More than 20 faculty and staff took time out Wednesday afternoon to view a nationwide videoconference discussing diversity in education and the workplace.
The University of Memphis and more than 400 campuses and institutions participated in a national videoconference entitled “Diversity Strategies for Today’s Complex Environment”.
The videoconference was broadcast live from Bowie State University.
Panelists included lawyers, businesspeople and educators who debated diversity issues including university admissions, coalition effectiveness, public education budgets and affirmative action laws.
Columnist Julianne Malveaux was the mediator, and Shirley Wilcher, executive director of America for a Fair Chance, began with her views on diversity in education.
“Equal access of education for all people, regardless of race, color or gender, is our goal,” Wilcher said. “We are a coalition working for equality for minorities in universities and employment.”
William Soza of the George Mason Minority Advance Board agreed with the importance of diversity in the work place.
“Diversity in a business should reflect the diversity of the community,” Soza said.
His board works to bring minority CEOs together with non-minority CEOs to develop strategies for diversifying the student body at George Mason.
Many speakers warned of the dangers of institutional racism. They believe it goes unchecked because it is less obvious.
According to Karen Nerasaki, a graduate of Yale law school, standardized testing is a tool of institutional racism biased against some minority groups. She contends that the tests are not indicative of future collegiate performance.
Curt Levey, also a graduate of Yale Law, was the only panelist who did not agree with affirmative action based on color or gender lines. He cited several businessschool practices as unfair.
“The University of Michigan Business School adds 20 points to minorities’ index score,” he said. “That’s the equivalent of raising their score by an entire letter grade.”
Levey believes in affirmative action for people who experience certain disadvantages. However, he said you cannot group entire races into that category.
The Washington Regional Task Force Against Campus Prejudice and the Institute of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Bowie State co-sponsored the videoconference and the Kellogg Foundation funded the event.
