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Invisible Whites And The Meaning Of ?Diversity?

Ralph Ellison would be amazed at the new color of invisibility.

In ?Diversity Increases at Public Historically Black Colleges,? the Chronicle of Higher Education reports this morning:

Public historically black colleges and universities have become increasingly diverse over a 20-year period, according to a new report by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The proportion of Hispanic, Asian, and multi-ethnic students enrolled in the organization?s member institutions jumped from 6 percent of the student population in 1986 to 8 percent in 2006. The total number of nonblack students of color increased by 64 percent. The organization represents 47 public historically black colleges and universities, or HBCU?s.

Well, that?s quite a jump, from 6 percent ?diversity? in 1986 to 8 percent in 2006, although apparently ?diversity? in HBCU?s need not include any whites. I?m tempted to ask the obvious question, if an HBCU can be ?diverse? with no whites, can a non-HBCU be ?diverse? with no blacks? But I won?t.

Also of great interest is how this upsurge of new ?diversity? was achieved.

The increase isn?t a result of any specific initiatives to diversify the colleges, said Dwayne Ashley, president and chief executive of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. ?Our goal is to enroll students who want to get a great education.?

I like that approach, and think all colleges and universities should emulate it.

Full post as published by Discriminations on September 15, 2009 (boomark / email).