The Recipe for Genuine Communication

In the December 1960 issue of The Atlantic, Benjamin E. Mays, an American Baptist minister and civil rights leader, wrote an incredible article titled, “A Plea for Straight Talk Between the Races.” Within this beautifully written piece, Mays clearly articulates that even with the backdrop of set backs to race relations in the United States, it is open, honest, and sincere communication that is key to progress for the civil rights movement and to bridge the divides of the national discourse at that time. Simply put, “Honest communication is built on truth and integrity and upon respect of the one for the other.”

I will be the first to admit that after reading and reflecting on Mays’ article in The Atlantic, I couldn’t help but think the core message around the way we communicate as a society resonates just as clearly today as it did in 1960. In fact, it’s terrifying to think that 61 years after this article was written, in a time where people have more mechanisms to communicate with one another and with a broader reach than at any point previously in human history, we are still falling into the same traps. While a lot is being said every single day, how much of it is built on truth and integrity? How much of it is built upon a foundation of mutual respect?

While this topic echoes across both our personal and professional lives, let’s take a moment to focus…