Guard Your Gates

In the Room by Rod Patterson

“Two Virginians and an immigrant walk into a room

Diametrically opposed…foes

They emerge with a compromise
Having open doors that were previously closed…Bros

The immigrant emerges with unprecedented financial power
A system he can shape however he wants
The Virginians emerge with the nation’s capital
And here’s the pièce de résistance

“No one else was in the room where it happened”

Those are the lyrics to the award winning play, Hamilton, written and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

It musically describes a controversial deal made among Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.  They struck a deal that gave Hamilton the power he wanted over the banks and Jefferson/Madison chose the location of the Capitol.  Aaron Burr,  played by Leslie Odom, Jr., was left out of the decision making process.  He longed to be among the decision makers.  As I listened to the song over and over, I was reminded of how many times this scene played out in real time over the course of my 30 plus year career in the insurance industry.

Leslie Odom, Jr. belted out “I want to be in the room where it happens”, and it was a punch in the gut and deepened my resolve to work for and to see real change. “Me too,” I thought. I have seen so much change over the years in this industry, like the pink paper message notes left on your desk and paper files turn into electronic ones, desk phones turned into mobile phones, and snail mail turn into email, and now, with the advent of AI, who knows what is next. Plenty has changed.

But here is what we are still trying to change…   Giving blacks and people of color access to the “Room Where It Happens.”  

Recently, some of us have made it into that “room” but it is still largely and exclusionary club.

Did you know that there is a “room”?

It sounds simple and obvious, but it is not. Unless you know it is there, you will not look for it. You will not set a goal to pursue it. You will only be affected by the decisions that come out of it.

Blacks and people of color continue to be omitted from key circles and networking events and meeting places where decisions and opportunities of advancement are discussed.

Not surprisingly, after the George Floyd murder and similar horrible incidents, many companies initiated or dusted off long discarded plans of inclusion. Two years later, no measurable change has taken place. What can we do about it? Despite clear evidence revealing the benefits of a diverse corporate board or executive team, African Americans and people of color continue to be conspicuously absent from “The Room Where It Happens.” Am I wrong? What are your thoughts on this? How to we change this reality?

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