THERE I was, perusing the Internet news sites, when I came across the MSNBC Race in America page. Nothing was out of the ordinary, for with such fervent talk about diversity at the University, it is crucial to know what is really going on with races as individuals, not just assume the issues of one group's to be the issues of all. It was on Sunday afternoon that I ran across an article on "black names" and the new studies that have shown that resumes get more callbacks when they have "white sounding" names. Say what? This is yet another example of hidden cultural bias and covert racism in America and another reason for people to realistically think about diversity initiatives at the University.
Let's keep going with this issue of names. The Associated Press story began with a mother who claimed that she was considering a more neutral name for her fourth child because "a distinctively black name could end up being an economic impediment" ("What's in a name? For blacks, a job," The Associate Press, Sept. 28). According to one recent study, this looks to be sickeningly true. The authors of this research have found that those blacks with white-sounding names had a fifty percent better chance of resume acceptance than blacks with equivalent backgrounds and skills.
What all of this means is that culture can be seen as a handicap or as a benefit in society, but its value is lost if no one outside of a cultural group is supportive and accepting of their own thoughts and motives. For instance, if black people are the only ones who venerate their own culture by choosing names that have been deemed more "ethnic," they still are forced to face immense hidden bias by not choosing one appropriate to another culture in order to succeed.
According to the article, "The question is whether a distinctive name is a cause or consequence of black isolation," but this question broadens to any hallmark of a culture. Numerous cultural immigrants to this country have changed their names to sound "more American." Even people at the University take immeasurable strides to not seem "too black" or "too Asian" or "too gay." Forget what this has to say about the confidence of those people -- let's think about what this says about the society of dominantly white culture we live in. However, no one can be expected to understand the depth of such issues if they themselves never take an opportunity to look beyond what their own experiences validate as truth.
Believe me, I never wanted to take calculus, but it being mandatory did not inadvertently corrupt me or call into question my freedom. Rather, I studied, learned, argued, understood, was able to succeed and apply it to my other school work. The same goes for diversity training. Even if you don't want it, it does not mean that it is not beneficial or pertinent to the rest of your college education. We all are biased in ways we fail to recognize, and it is certainly time that students of the University had a venue to address their own issues. And as for the argument that 'diversity' is but mere ideology, social injustice is as factual as calculus. Though the means to an end may not have been completely determined, no road to truth has ever been paved without attempting different paths.
All of this is not to ramble, but rather to say that diversity is much deeper than the people at this school, much deeper than any organization or any initiative that can take place. The real world is neither fair nor just, especially if one is somehow viewed as an "other." These days, 'otherness' is implied by nothing more than a name on a job application. There is a lot of dialogue going on right now that I highly respect and will always entertain fully because I want to see the other side of the arguments on diversity, and I want people to think about my perspective. But for the benefit of all, let's at least give diversity a chance. Even if you don't understand the purpose on Grounds, seek to understand the full scope, and maybe you will see things differently.
(Amey Adkins' column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at aadkins@cavalierdaily.com.)
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