18 Aug 2018 Does Diversity Have To Be Everywhere?

Does Diversity Have To Be Everywhere?

I agree with the argument that the more diversity you have in an organization the better it can be.  It is not a given that it will, but it sure does help.  I believe it is very important for children to have as many classmates from as many backgrounds as possible.  They will be able to see and experience people from other ethnicities and cultures in their formative years.  It would be harder to instill negative opinions of “other” people if they interact all day long at school.  Racism and hatred are taught.  If the child hears one thing at home but experiences something different at school, then maybe they will form their own opinion.

Do you need to have diversity in all organizations you participate in?  Can you have just a men’s or women’s club? How many factors of diversity are required?  Can just sex be the differentiator and it be ok as long as that is the only one?  Can any single sex (or any one defined factor) organization be allowed if it takes any tax funds to operate?

There are many news stories about the diversity of college campuses.  There is a lot of pressure on the administrations to have a diverse student population.  Do the Historical Black Universities (HBU) need to have the same focus on their diverse student population as any other institution?  This is a sensitive issue as the HBU’s existed because blacks were not allowed entrance into the state schools, especially in the South.  Grambling University has a student population that is 90% black.  The University of Alabama, a bastion of segregation in the past, is 77% white and 11% black.  Blacks make up about 15% of the US population.   

Should Grambling move towards a more diverse population that is in-line with the US Population?   Again, there can be an argument made that a dominant factor in an organization is ok as long as it is not the only factor. Grambling allows anyone to apply and attend, just like the University of Alabama.    The diversity statistics are not good at Grambling but that is due to historical factors.  But, if diversity is good, it would benefit the school and the student population to improve this.

I have no problem with single diversity factor organizations (e.g. men) as long as that is the only discriminating factor.  However, if tax funds are involved, then it gets complicated and my support is not that strong and I would need a convincing argument as to why it is ok.