Harold Iii on code switching
From Everyday Struggle: Switching Codes for Survival | Harold Wallace III | TEDxPittsburgStateUniversity · · TEDxTalks
“Code switching is basically the changing of one's language dialect and demeanor to fit the atmosphere that you're currently in. It is a skill that many minorities, including myself, have had to develop to navigate different social environments.”
On , Harold Iii, Former CEO of McGraw-Hill at Independent, spoke about code switching during Everyday Struggle: Switching Codes for Survival | Harold Wallace III | TEDxPittsburgStateUniversity on TEDxTalks.
About Harold Iii
Harold Wallace III, who uses the name Harold Wallace III in his public appearances, delivered a TEDx talk in 2018 in which he discussed the concept of "code switching," which he defined as changing one's language, dialect, and demeanor to fit a given social environment. He described code switching as a survival skill for minorities and said he uses it because he has "a family to feed and bills to pay." Wallace also addressed microaggressions, giving examples such as asking a Hispanic student where they are from or telling an Asian-American student they speak English well. He stated that if the majority put "at least 10% of the effort" that minorities put into understanding others, "America could be a utopia," but added that "that would mean abandoning the idea of America as we know it." Harold "Terry" McGraw III, former CEO and chairman of The McGraw-Hill Companies, has spoken in various forums about trade and economic policy. In a 2015 interview as chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, he identified trade, financing for growth, human capital and education, and investment in infrastructure as key priorities. He expressed support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and for a WTO agreement on trade facilitation, stating that these measures would lead to "higher levels of growth" and "more job creation." In a 2008 keynote address, McGraw argued that business media should pursue new strategies for the new media environment while maintaining their "comparative advantage" of delivering "reliable, trustworthy, and insightful information."