More Thoughts on Diversity

While writing my last blog post about traveling and family vacations I started to think about my definition of diversity. Diversity is a tough thing to define. I think so much of it depends on the position of the person giving the definition. I do not consider the area where I was raised to be diverse at all. I do not consider my home state diverse – even in the largest city. And yet some people I know do (at least certain areas). It amazes me that some people think 2 or 3 percent non-white people constitutes diversity. I just don’t see it. And itisn’t just about lack of diversity of people but also the lack of diversity of experiences.

Thinking about this reminded me of a conversation I recently had with a friend I first met in college over 20 years ago. Lisa and I both live in the same city now but were raised in small, rural communities in the Midwest. We were at lunch with a few other people who had lived exclusively in large east coast cities. One person at lunch asked my friend and I what it was like to grow up in the Midwest. We both talked a bit about our hometowns. We joked about the fact that wedidn ‘t grow up on the farm or milk cows or any thing like that. Then the woman, who happened to be black, remarked that it must be weird to live somewhere with no black people. I laughed knowingly at her remark and nodded my head. My college friend, who is white, was shocked and insulted that the woman said such a thing. She went on to explain that our home state is in fact quite diverse and that the college where we met was particularly diverse. I was shocked to hear Lisa say this. I couldn’t disagree more. It is like we were talking about two totally different places. It is interesting to me that as such good friends (then and now) we have such opposite views on the issue.

I don’t remember the exact breakdown of students at my school during the years I attended but I looked at the recent demographics to get a view of the current racial makeup. In 2008 there were about 24,100 students at my alma mater and about 641 students were black. My math skills are not good but that is about 2.6%. I suspect the percentage was even lower when I was in school in the 1980s. My freshman year I routinely sat in lecture halls of 300 students and was the only non-white person in the room. I loved my school, my friends, my sorority sisters but that was not a diverse atmosphere. And as I wrote in my last blog post I knew it was just a matter of time before I’d move away. I’ve never regretted leaving – although I do wish I could see my family more often.

…It is centered on the reality of white people; there is no consideration for the experiences of people of color in so-called diverse environments, whether they indeed face racism…

While I was writing this blog it just so happened that another blog addressed a similar topic – but with much more eloquence. The quote above is pulled from that writing.   Love Isn’t Enough (formerly called Anti-Racist Parent) is one my favorite blogs. While not an adoption specific blog, I find the content relates to issues of interest for all parents. And in reading what Tami wrote about diversity it makes me realize that my definition may be just as confused as Lisa’s. Either way, I think it is an important issue for all of us to think about.

Photo Credit.

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