Multicultural intelligence, MQ, is another type of intelligence which can play an important role for people and their businesses as well. Ultimately, the most successful companies are those who realize that developing a relationship with multicultural consumers requires a commitment of time, money, and other resources. The key to marketing success with any consumer group is to have a genuine interest in your customer, their needs, and how to fill those needs. The better you understand someone, the better you can market to them. Different people of different races have different values and it is important to understand that of a group you wish to reach.

The 17-year-old boy used in a focus group of African American teens, both opened up the client’s eyes and mine. There is an unspoken reality that white people associate crime with black people. This was an “ahh” moment to me, as something clicked in my brain I never noticed before. I would be more afraid of a black man than a white man. I would be more likely to think a black person is a criminal over a white person. And this belief isn’t just me, it’s society. We hear horror stories of blacks being wrongfully convicted or even shot and killed by police, and this is why. Diversity training for a company is a good idea to eliminate racist bias and expand their market.

I can remember my first experience realizing that race was a thing. I have a vivid memory of my gymboree class with my mom. I must have been 3 or 4. I remember asking my mom why some people were brown and some people were black, pointing out an African-American mother and child. I  remember my mom responding negatively to my question, like it was something I couldn’t ask. 

I am honestly not surprised that my results of the Harvard implicit racism test showed a moderate automatic preference for white people over black people. I am no way saying I prefer white people,  but I do believe that my brain is wired that way. When completing the test I responded faster when good and white were paired and black and  bad were paired. I don’t know why or how, but it was easier that way. Maybe this is due to society and the world I grew up in, where for some unexplained reason, we fear black people.  I believe this reflects my childhood, growing up in a predominantly white area, raised by a white family. I still have had relationships with black people and people of other cultures. I have traveled the world, lived in Tel Aviv for a summer, and lived in Barcelona for a semester. I thought I was very aware and accepting of all diverse cultures. However, it appears this is far more deep rooted. I will take up diversity training and do everything I can to stay aware of this.

I hope in the future implicit bias decreases, and MQ increases. Businesses should see diversity training in their company’s best interest.