What is Diversity?

I've been doing some of my readings for Bob's class today. I find that although I have more pressing things to do... other readings...papers...etc, it draws me. Some of the quotes in the Voices really stirred me, one of them being "Do you eat every day?"- Little girl living in Clinton-Peabody public housing c. 2003. I can only imagine--a troupe of WU students walking around the Peabody projects, and a little girl tricycling on the sidewalk asking the group this question...in sheer innocence. I am sure it was a sobering experience.

That, however, wasn't the most intriguing quote though. "Celebrating Diversity of American life has become the American left's way of accepting their poverty, of accepting inequality"-Walter Benn Michaels 2006. After seeing this, I was dumbfounded. How can this be? For so many years, I have characterized myself as someone who advocated for diversity and social justice (my exact language)--yet here is this man critiquing the very ideals that I have been championing... but more importantly, that I thought were right. At that moment, however, I felt myself mature. How can one design without constraints was a question that was posed in class. How can one advance with no struggle. This quote...this direct challenge on the principles and passions that are the very fabric of me. I realized that to a certain extent this phenomenon is true. It goes back to what I reference earlier as the 'American Paradox'. The celebration of "diversity" is just another American ideal (albeit, one in which I fully believe). We all speak about the "Melting Pot" (or more appropriately, the "Tossed Salad" referencing different, but autonomous elements that make the American whole). These euphemisms ("Diversity" included) allow for a tacit acceptance of inequality (Michaels particularly argues that this allows for the acceptance of ec9nomic inequity).

The notion and celebration of "diversity" is inherently American, as it appeals to the capitalist mindset....that someone always has to be on the bottom... and that is okay. It's amazing. Relating this to the construction of Pruitt-Iagoe...perhaps the most infamous housing project in the nation, contractors inflated their bids for the project, so much so that construction of the project was severely inadequate...yet they were still inhabited by the working poor. Would that have been the case in a more affluent area of town...inferior construction, subpar to the plans initially proposed?

Related to the diversity issue is this idea of "colorblindness" which always brings a little chuckle to me, and there are several reasons why. First of all--who are the people who say they are colorblind (not in the biological sense, but to be relatable to the multiplicity of races)--more than likely those who claim this social disability are those in power...white people. I wonder when they say "I'm color blind" what do they envision... a white and black world? (This isn’t color-blind at all, and in fact begs the white-black racial issues anyway). On top of that, how dare you continue to exercise your inherent racial power by stripping me of my racial identity? Here is where "diversity" should come in: we should recognize the beauty, the privilege and oppression that results from it, and reconcile them... not get rid of the issue completely. As Michael Eric Dyson said, "As a presumed achievement, color-blindness reinforces the very racial misery it is meant to replace."

I guess what I am taking away from these notions is to be very intentional with language, and to be honest with oneself. Now, I not only claim that I am passionate about diversity and social justice, but that I am also passionate about alleviating inequalities (particularly in the medical field...as I want to work on health disparities). More importantly, to really understand and comprehend these issues, the solution is not to mask, or to delete entirely the problems...but instead to be honest with oneself. I have prejudices (even after going through countless "diversity” workshops). I judge people. But I recognize those feelings, acknowledge and grow from them. That is what will resolve these issues... self-improvement... which will then foster compassion for others. I will end on this note from Susan Sontag "Compassion is an unstable emotion. It needs to be translated into action, otherwise it withers.