On the pages of aSweatLife in 2020, Kensli Diggs penned a piece that called on readers to use friendship to see the perspectives of others from different walks of life. It was titled Why it’s so Important to Diversify Your Friend Group.

She said, “It’s important to diversify your friend group because it’s important to develop a familiarization and understanding of other people’s backgrounds.”

Since, we’ve seen that piece get more traffic than any other on aSweatLife, which means that people around the world have read the piece that starts with a big question. Kensli writes, “A Reuters poll completed in 2013 and cited by NBC News states that “about 40 percent of white Americans and about 25 percent of non-white Americans are surrounded exclusively by friends of their own race.” The United States still remains very segregated today, and racial prejudice is at the heart of this issue. But how do we break past these barriers to form genuine friendships?“

So, this week, nearly three years after publication, we revisit the piece with Kensli to talk through the guidance and what she would update about the piece.

This episode was recorded before the murder of Tyre Nichols, but we want to recognize that similar conversations are happening today as those that were happening in June of 2020. Remember to check on each other and to ask before sharing links to videos to avoid traumatizing or re-traumatizing each other.

References: 

• Follow Kensli Diggs
• By Kensli Diggs, Why it’s so Important to Diversify Your Friend Group. 
• Kensli’s Project, Diversity in Wellness photo series - a photo from the first shoot, From the second shoot, and from the photoshoot with kids
• From Pew Research - Data on cancel culture
• Free Museum Days in Chicago
• Meet Jeana’s puppy on Instagram
• From Greater Good at Berkeley, How many hours does it take to make to friend
• The Racial Healing Handbook
• From The Huffington Post, It's Time To Broaden Your Friend Group. Here's How To Start
• Follow: @daniellebayardjackson
• The Dyson Air Wrap