You found our list of diversity and inclusion quotes for work.
Diversity and inclusion quotes are sayings that speak to equality, acceptance, and fair treatment of all people. For example ” “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi” The purpose of these sayings is to inspire thought, discussion, and action about making the work world a more equitable and respectful place for all employees. These sayings are also known as “diversity quotes” and “DEI quotes.”
Sharing these saying is an example of workplace diversity activities and online inclusion activities. These phrases are similar to Black History Month quotes, Women’s History Month quotes and Jewish Heritage Month quotes.
This list includes:
- short diversity quotes
- diversity quotes for work
- unity in diversity quotes
- diversity quotes from business leaders
- inclusion and diversity quotes
- cultural diversity quotes
- quotes about equality
- quotes about respecting differences
Let’s get started.
Short diversity quotes
- “Society is unity in diversity.” – George Herbert Mead
- “Our concern is to heal. Our concern is to bring together.” – Harold Washington
- “Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” – Malcolm Forbes
- “Share our similarities, celebrate our differences.” – M. Scott Peck
- “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey
- “Talent perceives differences; genius, unity.” -William Butler Yeats
- “We have to transcend our differences to transform our future.” – Antonio Guterres
- “Diversity is a mix and inclusion is making the mix work.” – Andrés Tapia
- “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “A democracy thrives on diversity. Tyranny oppresses it.” – Sam Brownback
- “Too many of us still believe our differences define us.” – John Lewis
- “Before God, we are all equally wise, and equally foolish.” – Albert Einstein
Diversity quotes for work
- “When we’re talking about diversity, it’s not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.” – Ava DuVernay
- “The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity – that it’s this or maybe that – you have just one large statement; it is this.” – Chinua Achebe
- “We have no hope of solving our problems without harnessing the diversity, the energy, and the creativity of all our people.” – Roger Wilkins
- “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” – John F. Kennedy
- “You don’t have true freedom until you allow a diversity of opinion and a diversity of voices.” – Don Lemon
- “Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible – the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.” – Virginia Satir
- “You do not want to be in a creative organization with everybody being like-minded and stroking each other’s creative egos. You want differences of opinion… constructively.” – Cate Blanchett
- “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.” – Maya Angelou
- “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” – Jane Goodall
- “Leadership should be focused on extending the ladder of opportunity for everyone.” – Justin Trudeau
Unity in diversity quotes
- “Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.” – Jacqueline Woodson
- “What we have to do… is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.” – Hillary Clinton
- “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde
- “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” – Bono
- “Sometimes we are separated by differences, and sometimes we are united by common ideals of respect and compassion.” – Paul Watson
- “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Unity, not uniformity, must be our aim. We attain unity only through variety. Differences must be integrated, not annihilated, not absorbed.” – Mary Parker Follett
Diversity quotes from business leaders
- “Diversity and inclusion, which are the real grounds for creativity, must remain at the center of what we do.” – Marco Bizzarri
- “To get real diversity of thought, you need to find the people who genuinely hold different views and invite them into the conversation.” – Adam Grant
- “If you believe, as we believe, that diversity leads to better products, and we’re all about making products that enrich people’s lives, then you obviously put a ton of energy behind diversity the same way you would put a ton of energy behind anything else that is truly important.” – Tim Cook
- “Learn to enjoy and respect each other’s differences.” – Fred Meijer
- “Corporate social responsibility is measured in terms of businesses improving conditions for their employees, shareholders, communities, and environment. But moral responsibility goes further, reflecting the need for corporations to address fundamental ethical issues such as inclusion, dignity, and equality.” – Klaus Schwab
- “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” – Sundar Pichai
- “You can’t categorize diversity based on what a person looks like. It’s what that person can do for the organization.” – Charles K Poole
- “We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges.” – Tim Berners-Lee
- The path to diversity begins with supporting, mentoring, and sponsoring diverse women and men to become leaders and entrepreneurs.” – Denise Morrison
Inclusion and diversity quotes
- “No matter who we are or what we look like or what we may believe, it is both possible and, more importantly, it becomes powerful to come together in common purpose and common effort.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” – Maya Angelou
- “Diversity really means becoming complete as human beings – all of us. We learn from each other. If you’re missing on that stage, we learn less. We all need to be on that stage.” – Juan Felipe Herrera
- “I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap.” – Ani DiFranco
- “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” – Verna Myers
- “Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard.” Liz Fosslien
- “The difference between diversity and inclusion is being invited to a house and being able to rearrange the furniture.” – Jane Silber
Cultural diversity quotes
- “The world has only one border. It is called humanity. The differences between us are small compared to our shared humanity. Put humans first.” – Nadia Murad
- “I’ve traveled around the world, and what’s so revealing is that, despite the differences in culture, politics, language, how people dress, there is a universal feeling that we all want the same thing. We deeply want to be respected and appreciated for our differences.” – Howard Schultz
- “Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity.” –
- Robert Alan
- “If we were to select the most intelligent, imaginative, energetic, and emotionally stable third of mankind, all races would be present.” – Franz Boas
- “The key to community is the acceptance, in fact the celebration of our individual and cultural differences. It is also the key to world peace.” – M. Scott Peck
- “In today’s interconnected and globalized world, it is now commonplace for people of dissimilar world views, faiths and races to live side by side. It is a matter of great urgency, therefore, that we find ways to cooperate with one another in a spirit of mutual acceptance and respect.” – Dalai Lama
- “The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” – Wade Davis
- “Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.” – John Hume.
- “We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.” – Kofi Annan
Quotes about equality
- “There should be no discrimination against languages people speak, skin color, or religion.” – Malala Yousafzai
- “The history of the past is but one long struggle upward to equality.” – Elizabeth Cady Stanton
- “Until we get equality in education, we won’t have an equal society.” – Sonia Sotomayor
- “Equal rights, fair play, justice, are all like the air: we all have it, or none of us has it. That is the truth of it.” – Maya Angelou
- “All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.” – John F. Kennedy
- “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.” – Thomas Sowell
Quotes about respecting others’ differences
- “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” – Thomas Jefferson.
- “What we need to do is learn to respect and embrace our differences until our differences don’t make a difference in how we are treated.” – Yolanda King
- “Growing up, I decided, a long time ago, I wouldn’t accept any manmade differences between human beings, differences made at somebody else’s insistence or someone else’s whim or convenience.” – Maya Angelou
- “It’s just really important that we start celebrating our differences. Let’s start tolerating first, but then we need to celebrate our differences.” – Billie Jean King
- “It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow’s viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences.” – Harry S Truman
- “I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other. Everything comes from an understanding that you are a gift in my life – whoever you are, whatever our differences.” – John Denver
- “Recognizing and respecting differences in others, and treating everyone like you want them to treat you, will help make our world a better place for everyone. Care … be your best. You dont have to be handicapped to be different. Everyone is different!” -Kim Peek
Conclusion
Talking about diversity and inclusion is an important step towards achieving equality, however many folks are unsure of how to talk about the topic at work. Quotes are a way to raise the subject and start the discussion without worrying about saying the wrong thing. These sayings can inspire employees, which can in turn inspire action.
For more sayings that speak towards diversity, check out these lists of Arab Heritage quotes, AAPI History Month quotes, Latinx Heritage quotes, Indigenous Heritage quotes, disability awareness quotes, and mental health awareness quotes.
Next, learn more about the benefits of diversity in the workplace and check out our Pride Month ideas for work.
Grace He