We d all just wait it out. Problems need attention, and the issue of social justice in our society is no exception. I d like to express my viewpoint on what we as future public policy leaders need to do. Paternalism rarely works. It certainly hasn t worked for Native Americans who are among the poorest and least politically represented in the US Government.
Paternalism only serves to reinforce dependence and contributes to political atrophy.
What people of color and other dis-empowered groups in the US need and deserve are programs that build internal capacity by creating leadership and institution building within different communities. When you build group capacity, you create the infrastructure necessary for groups to solve their own problems in a culturally appropriate, sustainable fashion. The PPIA program served to build the capacity for leadership in under-represented groups in Public Policy. I know that some people look at these types of programs as an unfair advantage, but is it fair that before the Americans with Disabilities Act people with disabilities were unable to access so much in American society that you or I take for granted- such as public transportation, schools, housing. When I was in high school Civics class I learned a fundamental lesson.