Member Spotlight

Barbara Porter

Diversity Council First Vice President

“The world is my hometown, and its people are my people” –Barbara Porter

Board member Barbara Porter’s personal journey has taken her around the world and to the Diversity Council in Rochester, Minnesota. With her father in the U.S. Air Force, Barbara’s family moved frequently, living on both U.S. coasts as well as in Japan and Germany. Before graduating from high school, Barbara had changed schools 18 times. These moving experiences honed Barbara’s ability to make friends quickly in a variety of cultures and places, and to appreciate newness and learning.

When Barbara and her family settled in Rochester in October 1991, Barbara began this process again, making friends quickly and working to make this community “her hometown.” She began by volunteering within her church community and within the African American community. At that time, she was aware of the Diversity Council’s good work (at that time the Diversity Council was Building Equality Together) but was working to make a difference for young people through other avenues.

As the Diversity Council increased its focus on education, Porter saw her personal mission and the organization’s mission converging. As a parent, she could see that education alone would not fix problems in her daughter’s school, but knew that education would be part of the solution.

Barbara explains, “Education is not a panacea—it doesn’t solve all ills. Education is a vaccine for bias—it builds trust for new relationships and provides new ideas and opportunities.”

As her involvement in the Diversity Council has deepened, Porter sees how the Diversity Council’s mission affects her work at Mayo Medical School, as president of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, and as a Board member at the Rochester Boys and Girls Clubs. Barbara encourages others to become a part of the Diversity Council:

“I believe that the Diversity Council is one of the more important and effective organizations in the community. The Prejudice Reduction Workshops use a proven methodology to work with learners who are our future. The Diversity Council is partnering with businesses, schools, youth-serving agencies, parents and community groups. We can’t do this alone.”

1130 1/2 7th St NW, Suite 204 , Rochester, MN 55901 · Tel: 507.282.9951 · Fax: 507.282.9964 · info@diversitycouncil.org

Diversity...It's all about respect.