Tuesday, April 6, 2010

The Trouble with Diversity

Here's something we're learning: calls for "diversity" that ignore longstanding inequities and inequalities can actually have some troubling results. Ironically, we end up seeing people design diversity efforts that are unfavorable toward black people.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Isn’t it quite odd that calls for diversity on campuses have essentially become calls for sameness? Diversity is about difference. Diversity is acutely aware that students, for example black students, may live/work/study in the same spaces, but sometimes have vastly different experiences within those spaces.

Until we recognize the inequities/inequalities and acknowledge any bias created by university systems, diversity programs are only band aids, which may hide the hurt but cause more harm.