Since my admission into the Morrill Scholars Program, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has been continuously teaching me about all of the aspects that make up diversity, such as race, ability and socio-economic status. The showing and discussion of the movie “Cincinnati Goddamn” contributed toward my personal development by showing me the importance of embracing my race, as well as the responsibility I have toward seeking equality for all races. With events such as this one, I have gained a passion for speaking out against injustices toward minorities. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion has also contributed to my educational development by setting a GPA requirement that pushes me to do the best I can. It serves as a huge motivator in
Supporting the success for diverse students on campus is just the beginning to make their experience as equal to that of the white community. Without positive campus attitude and without the recognition of what diversity brings to a school and a classroom, the system would not thrive and those of a different ethnic background will not be inclined to attend. The conclusion to Espinosa’s, Gaertner, and Orfields article is that college and university leaders
When a person presently looks at university school systems, one never imagines the struggle to obtain such diverse campuses. With Caucasians, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans all willing and able to attend any institution, it is difficult now to envision a world where, because of one’s skin color, a person is denied university acceptance. In actuality, this world existed only fifty years ago. In a time of extreme racial discrimination, African Americans fought and struggled toward one of many goals: to integrate schools. As a pioneer in the South, a man named James Meredith took a courageous step by applying to the University of Mississippi, an all white
Our racial ethnicity is influential in what we do in life, whether it would be with school, personal relations, or even job opportunities. There are many Americans today that hold racial prejudice against people of different color and different ethnicity, which as a result narrows many opportunities that minorities can actually have. In the essay “Race in America: “We Would Like To Believe We Are Over The Problem” Maryann Cusimano Love an associate professor of international relations in the Politics Department at Catholic University, addresses “To “get over” racial problems” (Love 387) we need to acknowledge them as well as the history of those racial problems in order to move forward as a multicultural society. Love reveals a study conducted by The University of Connecticut which shows “19 percent of the 14,000 college
Iverson uses critical race theory (CRT) to examine how discourses of diversity, circulating in educational policies, reflect and produce realities for people of color on university campus. Analysis reveals four predominant discourses shaping images of people of color: access, disadvantage, marketplace, and democracy. This article aims to enhance understanding about how racial inequality is reproduced through educational policies. CRT originated in the 1970s to contest the absence of attention to race in the courts and in law. Data from an analysis of 21 diversity action plans issued at 20 U.S. land-grant universities. Use of NVivo computer software designed for qualitative data analysis. He sought universities that had a diversity committee,
Inequality towards minorities in the United States has been established to be forgotten but in this century we have noticed that it has never gone away but instead been covered with other structures that allow inequality to take place. Being a minority and watching this video reminded me of the inequalities that I will still have to face throughout my education and career path. For many of us we have been tracked since elementary and allowed structures figure out where we belong due to our race, economic status, immigration status. For some students, we realize the inequalities that we have been given and try to make a change that will affect us and future generations. Cases like Brown vs. Board of Education and Mendez vs. Wethcmister Shows
Growing up as the only white kid in my elementary school classes didn’t feel ostracizing, but was my first lesson in diversity and cultural respect. Despite my the economically, socially, and racially diverse surroundings, I came from a conservative home, and was often isolated from a diversified mindset. Still, the diminutive self-awareness I was fostering began to grow, under heavy influence from a sixth grade teacher. Ms. Ray talked about subjects that I was unaware adults could discuss, presenting the option
The next segment during Diversity Day would have counselors running groups in order to educate students to stand up for others and also hear first-hand stories from other students that have been treated differently for being different. Counselors will facilitate students in discussing past stories of witnessing or receiving discrimination and have the students discuss what they have heard. For students that have witnessed these acts, they can discuss how they felt when they decided to stop the act of discrimination. Additionally, they can also discuss with the student how they felt when they decided to not stop the act of discrimination. For the students that have suffered from acts of discrimination they can explain how they felt when someone stepped in to help them. Additionally, students can explain how it felt when no one stepped in and just watched as they suffered from discrimination. The purpose of this activity is to educate the students on how the victims feel when someone helps them compared to someone who does not. Additionally, it will educate students on how people felt when they helped someone in need compared to someone who watched the incident without intervening.
Racial diversity is something that is often discussed on college campuses. As a student who self-identifies as a minority in more ways than one I often feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the subject of racism and race. However, often times when these issue are discussed I learn something new; this was the case when reading the articles this week. This week’s articles examined the issue of race from different perspectives. This allowed me to re-examine the issue in a fuller manner; it also allowed me to question some of my own notions that I hadn’t really challenged before.
Another topic discussed was ways to stop discrimination within professions and in everyday circumstances. Using the movie Crash, we were shown clips that defined different aspects of racism, sexism and inequality. After each clip, there was a discussion as to what type of discrimination was performed and ways to redirect that behavior. Within the packet, there was a diversity list that gave ways to stop discrimination. These behaviors included make new friends of all backgrounds, be willing to share in open dialogue, be willing to ask questions and several more. This list helps reiterate that learning different cultural backgrounds is easier than we think it is. Living by this list will cause a decrease in the amount of discriminatory actions
American society likes to believe that race relations in our country are no longer strained. We do not want to hear about the need for affirmative action or about the growing numbers of white supremacist groups. In order to appease our collective conscious, we put aside the disturbing fact that racism is alive and well in the great U.S.A. It hides in the workplace, it subtly shows its ugly face in the media, and it affects the education of minority students nationwide. In the following excerpts from an interview with a middle class African American male, the reader will find strong evidence that race plays a major role in determining the type and quality of education a student receives.
African Americans face a number of obstacles to advancing in educational and occupational environments in the United States. Although racial discrimination continues and has negative effects on the mental and physical health of African-Americans, non-interpersonal disparities, like structural bias in education, health care, contact with the criminal justice system, and income also result in challenges for African Americans. In addition, one persistent issue that many Black American education and job seekers have to contend with are stereotypes of their group as incompetent. Individual racial minority education and job seekers can signal their competence via what we are terming diversity awards. Like Latin honors or additional certifications, these awards are meant to signal competence for the recipient. However, little is known about how these awards are perceived by White
Wilson, President of Morgan State University delivered the keynote address. The focus of his speech was the importance of all lives, Morgan State University, and education. He explained how valuable our education is not just to us but to the millions of those who came before us and those to follow after. He explained how our success contributes to the success of the institutions around us. Moreover, he explained that it’s not just black lives that matter at Morgan State University, but all lives despite their variations. Dr. Wilson spoke directly to the students throughout the presentation. He encouraged the student body to take pride in our education through study. He noted that it is vital that students take pride in their school because of the potential and faith they have in our success. Finally he impressed upon these collegiate youth the importance of self-worth. It is not okay to come to class in street attire with a street mentality because that is not who one aspires to be nor who those of this institution settle on
As a testament to the next discussion point of opportunities, especially within the realm of college admission, I have experienced firsthand the opportunities presented by affirmative action. As a low-income, first-generation college student, Virginia Tech had offered me a full scholarship based solely on merit and financial need. As a “minority” according to Virginia Tech, I had an
Imagine living in a world that is seemingly against all that you are and all that you want to be. Through modern stereotypes and accustomed oppression, the odds are working against minorities. As a society we have become familiarized with the comfort of color blindness, this is a term used for the ignorance that surrounds diversity issues today. Mellody Hobson, executive president of Ariel Investments, is an African American woman that has chosen to confront the lack of understanding involving diversity issues involving race, gender, sexuality, religion, socioeconomic status, and education and tagging it as Color Bravery. Throughout her discussion, Hobson engages and connects with her audience through her personal stories, facial expressions, tone of voice, and passion about diversity.