Living With a Majority-Minority Mindset
While race relations have improved over the years, a lack of understanding regarding inequalities still exists.
By Wayne A. Jones
Two recent articles from the online version of Diverse: Issues In Higher Education caught my attention for their titles, content and for several unspoken messages that might be extrapolated. These articles affirm that diversity in higher education is essential to furthering understanding among the races. In my opinion, however, diversity cannot solve all problems.
The first article appeared on June 21. “Study: Americans Use ‘Diversity’ to Cover Up Their True Feelings About Race” provides an interesting discussion about the word “diversity” and its use by Americans to circumvent their true feelings about race.
The question of race has been an issue in this country since the first settlers interacted with American Indians. Centuries later, society still wrestles with many questions regarding race, fairness, equity, power, access, inclusiveness and, yes, even diversity.
While the country has made progress remedying the impact from when discrimination was seen as normal and legal against women, American Indians, Blacks and other minorities, we as a nation have not (and perhaps cannot) totally divorce ourselves from a majority-minority mindset. True, laws have been passed, policies have been altered, restrictions have been removed and some change has occurred. However, the results of the study cited in the article may indicate that we are not being truthful with ourselves and about our real feelings regarding race.
