On Dec. 5, 2016, the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business hosted Dedication To Community (D2C), an international forum for the exchange of ideas in business and society. The purpose of the tour is to empower all generations in business, bringing them out from behind traditional means of learning by encouraging them to interact with successful executives in a real-time, exciting and in-person dialogue.
The D2C tour was created by M. Quentin Williams, a well-respected attorney, business advisor and crisis management consultant with more than 25 years of established legal and business expertise in the sports, entertainment, media, technology, and law enforcement industries. Read Williams' account of the event below.
Re-Shaping Our World
How a More Inclusive Society Makes Us All Better
It is not just our responsibility, but rather, it is our privilege to address the issues of corporate, academic and social inclusion in a compassionate and robust manner.
Our immediate future as a civilized society depends on it!
On Dec. 5, 2016, I had the pleasure of participating at Dedication To Community's (D2C) Action & Awareness Forum in partnership with Associate Dean Victor Mullins, Executive Director Terrill Drake and the University of Maryland (UMD) Smith Business School family. During the course of D2C's two-hour forum, a noticeable shifting of the dialogue from just a conversation to a next-step Plan of Action was conceived.
As panelist Assistant Police Chief Kim Royster (NYPD) so eloquently stated, "This is who I am!"
It is time to own and embrace our differences, step into the beauty of those qualities and then to allow for the revelation of our sameness.
We are at a pivotal point in the history of our nation. And as a global leader, America must display to the world that inclusiveness provides greater opportunity for all. It expands the pool of possibilities and highlights the talents of those who otherwise may have been kept in darkness.
I was that kid. The one who many thought would never amount to much. Given my childhood circumstances - burdened by poverty, a drug-infested environment and learning challenges as a child - I was supposed to be a statistic. However, because of the love of a caring mother, maternal grandparents, brother, key mentors, and friends, I was positioned to maximize my potential. The desire for those with the ability to open up a world of opportunity to me resulted in the creation of a life that has been beyond my wildest dreams. And it has all been based on the notion of developing a more inclusive existence for all of us, with equality for all as a basis of understanding.
Inclusiveness is the reason why I breathe. For without it, I would have been but an afterthought in the minds of many people.
UMD's Smith School is doing something very special! It is obvious to me that leading the way our greater society approaches education and business in this vital area of "Diversity & Inclusion" is the school's mission, and I am proud to say that we are partners.
“Stay dedicated to your dreams. Don’t give up, and your place in this world will find you.”
For more information about D2C, visit: www.dedicationtocommunity.org.
- M. Quentin Williams, Founder, Dedication To Community
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.