Beyond the Box: Embracing a World Without Boundaries

Drawing on a lifetime of work experience characterized by utilizing the dynamism of diversity and by recent experiences of friendships with Indigenous communities, Bob Graves will explore how, by thinking creatively and moving beyond traditional ideas, people from different cultural backgrounds can better understand and appreciate each other. This mutual understanding can foster friendships and create a more welcoming atmosphere for everyone.   

Bob was born and raised on Long Island, in New York, where the foundation of his compassionate and inclusive worldview was laid. Now seventy-two years old, Bob sees his life as having been marked by a commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and community in every environment he touched. One of his core beliefs is that work is a form of worship. This philosophy has guided his actions and shaped the environments in which he has found himself.

Bob’s work career began with Dover Publications, where he rose to the role of distribution and traffic manager. Dover’s warehouse was such a mosaic of cultures (Filipino, Greek, Brazilian, Haitian, and more) that the staff affectionately called it their “mini–United Nations.” To build on the dynamism of the diversity, Bob introduced Bahá’í consultation to the warehouse staff, which fostered an atmosphere of collective decision-making and respect. The strengthened bonds among employees, which increased productivity and morale, led to promoting women (over half the staff) from within the team to be the first female supervisors in the warehouse’s history—a move that reflected Bob’s dedication to merit and inclusivity. Bob also championed the hiring of employees with emotional and other disabilities, transforming the warehouse into an environment that functioned as a sheltered workshop. 

Bob also worked on the other side of publishing—Borders Books and Music—and as a district manager with ActionLink, where his adaptable schedule allowed him to balance work and family and to care for his ailing mother.

In 2021, Bob moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he encountered a nuanced social landscape of Anglos, Hispanics, and Native Americans who, some told him, coexisted, but with underlying prejudices. Bob set out to break down these invisible barriers, making a conscious effort to connect with, understand, and socialize with people from all backgrounds, especially the Kewa, Lakota, and Navaho whom he befriended. After three years in New Mexico, he has returned to Long Island to be closer to his two children and five grandchildren. Bob Graves feels that his life stands as a testament to the power of empathy, the value of diversity, and the enduring impact of leading by example.