WASHINGTON, D.C. — When making the case for affirmative action, particularly in a potentially adversarial environment, emphasize the economic imperatives instead of just the social justice aspects of diversity and inclusion.
That’s one of the key points that Charles Batey, associate director for the Equal Opportunity Office at Metropolitan State College of Denver, says he got from the 38th National Conference and Annual Meeting of the American Association for Affirmative Action, or AAAA.
“Those of us that have been in this business for years have emphasized social justice,” said Batey, who also serves as a board member at AAAA, in an interview at the conclusion of the three-day conference, which drew some 160 individuals—mostly from higher education but also the private sector and government.
“When we are discussing affirmative action programs with persons that don’t believe in the plans and programs, we have a better chance of getting them to understand what we’re doing if we talk about business and economics,” Batey said.
“Higher education has a vital role because we produce the people power that companies need,” he continued. “If we don’t have the opportunity to produce individuals from diverse backgrounds for our employers, then we’re going to have some serious manpower-related issues.”
If there was any one message that resonated throughout the three-day conference, it was that America’s future economic well-being is directly tied to the educational success of the growing number of the country’s minority children.
Among the academics that stressed this point is Dr. William B. Harvey, dean of the School of Education at North Carolina A&T State University.
