is through attaining higher education and the other is through Black entrepreneurship. I specifically stress the business ownership pathway, mainly because crippling student loan debt has made wealth attainment more difficult for African American college graduates than it has ever been before. When it comes to Black business ownership, the pathway to attaining wealth is more straightforward. For example, the median net worth for Black business owners is 12 times higher than that of Black non-business owners. And when examining the net worth of Black business owners in comparison to the net worth of white business owners, it becomes clear that entrepreneurship represents a pathway to narrowing the racial wealth gap. While whites have 13 times the wealth of African Americans, when comparing the median wealth of Black and white business owners, the median wealth gap decreases to that of three. Therefore, while reparations and baby bonds have been promoted as mechanisms to close the racial wealth gap, a more tangible avenue that is also evidenced-based is to commit to investing in and supporting Black entrepreneurship and black businesses.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Michelle Obama, because she is everyone’s role model or at least she should be!

And Shonda Rhimes because, beyond being an avid reader, I am also a fiction novelist and I write about complex but successful and driven African American women who are negotiating the equally complex relationships in their lives. With that said, she is a brilliant writer and an inspiration. Every show that she is involved in, her depiction of African American women has been so authentic and real that I am truly grateful to her for giving a space and a voice to black women on screen, who have historically been marginalized and portrayed as one-dimensional.

How can our readers follow you online?

Twitter: @DrTiffiany

Web: https://www.unlv.edu/news/expert/tiffiany-howard

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!